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NNA Expands Into Comprehensive Neuroscience Institute The country's largest demographic, the baby boom generation, is aging rapidly. The first wave of boomers, born in 1946, will turn 60 next year. As a result, the diseases of aging - many of them neurological such as stroke, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's - are expected to skyrocket within the next few decades. Neurology and Neuroscience Associates (NNA) is well-prepared to meet the challenge.
A major element of this vision is now in place with the completion of a $3 million, 17,000 square-foot addition to NNA's downtown Akron facility. Located between Children's Hospital and Akron General Medical Center, the new building is now 29,000 square feet - more than twice its original size - and offers expanded services.
"Over the past 5 to 6 years, we've been adding services and specialized lines in the areas of neurological assessment, diagnosis and treatment. This new facility broadens our continuum of care by expanding into neuro-rehabilitation and allowing us to improve the quality of life for our patients," said Dr. Saltis.
NNA's New Neuro-Rehab Center
Currently, two physical therapists, an occupational therapist, a speech/language pathologist and a psychologist staff NNA's neuro-rehab program. Speech therapy services have been established on site in partnership with the University of Akron's graduate program in speech pathology. The affiliation gives patients access to the cutting-edge speech therapy technology and techniques, according to Dr. Saltis.  "Ours is a neuro-specific program for our type of patients - patients suffering from the effects of stroke, MS, Parkinson's, back and neck disorders, patients with gait problems," he said. "What we offer is comprehensive treatment where the therapists are focused specifically on neurological disorders. Patients will find virtually all of the rehabilitative services they need under one roof and within a few hundred feet of their physician's office."
"We identify and incorporate compensatory techniques and adaptive equipment to improve patients ability to perform their activities of daily living," Marla Heckendorn, OT, explained. "We assess the whole person, taking into account not only the physical needs but the psychosocial needs as well. Then we provide a variety of therapeutic activities which focus on returning our patients to their highest level of function and independence at home, at work and in the community."
"We see the physicians in our clinic on a daily basis and have the opportunity to collaborate directly with them regarding their patients' progress in rehab programs," said Rebecca Dyser, PT. "Because the patients receive all of their care in one place, the physicians feel they can more carefully individualize the services, follow the patients much more closely and redesign the nature of their therapies."
Specialized Programs and Services In addition to neuro-rehab, services offered at the Akron facility include
All are designed to provide the highest quality of neurological care. Fully accredited advanced MRI services are offered at two NNA offices in Akron and in Hudson. High-field MRI is available in the Hudson office; both high-field and open MRI, in the Akron office. "By having MRI scanning and other electrodiagnostic procedures under the same roof, we can expedite care for our patients, getting them through a complicated milieu with all of the different examinations, testing and therapy programs required for complex patients," said Dr. Saltis. "It's also more convenient for patients and for their caregivers to come to one location for all of their tests." At NNA, specialty disease clinics have been developed for various diseases including MS and stroke. For example, at the Stroke Center in the Akron and Hudson offices, patients may receive therapy, support and patient education to help prevent a second stroke. These Stroke Centers are staffed by physicians who have completed subspecialty fellowship training in stroke and cerebrovascular disease. They, along with a team of certified clinical research nurses and nurse practitioners, also participate in research trials to provide patients with the latest medical advances. "We are currently involved in neurological studies related to acute ischemic stroke in the hospitalized patient and stroke prevention for the ambulatory patient," said Dr. Saltis. "In fact, NNA is one of top enrolling clinical sites in the nation for the PROFESS stroke trial, the world's largest-ever study in second-stroke prevention. We're also involved in four relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis studies requiring the use of combination drug therapy." Recognizing the importance of immediate care for patients who have suffered Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA), NNA offers a TIA Clinic at the Stroke Center. Here patients can receive same-day diagnostic and therapeutic services. Equipped with the newest diagnostic technology, the Clinic offers a streamlined continuum of care in an outpatient setting. NNA also operates Ohio Sleep Disorders Centers with outpatient sleep clinics at their satellite offices in Hudson, Green, Medina and West Akron. In addition, NNA physicians are the medical directors of several hospital sleep labs in the region. In all, NNA has 12 neurologists on staff at six area hospitals - Akron City Hospital, Akron General Medical Center, Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital, Medina General Hospital, Robinson Memorial Hospital and St. Thomas Hospital. "Last year, we added five neurologists to our group to enable faster access for patients," explained Dr. Saltis. "Now urgent patients can be seen immediately, while nonurgent appointments can usually be scheduled within a week or two." He expects that NNA will continue to expand and move forward. "For years we've aimed at being a truly comprehensive neuroscience center," he said. "Now, we're very close to where we want to be." For more information about Neurology and Neuroscience Associates, call 330.376.1902, or visit NNA's website at www.nnadoc.com. 
Neurology and Neuroscience Associates, Inc. |
"Our vision has been to create a comprehensive neuroscience institute - a center that provides neurological care from diagnosis to rehabilitation," said 
NNA (formerly called Neurosurgery & Neurology Associates) has been providing adult neurological care since 1972. Its team of 
With the expansion of the Akron facility, NNA offers a new dedicated neuro-rehabilitation program, consisting of physical and occupational therapy, 
All of the therapists have specialized expertise in neuro-rehabilitation. And all are from the local area, so they are very familiar with the services and resources available in the community for their patients who have special needs - for adaptive equipment or augmentative communication devices, for example.
An electronic medical records system provides therapists with full access to patients' medical information. An integrated e-mail system also allows therapists immediate contact with physicians, should questions arise during a therapy session. This facilitates communication among the physicians and therapists in the building.
"Our Neuro-Rehab Center is a consolidation of new ideas, through which we think we can offer better care along the lines of our mission statement, more effectively tied with the technology we need to do it more efficiently," Dr. Saltis explained. "And toward that end, the practice includes specialized programs and services onsite now that we think are an integral part of an outpatient practice of neurology."