St. Luke's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center of Idaho

We are pleased to announce that on September 26, St. Luke’s opened a comprehensive epilepsy center at our Boise hospital.

The new epilepsy monitoring unit provides a controlled, inpatient environment for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. Provision of an epilepsy monitoring unit is a valuable service to patients as well as physicians. It helps doctors to classify the type of seizure, assists in identifying conditions that resemble epilepsy, allows for pre-surgical evaluation for the purpose of seizure localization, and allows for pharmacological and intensive care unit monitoring of epilepsy patients.

“Even the best medical management fails to achieve seizure control in up to 33 percent of people with active epilepsy,” says epileptologist Robert Wechsler, MD, PhD. “In these cases, care can often be improved through information obtained with monitoring.”

Previous to the opening of the St. Luke's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center of Idaho, people who required inpatient monitoring had to travel out of state to receive these evaluations.

“Our goal is to help people manage their seizures and enhance their quality of life,” said Dr. Wechsler. “Offering these services locally will allow patients to experience minimized disruption of work, school and home routines.”

To learn more about St. Luke’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center of Idaho, or to refer a patient, please call 381-1250.

Robert Wechsler, MD, PhD, is a fellowship-trained epileptologist who is serving as medical director of St. Luke's Comprehensive Epilepsy Center of Idaho. Dr. Wechsler received his medical degree from Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School, where he also received a PhD in Neuroscience. Dr. Wechsler completed his residency at Barrow Neurological Institute/St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix.