Texas Children's Epilepsy Center Recognized as a Level 4 Epilepsy Center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC)

HOUSTON, July 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Epilepsy Center at Texas Children's Hospital has again been recognized by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) as a Level 4 epilepsy center.  This designation recognizes the center's ability to care for the most complex epilepsy cases, offering professional expertise and facilities that deliver the highest level of medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients.

"This distinction reflects Texas Children's ongoing commitment to providing care and treatment for pediatric epilepsy that is at the forefront of the specialty," said Dr. Angus Wilfong, medical director of Texas Children's comprehensive epilepsy program and associate professor of pediatrics and neurology at Baylor College of Medicine. "We have a talented multidisciplinary team focused on treatment and research initiatives to improve outcomes for patients as well as families everywhere affected by epilepsy."

Consistently ranked among the nation's top ten hospitals for pediatric neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report, Texas Children's Hospital performed 119 surgeries last year to treat patients with intractable epilepsy.  Among its many distinctions, in 2011 Texas Children's became the first in the world to use real-time MRI guided thermal imaging and laser technology to destroy lesions in the brain that cause epilepsy and uncontrollable seizures. The center recently expanded its inpatient capacity from four to six beds this year and plans to expand to 12 beds by the spring of 2014.

The hospital's neurological research department aims to accelerate the study and treatment of pediatric neurology disorders, including epilepsy, so that they can make a quick transition from bench to bedside.

The Epilepsy Center's multidisciplinary team includes pediatric epileptologists, neurosurgeons, specialized pediatric nurse practitioners, neuropsychologists, neuroradiologists, neuropathologists, dietitians and a social worker. Texas Children's Hospital provides specialty care for a wide range of neurological disorders delivered by leading experts. Equally committed to leadership in research, the hospital also operates the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, the first institute in the world devoted to basic research of childhood neurological diseases including extensive research on epilepsy.

The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute is collaborating with The Epilepsy Center at Texas Children's Hospital to conduct extensive research related to epilepsy patient care and treatment. The hospital is committed to accelerating the study of pediatric neurology disorders in order to speed valuable treatments from bench to bedside. In addition, the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute is conducting research on neurological disorders including angelman syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, language disorders, mental retardation and rett syndrome.

For more information on the Texas Children's Hospital's Epilepsy Center please visit http://texaschildrens.org/Locate/Departments-and-Services/Neurology/Pediatric-Neurology-Clinics/Epilepsy-Center/

About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to creating a community of healthy children through excellence in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation, Texas Children's has recognized Centers of Excellence in multiple pediatric subspecialties including the Cancer and Heart Centers, and operates the largest primary pediatric care network in the country. Texas Children's has completed a $1.5 billion expansion, which includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; and Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston. For more information on Texas Children's, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news from Texas Children's by visiting the online newsroom and on Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.

Baylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) in Houston is recognized as a premier academic health science center and is known for excellence in education, research and patient care. It is the only private medical school in the greater southwest and is ranked as one of the top 25 medical schools for research in U.S. News & World Report. BCM is listed 13th among all U.S. medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding, and No. 2 in the nation in federal funding for research and development in the biological sciences at universities and colleges by the National Science Foundation. Located in the Texas Medical Center, BCM has affiliations with eight teaching hospitals. Currently, BCM trains more than 3,000 medical, graduate, nurse anesthesia, and physician assistant students, as well as residents and post-doctoral fellows. BCM is also home to the Baylor Clinic, an adult clinical practice that includes advanced technologies for faster, more accurate diagnosis and treatment, access to the latest clinical trials and discoveries, and groundbreaking healthcare based on proven research. Follow Baylor College of Medicine on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BaylorCollegeOfMedicine) and twitter (http://twitter.com/BCMHouston). For information on research at Baylor College of Medicine, please go to www.bcm.edu/fromthelab.

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SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital