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technolog y received FDA clearance for intracranial applications in 1999 and for full-body applications in 2001. "We are helping improve radiation guide- lines for cancer treatment using four goals," Dr. Bryant says. Along with Dr. Bryant, radiation oncolo- gist Salman Hasan, DO, also treats patients at the CyberKnife Center. Those goals are improving cancer control and survival, reduc- ing side effects, improving a patient's quality of life (with fewer treatments, for example) and reducing the cost of cancer care. Part of the Ascension Via Christi Cancer Center, Dr. Br yant a nd other members of the CyberKnife Center tea m a re ava il- able for video a nd telephone consultations with patients a nd physicia ns. Ca ll 316-261-3200 to lea rn more. COMPREHENSIVE STROKE CARE The Ascension Via Christi Comprehensive Stroke Center is one of two comprehensive stroke centers in Kansas certified by The Joint Commission, the nation's predominant independent standards- setting and accrediting body in health care. This is an important distinction because multiple research studies show a decreased mortality rate for hemorrhagic stroke patients treated at a comprehensive stroke center as compared to being treated at a primary stroke center, says James Walker, MD, who is board-certified in critical care, neurocritical care and anesthesia and serves as Medical Director for the Comprehensive Stroke Program at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis. "Every member of our experienced team is dedicated to continu- ous improvement because we want the patients in the community we serve to receive the best care possible," Dr. Walker says. Approximately 800 hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke patients are treated at St. Francis each year, including many, ranging in age from teens to centenarians, who require more advanced endovascular surgical interventions. The Comprehensive Stroke Center also received Get With the Guidelines Gold Plus Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus recognition by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association. "When time is of the essence, patients deserve nothing less than the best care available, and that level of care is available at Ascension Via Christi," Dr. Walker says. To discuss treatment or tra nsfer of a stroke patient , call 1-800-353-3111 and ask to speak to a stroke physician. ACCREDITED EPILEPSY CENTER The Ascension Via Christi Epilepsy Center in Wichita is one of two Kansas centers accredited by the National Association for Epilepsy Centers. Ricky Lee, MD "As an accredited center, we can offer patients more options than just traditional medication therapy," says Ricky Lee, MD, the board-certified and fellowship-trained neurologist and epilepsy specialist who leads the team. The center is staffed and equipped to offer the most advanced care in diagnosis and treat- ment, including medication management, device therapy, pre-surgical evaluations and the opportunity to participate in clinical trials, which gives patients early access to investigational medications and devices. The center includes epilepsy monitoring at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis, allowing the center staff to more accurately diagnose hard-to-treat patients and design individual treatment plans. Staff also provide electroencephalography support to inpa- tients in the Neurointensive Care Unit and Comprehensive Stroke Center, Dr. Lee says. n James Walker, MD, and interventional radiologist Kumar Reddy, MD, at the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Salman Hasan, DO 1 4❱❱❱❱❱ S P E C I A L F E A T U R E