Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1305937
BY K ATY MENA-BERKLEY AT THE STATE UNIVERSIT Y OF NE W YORK UPSTATE MEDICAl UNIVERSIT Y, NEUROlOGISTS, NEUROSURGEONS AND NEUROSCIENCE RESE ARCHERS WORK TOGE THER TO OFFER A ROBUST SPECTRUM OF NEUROlOGICAl SOlUTIONS TO THE CENTR Al NE W YORK COMMUNIT Y. L O C A T E D I N S Y R A C U S E , Ups t at e i s t he reg ion's m a i n referra l center for specia lized medical care and the only one to have a comprehensive neurological disorders program. "Centra l New York is a la rge territor y that covers one-third of the state and is home to one- tenth of New York's population," says Luis Mejico, MD, Professor a nd Cha i r of t he Depa r tment of Neurolog y at SUN Y Upstate Medical University. "In order to satisfy and meet the needs of our community, we have expanded our established programs to form the Upstate Neurological Institute. This is critically important at a time when neurology and neuroscience is the most sought-after specialty in the country." In the past 15 yea rs, SUN Y Upstate Medica l Universit y 's neu r o s cienc e of fer i n g s h ave e x pa nde d t r emendou s ly. Together, the depa r tments of Neurolog y a nd Neurosurger y have doubled its number of facult y, recruiting the best a nd brightest clinica l minds from a ll corners of the United States, a nd has a lso reta ined a sig nif ica nt por tion of SUN Y Upstate Medica l Universit y tra inees a nd residents. "Our clinica l neuroscience prog ra m is the most adva nced in the reg ion, touching on the three pilla rs of neurolog ica l clinica l ca re, education a nd resea rch," Dr. Mejico says. " We have invested a lot of effor t into generating prog ra ms that provide the best ca re for our communit y, a nd we continue to ex pa nd a nd improve hig h qua lit y ca re here in Centra l New York." LEADING-EDGE SOLUTIONS CLOSE TO HOME W hile people may need to travel for specia lized operations such as neurosurger y, Upstate provides a more convenient option for patients and families in Centra l New York, as well as northern and western Pennsylvania. " We cover the leng th and breadth of neurosurgery, offering the treatment options that our community needs," says Satish Krishnamurthy, MD, MCh, FA A NS, Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at SUNY Upstate Medica l University. "The idea is to have the countr y 's best care right here in our patients' backyard." Established in 1966, the Department of Neurosurgery has a long-standing history of training neurosurgeons to manage a wide variety of disorders found in the brain and spina l cord. Ruham Nasany, MD, is leading a multi-disciplinary team for the new Neuro- Oncology program. A HEALING STATE OF MIND: SUNY Upstate Medical University Is Advancing the Landscape of Neurology and Neurosurgery Luis Mejico, MD, is the chair of Neurology and is part of the multidisciplinary Neuro- Ophthalmology clinic, one of the dozen specialty clinics in the department. 0 6