Patient Information

It is important that you bring everything necessary to your appointment:

• Insurance card, including the insurer’s name and address, and the patient’s policy number
• Photo identification, such as a driver’s license or state photo ID
• Cash, check, or major credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express) to pay for services not covered by insurance
• Your employer’s name, address, and phone number if you are covered by traditional insurance or managed care (HMO or PPO) provided by that employer. Your spouse’s employer’s name, address, and phone number if you are covered by traditional insurance or managed care (HMO or PPO) provided by your spouse’s employer
• Medicare or Medicaid card, plus the date of your spouse’s retirement if that applies to you
• A list of current medications, how much of each you take, and how often you take it.

On your first visit to a Baptist Neurology Group office, you be asked to fill out a medical history and physical (these are usually mailed to you before your appointment). We ask you to arrive 15 minutes early to complete this paperwork and to check in. You will first be seen by a medical assistant, who will take your vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, weight, etc.).

Every new patient is seen by a neurologist in our office. The physician will complete a thorough neurological exam that may be tailored for the condition for which you seek diagnosis and treatment. This should take 30-45 minutes. The neurological exam helps your physician plan for diagnostic testing, develop a care plan and determine if you need follow-up care with another physician specialist.

Before you leave, your next appointment will be scheduled, if needed. In addition, we will schedule any of your diagnostic testing for you and contact you with dates/times.

After your new patient visit, or if you are already an established patient, you will be seen by a neurologist or a mid-level healthcare provider, such as a board-certified advanced registered nurse practitioner or certified physician assistant. These providers serve as an extension of the neurologist’s care and are in consultation with your physician; they also have the authority to prescribe medications and manage your care.

At your appointment, you and your healthcare provider may discuss the results of diagnostic tests, your medications and the need to maintain or adjust them, and other therapies for your condition. You will also have the opportunity to get your questions answered.

Many of our patients with chronic neurological conditions are seen every three months. Those who are stable and relatively healthy can often be seen twice a year or less often, depending the patient’s individual needs.

You are welcome to call our office anytime with your neurological concerns. We offer the services of a triage nurse who can help patients manage certain medication needs, such as those that treat conditions like seizures, Parkinson’s disease, chronic migraines, dystonia (abnormal muscle tone that can lead to chronic pain and results from a neurological condition such as stroke or multiple sclerosis).

For urgent concerns after hours, a neurologist with our practice is available 24/7 and can be paged by calling our office number.

 

In order to determine an accurate diagnosis, we may need to refer you for diagnostic testing. Some of these tests can be performed in our office, such as:

• Nerve conduction study – used mainly for evaluation of paresthesias (numbness, tingling, burning) and/or weakness of the arms and legs.
• Electromyogram - used to detect abnormal electrical activity of muscle that can occur in many diseases and conditions, including muscular dystrophy, inflammation of muscles, pinched nerves, peripheral nerve damage (damage to nerves in the arms and legs), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), myasthenia gravis, disc herniation, and others.
• Electroencephalogram (EEG) - measures and records the electrical activity of your brain to diagnose Epilepsy and other seizure disorders, dementia, and other conditions.
• Balance assessment – performed to identify areas of balance impairment, the reason for the impairment, and the effect on a person’s ability to function.
• Gait analysis – used to test for muscle weakness, loss of joint range, lack of coordination, or poor posture control.
• Carotid ultrasound (Baptist Downtown only) - a painless test that uses high-frequency sound waves to create pictures of the insides of the two large arteries in your neck to show if plaque has narrowed your carotid arteries.
• Lumbar puncture (Baptist Downtown only) – commonly known as a spinal tap, this test is performed in order to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for analysis to determine if an indivuidal has a condition such as meningitis (inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord) or hydrocephalus (water on the brain).

Lab Tests
These tests can be performed in a Baptist Health laboratory or other local lab required by your insurance plan. They include blood work and other studies that help your physician diagnose your condition.

Imaging Tests
These tests are performed at a Baptist Health facility or other location and include MRIs of the brain, angiograms to look at the structure of the brain, CT scans and routine X-rays.

Other Diagnostic Tests
A number of conditions can affect a patient’s neurological condition, or even mimic a brain, nervous system or spine condition. Because we are part of Baptist Health, we have access to a full array of diagnostic services and centers. These include:

• Baptist Behavioral Health
• Baptist Health Sleep Disorders Centers
• Baptist Home Health Care
• Baptist Stroke Centers
  
• Lyerly Neurosurgery

We also have access to Baptist Health’s medical staff, which includes virtually every medical and surgical specialty. We work as a team with these physicians, along with your primary care physician, to determine the best plan for you.

We also have strong relationships with behavioral care specialists in our community, including neuropsychologists and psychiatrists who can evaluate patients for changes in mental status, dementia, aphasia (language disorder), depression and memory dysfunction.

Because neurological disorders are unique, each Baptist Neurology Group patient will receive an individually tailored treatment plan. Although some of our patients will require medications to manage their neurological condition, there are a number of other treatment options for our patients.

Pharmaceutical foods – because good nutrition is a part of treating a neurologic disease, we often prescribe vitamin supplementation in addition to other medication therapies. This can include B-12 supplementation, a vitamin that is often low in people with neurological conditions.

Trigger point injections – used to improve or preserve quality of life for patients, these can be performed right in our office for pain management for conditions like migraines and other headache disorders, spastic muscles associated with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) or post-stroke (including Botox therapy), or gait and balance disorders.

Pain management – Neurological conditions can lead to significant pain, which can affect quality of life. One of our goals is to ensure that our patients are as comfortable as possible while managing their disease. Above and beyond medications and Botox treatment for pain, we also refer patients for physical therapy, neuromuscular massage and pain management.

Rehabilitation Services

Rehabilitation therapy is designed to improve quality of life and help our patients become as pain-free as possible. We work with Baptist Rehabilitation Services and other healthcare providers to help patients best manage their conditions as part of our overall care plan.

Cognitive therapy – We work with neuropsychologists and psychiatrists from Baptist Behavioral Health and other providers in our community to provide cognitive therapy for patients who suffer from mild or advanced mental health conditions related to their neurological disorder.

Speech therapy – Speech abnormalities such as swallowing difficulties or voice changes may follow stroke or occur with dementia. A speech-language pathologist can help patients return to previous function or learn to live with their condition and have the ability to communicate at the highest level possible.

Physical therapy – This treatment is vital in helping patients regain their balance, gait, posture and core strength following a stroke or other neurological episode. Physical therapy can be used in conjunction with neurology care to treat chronic tension, multiple sclerosis, chronic migraine headaches or dystonia (abnormal muscle tone that can lead to chronic pain)

Occupational therapy – This treatment can help individuals to return to performing the everyday functions of life following a stroke or other neurological episode. These functions may include those required for work, leisure, self-care, domestic and community activities.

Home health care – Baptist Home Health partners with Baptist Neurology Group for patients who wish to remain independent in their homes while receiving therapy. This may include intravenous infusion of medications to control muscles, administering vitamin supplements and other services.

Support groups – There are a number of support groups in our community for patients suffering from neurological conditions. These include groups for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Epilepsy and stroke. We can provide you with contact information for these groups so that you and your family will receive the support you need during challenging times.