Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/79506
COVER FEATURE Hope and Cures Closer to Home B Akron General's Neuroscience Institute: By Jill Wodtley EING DIAGNOSED WITH a neurologic disorder is often frightening, especially when it affects a person's speech, mobility or thought processes. But new technology and treatments offer hope and even cures. That's the purpose of Akron General Health System's Neuroscience Institute — to offer hope and cures through com- prehensive neurologic and neurosurgical services closer to home for patients in Summit County and beyond. "In the past, hundreds of patients with neurologic disorders had to leave Summit County each year for medical care, particularly if they required the care of a neurointerventionalist for minimally invasive endovascular procedures," says Georges Z. Markarian, MD, a neurosur- geon and chair of Akron General's new Neuroscience Institute. "We now offer an extended spectrum of services for patients who have disorders of the brain, spine and peripheral nerves." An alumnus of the University of Akron, from which he graduated magna cum laude at the age of 19, Dr. Markarian received his MD degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Afterwards, he went to the Cleveland Clinic where he completed an internship in General Surgery along with residency and fellowship training in Neurosurgery. For the past 11 years, Dr. Markarian has been practicing in the Akron/Canton area. During this time, he has seen first- hand the potential for expanding local neurology and neurosurgery services and helped spearhead the development of the NeuroScience Institute which officially opened last year. Since then, Akron General has added the first dedicated neuro intensive care unit (ICU) in Summit County, renovated four Neurologist and stroke specialist James Gebel, neurosurgeon Georges Markarian, and neurointerventionalist Firas Al-Ali, lead Akron General's new Neuroscience Institute which offers an extended spectrum of services for patients who have disorders of the brain, spine and peripheral nerves. PHOTOS © JOE SMITHBERGER, SMITHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY, NORTH CANTON