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Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital continues growth in comprehensive neurosciences program

By: Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital
| Published 08/17/2018

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THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- When Houston Methodist The Woodlands opened its doors in June 2017, it made a commitment to providing unparalleled safety, quality, service and innovation to families in Montgomery County. Even before the hospital opened, board-certified, fellowship-trained physicians, located in the hospital’s first medical office building, provided comprehensive care in key service lines, including breast health, orthopedics & sports medicine and neurosciences.

Houston Methodist The Woodlands continues to make great strides in the fields of neurology and neurosurgery – within its first year of operations, the hospital earned primary stroke certification, a designation given by accrediting body Det Norske Veritas.

Det Norske Veritas accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.

“Earning primary stroke certification within our first 12 months is a testament to our dedication to providing quality neurological care in The Woodlands and Montgomery County,” said Trent Fulin, vice president of Operations, Houston Methodist The Woodlands. “Providing exceptional care means investing in cutting-edge technology, such as a hybrid operating room that allows surgeons to do open and endovascular procedures in one location; a 384-slice CT scanner that can scan the brain in a few seconds; and a dedicated interventional radiology suite that helps greatly reduce the risks to a patient undergoing a neurological procedure or help them avoid surgery altogether, significantly reducing hospital stays and speeding up recovery times.”

“We are also committed to building a comprehensive team of physicians that provides individualized care for a wide range of neurological conditions,” added Fulin.

Houston Methodist The Woodlands is proud to welcome two highly-skilled physicians to its neurosciences team.

Dr. Nhu Bruce, a specialist in general and vascular neurology, has moved her Huntsville-based practice to Houston Methodist The Woodlands. She sees patients dealing with headaches, tremors, memory loss and neuropathy, as well as those who have experienced a stroke or have Parkinson’s disease, dementia or multiple sclerosis.

Bruce also works closely with the hospital’s board-certified emergency room physicians and dedicated stroke nurse practitioner, who partner to determine the best treatment for patients admitted to the hospital for stroke or other neurological conditions.

“I am excited to be a part of Houston Methodist The Woodlands, as it has provided me an opportunity to join a strong, well-respected institution and work with a network of great physicians to collaborate with and refer,” said Bruce.

Dr. Sabih Effendi, a dual-trained cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgeon, has also joined the Houston Methodist The Woodlands neurosciences team. Effendi is an expert in advanced procedures such as awake craniotomy for brain tumor resection, minimally invasive techniques for treating aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and thrombectomy for stroke. His special interests include stroke, carotid disease, cerebral/spinal angiograms, aneurysms, AVMs and brain tumors.

Effendi is excited to be back in Montgomery County, where he grew up.

“From going to The Woodlands Library, to hanging out at the mall and Tinseltown, to going to every concert at the pavilion and fishing on Lake Conroe – these experiences helped me develop into the person I am today,” said Effendi. “And, most importantly, the people of this community have always supported, encouraged and pushed me to pursue my dreams. Nothing is better than coming back to my hometown and giving back to the community that has given me so much.”

Bruce and Effendi work hand in hand with other physicians on the hospital’s comprehensive neurosciences team, which comprises multiple subspecialists – all on the same campus – who are uniquely trained to diagnose and treat brain and spine disorders. Among the subspecialists is Dr. Stacy V. Smith, a neuro-ophthalmologist, whose expertise is critical before and after elective surgeries that may impact the visual field, such as pituitary and other types of tumors. Smith also performs visual field evaluations on post-stroke patients – an important part of Texas driving laws – to help determine when they are medically capable of driving again.

“This is such a benefit to our patients in this community,” said Bruce. “Having the entire team in one location expedites care and allows patients to get effective treatment while remaining in the area. Our stroke patients are evaluated by stroke-trained providers as soon as they arrive, and if they need higher level care, such as thrombectomy, it is our neuro-interventionalist who evaluates and treats them. We don’t have to transfer the patient or wait for a specialist from another campus to come to us. This is a huge benefit to the patient, because when someone has experienced a stroke, every second counts.”

Dr. Bruce and Dr. Smith are seeing patients on the Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital campus – 17183 Interstate 45 S., Medical Office Building 1, Suite 690, The Woodlands, Texas 77385.

Dr. Bruce is also seeing patients at Houston Methodist Comprehensive Care Center in Conroe – 4015 Interstate 45 N., Suite 110, Conroe, Texas 77304.

For more information call 936.270.3900.

Dr. Effendi is seeing patients on the Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital campus – 17183 Interstate 45 S., Medical Office Building 1, Suite 650, The Woodlands, Texas 77385.

For more information call 936.270.3905.

For more information about Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, visit houstonmethodist.org/thewoodlands.

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