University Hospitals expands neurosurgery services to UH Ahuja Medical Center

The University Hospitals Neurological Institute (NI) is expanding neurological surgery services to UH Ahuja Medical Center, in Beachwood, to offer access to a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgical specialists, advanced technology and a full range of medical resources now currently available only at UH Cleveland Medical Center.

This is the first time that complex neurosurgical procedures will be available at one of UH’s community hospitals.

The expansion of these services to UH Ahuja represents a $2 million capital investment.

“We are pleased to announce a significant expansion of the Neurological Institute in the community setting,” said NI Director Nicholas Bambakidis, MD. “Providing comprehensive neurosurgery expertise at UH Ahuja allows us to keep more patients in their own community.”

UH Ahuja will now offer advanced procedures and treatments for brain tumors, complex spine cases, and brain aneurysms. The medical center also will be the first hospital in the country to use the latest Medtronic 8.0 technology for deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of Parkinson’s and tremors.

The expanded services will increase the capability to manage stroke, brain tumor, Parkinson’s and other cases in the Beachwood community and surrounding eastern suburban region.

Neurosurgical patients will recover in a dedicated section of the surgical intensive care unit. Eight neurosurgeons, including two physicians who were hired due to this expansion, will perform cases at UH Ahuja and follow-up with outpatients in offices at UH Ahuja’s Risman Pavilion.

“We are very proud that the UH Neurologic Institute is expanding neurosurgery to UH Ahuja Medical Center,” said Susan Juris, President of UH Ahuja. “Their confidence in us reflects UH Ahuja’s capability to provide the complex care and advanced technology this patient population requires. Our staff is honored to work with Dr. Bambakidis and his team of esteemed neurosurgeons. Bringing neurosurgery here is another example of UH’s commitment to provide a full range of complex care to the Eastern suburbs.”

Yin Hu, MD, will serve as the Medical Director for the Neurosurgical Division at UH Ahuja, while Michael DeGeorgia, MD, Medical Director of the Neurological Division, will oversee neurology and stroke services.

The surgeons who will operate at UH Ahuja are Drs. Bambakidis and Hu, as well as Tiffany Hodges, MD, Manish Kasliwal, MD, Abhishek Ray, MD, Warren Selman, MD, and Jennifer Sweet, MD. Drs. Hodges and Ray were brought on staff for this expansion.

UH Ahuja Medical Center, a 144-bed hospital which opened in 2011, offers comprehensive patient-centered care, advanced technology and therapies and a wide-range of inpatient and outpatient services, including 24/7 adult and pediatric emergency care.

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About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio

Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 18 hospitals, more than 40 outpatient health centers and 200 physician offices in 15 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, located on a 35-acre campus in Cleveland’s University Circle, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The main campus also includes University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; University Hospitals MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, transplantation and urology. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals – part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development. UH is the second largest employer in northern Ohio with 26,000 employees. For more information, go to UHhospitals.org.