Geisinger Neuroscience Institute launches major expansion of services

More than 10 new physicians joining the team

June 19, 2009, DANVILLE - Geisinger Health System’s Neuroscience Institute is in the midst of a dramatic period of growth that will include the employment of more than 10 new physicians and the expansion of advanced epilepsy, neurosurgery, oncology and migraine/headache services.

The Neuroscience Institute provides care to patients with a broad range of neurological and neurosurgical disorders. The Institute includes a neurosurgery program, neurology services, a brain and spine tumor institute, a certified stroke program, a cerebrovascular program and now a headache center.

Geisinger is hiring physicians who bring with them expertise in specialty areas such as stroke, epilepsy, pediatric neurology, neurosurgery, brain cancer and migraines.

The new staff allows Geisinger to expand existing programs such as neurosurgery, decrease patient wait time for procedures and add new services such as a neuroendocrinology clinic for the treatment of pituitary tumors.

This is the Neuroscience Institute’s biggest expansion since it formed in the 1950s, said neurosurgeon Steven A. Toms, M.D., co-director of the Institute. By the end of the summer, the Institute will have a total of 37 physicians.

Depending on the specialty, these services are available at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Geisinger Wyoming Valley in Wilkes-Barre and Geisinger community practice sites throughout the region.

“We are hiring a cadre of nationally and internationally recognized neuroscience experts who will provide outstanding treatment to patients in central and northeastern Pennsylvania,” Dr. Toms said. “We believe our Institute can be one of the country’s leading neuroscience centers.”

Among the Neurosciences Institute’s new physicians are:

• Frank Gilliam, MD, FAAN, director of neurology and co-director Neuroscience Institute. Board-certified in neurology, Dr. Gilliam is an expert in epilepsy, neurophysiology and the use of electroencephalograms to monitor brain activity. Dr. Gilliam has served as the lead or principal investigator on five federally-funded research studies that have totaled nearly $4 million and has published more than 90 research articles. In addition, he served as director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Columbia University/ New York Presbyterian Hospital from 2004 to 2008.

• Michel Lacroix , MD FACS, FRCS(C), director, Brain & Spine Tumor Institute, Director, Neurosurgery, Geisinger Wyoming Valley. Board-certified in neurological surgery, Dr. Lacroix is fellowship-trained in the management of complex tumors of the brain, spine and spinal cord. He is an expert in minimal access spinal technologies and movement preservation devices. He provides brain and spine tumor care in the Wilkes-Barre area. Before joining Geisinger, Dr. Lacroix was associate professor of neuroscience and director of neurosurgical oncology at the Centre Hospitalier Affilie Universite Laval, Hospital de l’Enfant Jesus in Quebec, Canada.

• Todd D Rozen, MD, FAAN, director, Headache Program. Board-certified in psychiatry and neurology, Dr. Rozen is a fellowship-trained expert in headaches and migraines. He has published more than 100 research articles. He tailors a treatment program for each chronic headache patient including the unique use of infusion therapy.  He is seeing patients at GMC and GWV.

About Geisinger Health System
Founded in 1915, Geisinger Health System (Danville, PA) is one of the nation’s largest integrated health services organizations.  Serving more than two million residents throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania, the physician-led organization is at the forefront of the country's rapidly emerging electronic health records movement. Geisinger is comprised of two medical center campuses, three hospitals, a 740-member group practice, a not-for-profit health insurance company and the Henry Hood Center for Health Research—dedicated to creating innovative new models for patient care, satisfaction and clinical outcomes. For more information, visit www.geisinger.org.