What is the Neurosurgery Foundation?

The Neurosurgery Foundation is an academic group of physicians specializing in neurosurgery and neuro-oncology. In addition to providing patient care, as faculty members at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, we conduct research and train residents. Our services and facilities have drawn patients from all over New England and the nation, as well as from outside the United States.

Specializing in the Nervous System

We diagnose and treat disorders of the nervous system—the brain, spine, spinal cord, and nerves throughout the body. Don’t let our name mislead you; we provide nonsurgical as well as surgical treatments.

For many years, we have helped patients find relief from symptoms such as:
Severe or lasting pain Trouble moving arms, legs, hands, or feet Numbness Tingling Seizures Hearing loss Vision problems Unusual weakness	Incontinence Trouble thinking or remembering Problems speaking or understanding speech Difficulty standing, walking, or holding things Tremors Dizziness Muscle stiffness
The many conditions we treat include:
Tumors of the brain, spinal cord, and spinal column Back and spine disorders such as herniated disks, back pain, and adult spinal deformities Parkinson's disease Hydrocephalus Epilepsy Nerve entrapment syndromes Chronic pain syndromes Blood-vessel disorders in the brain such as aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), as well as carotid artery disease	Stroke Trigeminal neuralgia Cerebral palsy and spasticity Congenital disorders of the nervous system Movement disorders Spinal bifida or tethered spinal cord Chiari malformation and syringomyelia Head and spine trauma or injury

Our Doctors

To become a neurosurgeon, each of our doctors spent at least seven years in an accredited residency program. Many received even more focused training through additional residencies or fellowships.

All of our doctors are either board-certified or board-eligible. Those who are board-certified have gained sufficient clinical experience, completed an approved educational program, and passed tests showing they have the knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality care in their chosen specialty. Those who are board-eligible have begun the process of becoming certified; they have completed a residency and passed a written test in their specialty area. After that, they must undergo a one-year review of their clinical work and pass an oral test to become board-certified.

All of our doctors are faculty members at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. In that capacity, they conduct research and train residents.

Each doctor in the Neurosurgery Foundation practices medicine and makes judgments independently when caring for patients. Yet, patients enjoy the benefits of a highly specialized team in that we consult with each other, attend to one another’s patients when needed, and always have someone on call to handle emergencies.

Click here for more detailed information on our physicians and their locations.

Our Allied Health-Care Professionals

Our patients gain more than a neurosurgeon; they gain an entire health-care team. You may receive care not only from doctors, but also from residents, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.

• Residents are fully licensed physicians receiving advanced training in their chosen specialty. Neurosurgery Foundation doctors help mentor residents through the approved residency training program in neurosurgery offered by Rhode Island Hospital and Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
  
• Physician assistants are certified health-care practitioners who work with, and under the supervision of, one or more physicians. They receive two to four years of science training, followed by two to four years of medical course work and clinical training. Some pursue additional specialty training. Physician assistants may prescribe medications.
  
• Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with additional training in assessing and managing common illnesses and injuries. Many have a master’s degree. They may prescribe certain medications.

Our collaborative approach enables us to match the level of care to each patient’s needs. Team members communicate regularly with each other to coordinate your care.

Feel free to ask any members of your health-care team, at your doctor’s office or in the hospital, to introduce themselves if they fail to do so and to describe their credentials.