On April 1, 2019, the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) designated the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute’s Epilepsy Program at Hoag as a Level 4 Epilepsy Center, the highest level of accreditation.

This prestigious accreditation recognizes the Institute’s Epilepsy Program for having the professional expertise and resources necessary to provide the most advanced and comprehensive medical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy. Epilepsy programs are assessed for accreditation based on numerous factors including volume of patients treated, capacity for advanced epilepsy-related neuroimaging, video-EEG monitoring, neuropsychological and psychosocial treatment, and neurosurgeons with expertise in a variety of epilepsy-related surgical procedures.

“We are incredibly honored to be recognized nationally as a Level 4 Epilepsy Center,” said David Millett, M.D., Ph.D., the Epilepsy Program’s director. “Achieving this designation is a testament to our Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute team and the comprehensive approach they take when it comes to improving our patients’ overall quality of life.”

As a level 4 center, Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute provides comprehensive treatment through a patient-centered, integrated approach with a multidisciplinary team of specialists. Utilizing the best in evidence-based practice, state-of-the-art technology and advanced research, Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute at Hoag is a leading resource for epilepsy patients and their caregivers in Southern California.

With support from the Nancy & Bill Thompson Neurosciences Excellence Fund, the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute’s Epilepsy Program has recently expanded to provide comprehensive epilepsy services for under- and uninsured Orange County residents who have limited or no access to advanced epilepsy care. Collaborating with Lestonnac Free Clinic in Orange, Dr. Millett and the team from the Institute provide medical consultations and access to services such as epilepsy surgery, vagus nerve stimulation treatment (VNS), clinical research studies and other definitive treatments to address a population with limited access to advanced care.

“Epilepsy is the fourth-most common neurological problem, affecting more than 3 million Americans,” Dr. Millett explained. “Our goal is to provide more individuals access to quality care that is tailored to their individual needs, which is critical to the management of this condition.”

ABOUT THE PICKUP FAMILY NEUROSCIENCES INSTITUTE

Delivering a personalized, integrated approach using best-practice guidelines, the most advanced technology, and integration of medical specialists in the most appropriate facilities, the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute (PFNI) at Hoag provides the highest quality care for patients with brain and spine disorders including stroke, aneurysms and vascular malformations, brain tumors, epilepsy, movement disorders, memory and cognitive disorders, pain, minimally invasive spine surgery, multiple sclerosis, addiction medicine and sleep disorders, as well as the mind-body interface of behavioral health. Several of Hoag’s PFNI programs have received high acclaim, including the stroke program, which was the first hospital in Orange County and the second in California to be named a Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center by DNV GL Healthcare. It was awarded the American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Performance Achievement for stroke care. And as one of the first centers in the U.S. to offer the most advanced radiosurgical treatment system available, Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™, the PFNI brain tumor program is the largest in Orange County and is also among the top volume programs in the western United States. The epilepsy program is an accredited Level 4 center. The PFNI’s memory and cognitive disorders program is nationally recognized.

ABOUT HOAG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PRESBYTERIAN

Hoag is an approximately $1 billion nonprofit, regional health care delivery network in Orange County, California, that treats more than 30,000 inpatients and 450,000 outpatients annually. Hoag consists of two acute-care hospitals – Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, which opened in 1952, and Hoag Hospital Irvine, which opened in 2010 – in addition to eight health centers and 11 urgent care centers. Hoag is a designated Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes five institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancerheart and vascularneuroscienceswomen’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and two ambulatory surgical centers. Hoag has been named one of the Best Regional Hospitals in the 2018 – 2019 U.S. News & World Report, and Becker’s Healthcare named Hoag as one of the 2018 “100 Great Hospitals in America” – a designation Hoag has received five times. For an unprecedented 23 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as one of the county’s best hospitals in a local newspaper survey. Visit www.hoag.org for more information.