Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 3, 2021

Kootenai Health Foundation Supports Neuroscience Program ThisYear Brain health is at the heart of the Kootenai Health Foundation’s fundraising efforts this year. A $1.1 million campaign is underway to purchase cutting-edge equipment to aid neurosurgeons as they help patients with traumatic brain injuries and other neurologic conditions. The neuroscience program will be the beneficiary of the 2021 Festival of Trees. “We are hoping and praying that we can go back to the traditional series of events,” Foundation President Julie Holt said. “There will be speakers and videos sharing some stories as to how neurosurgery has helped patients improve their lives and get back to normal living.” We need your help! If you’re interested in contributing to our campaign, visit KH.org/foundation . You can also contact the Foundation office at (208) 625-4438 or email foundation@kh.org to learn more. in-depth diagnostic and treatment services for people experiencing seizures or epilepsy that may be difficult to diagnose or treat. Here, many patients find answers to health concerns that have challenged them for years. Stroke Stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot (ischemic stroke) or ruptures (hemorrhagic stroke). Because part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, cells in that part of the brain die. After a stroke, every second matters. Kootenai Health’s emergency team is specially trained to provide a clot-busting treatment called tPA, or tissue plasminogen activator. Receiving this treatment early means patient outcomes are significantly improved. A neurohospitalist—a physician with special training in neurology who exclusively cares for patients while they are in the hospital—helps ensure that patients at Kootenai Health receive the highest level of care following a stroke. Electrodiagnostic testing Electrodiagnostic tests can aid in the diagnosis of neurologic and musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. An EMG, or electromyographic study, can help find problems with nerves and muscles that may be causing other problems. An EEG, or electroencephalogram, detects abnormalities in your brain waves, or in the electrical activity of your brain. A nerve conduction study measures how fast an electrical impulse moves through a nerve, to help identify damage. Kootenai Health’s state-of-the- art equipment, fellowship-trained neurophysiologists, and certification from the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists ensure that patients receive the highest level of diagnostic care. Let us help you! We treat a wide range of common neurological disorders. Visit KH.org/neurology to learn more. pain. Certain spinal surgeries can be done using Kootenai Health’s surgical robot. Deepbrainstimulation Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgery to implant a device that sends electrical signals to the areas of the brain that are responsible for body movement. It can make a life-changing difference for people with movement disorders. Electrodes are placed deep in the brain and are connected to a neurostimulator, a device similar to a heart pacemaker, that uses electric pulses to help regulate brain activity. DBS can help reduce the symptoms of conditions such as essential tremor disorder and Parkinson’s disease. It helps many people reduce their medications for these conditions and dramatically improves their quality of life. We’ve got your back (and brain!) To learn more about neurosurgery at Kootenai, visit KH.org/neurosurgery . KH . ORG 9