Bottom line: |
The VA Epilepsy Centers of Excellence (ECoE) network provide comprehensive care for veterans with epilepsy and other seizure disorders. Partnering with these sites can establish critical connections with neurology, psychology, pharmacy and the VA at a programmatic level. |
Within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 19 VA medical centers are networked together and formally designated Epilepsy Centers of Excellence (ECoE). ECoE sites are dedicated to providing veterans with comprehensive care for epilepsy and other seizure disorders.
Each ECoE site has an epileptologist as its director and offers epilepsy specialty clinics separate from a general neurology clinic. While most patients are served through outpatient epilepsy clinics staffed with a range of neurology specialists, ECoE sites also include specialized inpatient units for conditions that require more intensive monitoring or treatment. In the clinical setting, patients receive diagnosis, medication management, and supportive counseling for the emotional weight of having a seizure disorder diagnosis. For the conditions that may benefit from a surgical intervention, ECoE sites can provide pre-surgical evaluations as well as coordination for surgical procedures. Each ECoE site is also furnished with state-of-the-art equipment including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and video monitoring.
VA Centers of Excellence focus on continuous patient care improvements and expansion of services related to their specialty. ECoE sites conduct both research and clinical trials of new epilepsy medications and medical devices to continually evolve the most cutting-edge therapies and offer veterans new treatment options. To expand their outreach and availability, ECoE sites offer telehealth appointments to better serve veterans living in rural areas. They also offer educational programs and support groups for both patients and their caregivers.
Because individuals with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are at an increased risk of also developing epilepsy, the ECoE sites collaborates with the VA Polytrauma Centers to work together on their shared common goal of improving the care of veterans who have been diagnosed with both a TBI and epilepsy. Through the sharing of expertise and resources, better clinical guidelines and protocols are developed for early identification, detection, and management of TBI patients with the epilepsy complication. Collaborating on research projects is also a priority to help providers differently understand epilepsy-associated biomarkers and the overall relationship between TBI and epilepsy.
The VA ECoE sites play a dynamic role in providing comprehensive epilepsy care to veterans. With the prevalence of epilepsy rising within the aging veteran population, the ECoE is positioned to support this increasing demand and provide world-class healthcare to our nation’s veterans.
