MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – WVU Medicine East officials recently announced that the neurosurgery and pain management clinic at Berkeley Medical Center, formerly WVU Medicine Brain and Spine, has rebranded as the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI).
Thursday afternoon, representatives from WVU Medicine East and the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute unveiled the new sign at Berkeley Medical Center’s Medical Office Building 3.
Dean Thomas, M.B.A., M.H.S.A., F.A.C.H.E., president and CEO of WVU Hospitals East, said that rebranding neurosurgery and pain management services is part of WVU Medicine East’s mission to expand access to high quality health care throughout the region.
“Our partnership with the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute is a crucial relationship that ensures patients in our region continue to receive the most advanced treatment options available,” Thomas said. “RNI is known nationally for pioneering advances in neurological health through cutting-edge patient care, research and education. This new affiliation makes our program more competitive and highlights the innovative work being done by our neurosciences team.”
Karyn Wallace, M.B.A., C.N.M.T., P.E.T., vice president of neuroscience at the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, said that rebranding the clinic will strengthen WVU Medicine East’s existing relationship with the Morgantown-based Institute.
“While RNI has received global attention for the work being done at our Morgantown campus, one of our primary goals is to tackle and find solutions to serious public health challenges within our own state,” Wallace said. “Strengthening our presence in the Eastern Panhandle is critical to that endeavor, so this represents a big leap forward.”
John Caruso, M.D., board certified neurosurgeon, joined WVU Medicine in 2017. As chief of neurosurgery for WVU Medicine East, he has expanded the practice to include board certified neurosurgeons Mark Lyerly, M.D., and Jonathan Sherman, M.D., and pain management specialists Shoji Ishigami, M.D., and Leslie Foster, D.O.
Dr. Caruso believes this partnership will lead to additional advances in neurosurgery and more convenient neurological treatments for patients in the Eastern Panhandle and surrounding area.
“As we continue to expand to meet the needs of our rapidly growing community, we are committed to providing the region’s most advanced care and becoming a destination center for neurological surgery,” Caruso said. “We’ve always had a vision of partnering with our colleagues at the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in Morgantown, and we’re thrilled to see this vision come to life.”
The Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in Martinsburg is located at 880 N. Tennessee Avenue, Suite 104. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 304-596-5160.
Photo Cutline: Representatives of WVU Medicine East and the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute are pictured with the new RNI sign on the Berkeley Medical Center Campus. Left of sign: (left to right) Shoji Ishigami, M.D., P.h.D., Jonathan H. Sherman, M.D., Mark A. Lyerly, M.D., Leslie S. Foster, D.O., John R. Caruso, M.D. Right of sign: (left to right) Dean Thomas, president/CEO, WVU Hospitals East; Samantha Richards, vice president patient care services/chief nursing officer, WVU Medicine East; Julie Ruzbacki, manager, ambulatory services, WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, Martinsburg; Karyn Wallace, vice president neuroscience, WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute; Jackee Long, vice chairman, WVU Hospitals East board of directors.
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For more information:
Chelsie Davis, Communications Specialist, 304-596-6327,
chelsie.davis@wvumedicine.org
21-April 1
CED: 4-1-21