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Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) is expanding the scope of neurological care by opening an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) within the Neuroscience Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. Patients in the EMU are monitored continuously by a highly specialized team to uncover the specific needs of each individual patient.
“Seizures can be challenging to diagnose and treat, and that’s why we are excited to open the EMU,” said Steven Lewis, MD, Chief of the Division of Neurology. “We have assembled a team of neurologists who specialize in epilepsy care (epileptologists), as well as neurodiagnostic technicians who specialize in long-term monitoring of patients with epilepsy. Our remarkable team of epilepsy providers in the EMU, in combination with the functional neurosurgery program at LVHN, will continue to strengthen the level of care and management options we provide to patients with epilepsy in our community and beyond.”
In the EMU, patients stay in newly renovated, private rooms that feature a roll-out bed for patient visitors, providing a comfortable environment for the patient and their family. The four-bed unit is customized for seizure care. Each room is hardwired with Continuous Video EEG (cvEEG) and Continuous EEG (cEEG) monitoring technology. The data is fed to a nearby observation room, where EMU clinicians monitor patients around the clock. Continuous tracking of patients’ brain activity allows for more comprehensive evaluations, diagnosis, surgical evaluations and treatments for patients with seizures, including epilepsy surgeries.
The EMU provides comprehensive care with a skilled team of clinicians. All neurologists in the EMU are fellowship-trained in the neurologic subspecialty of epilepsy. Patients also receive care from the Neuroscience Center’s registered nurses and are monitored by neurodiagnostic technicians who are certified in long-term monitoring through the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET). Additionally, the EMU is accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) as a level 3 facility.