The Cooper Neurological Institute (CNI) Epilepsy Program has been accredited as a Level 4 epilepsy center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC)—a designation reserved for hospitals and medical centers offering the most comprehensive and specialized epilepsy care.
As the highest recognition given by the NAEC, the Level 4 recognizes Cooper for having the professional expertise and facilities capable of providing more complex and progressive forms of medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for this disorder as well as education, psychosocial counseling, social services and more.
“This national recognition is a true testament to the high-level of specialized patient-centered care Cooper provides for patients with epilepsy, including individuals who may be viewed as complicated or untreatable,” Melissa Carran, MD, Chair and Chief, Department of Neurology. “Our goal is to help reduce, control or even eliminate the seizures associated with the disorder in order to restore a person to a normal, productive life.”
Epilepsy, a disorder that causes abnormal electrical activity in the brain (seizures), is one of the country’s most common disabling neurological conditions, affecting more than 2.5 million Americans. Those affected by epilepsy are generally the very young and the elderly. The disorder has many causes including brain injury, infection, stroke, tumor or hereditary factors. In some cases, the exact cause cannot be identified. Treatment for the disorder often involves surgery.
In 1989, the NAEC created guidelines for specialized epilepsy centers that focused on early and accurate diagnosis and appropriate intervention for patients with epilepsy. This document was the first of its kind, and became a nationally recognized and accepted set of guidelines for practitioners and administrators of specialized epilepsy care. The NAEC Board has spent the past several years developing and implementing a process to more formally accredit specialized epilepsy centers.
CNI is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of a wide-range of neurological and neurosurgical conditions including spinal trauma, stroke and hydrocephalus, as well as providing comprehensive neuro-oncology and neuromuscular care. As part of CNI, the Epilepsy Treatment Program provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment of individuals who have poorly controlled epilepsy.
Wendy A. Marano
Public Relations Manager
marano-wendy@cooperhealth.edu
Office: 856.382.6463
Cell: 856.904.1688