Director, Hoag Epilepsy Center
Director, Neurological Services, Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital
“The Consortium represents the natural evolution of advanced care for epilepsy and a model for the regional management of complex neurological disorders: a closely affiliated collection of highly trained specialists, working efficiently and effectively across a diverse geographical, economic and cultural landscape to provide the highest level of care.
The USC Epilepsy Care Consortium began as a vision and promise. The vision crystallized in 2007, when Drs. Christi Heck and Helena Chui realized that a dedicated monitoring unit would be critical to provide high level care to underserved patients with epilepsy in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, resources were extremely limited at LAC+USC, the tertiary care public hospital inundated with patients suffering from trauma and other acute medical and surgical conditions. So they turned their eyes to Rancho Los Amigos, a nationally recognized rehabilitation center owned by the Department of Health Services. The monitoring unit at Rancho started off as one video-EEG machine that was borrowed from LAC+USC to having its own dedicated EMU beds and equipment in a few months. It eventually achieved NAEC level 4 designation and the Consortium just kept expanding from there. As members and trainees moved and established programs in different institutions the Consortium naturally grew and now covers much of Central and Southern California.
The Consortium has shown there many benefits to a hybrid model of epilepsy care: All patients are discussed by the same team of specialists and the optimal diagnostic studies and treatments can be pursued independent of insurance status, language, ethnicity, or location. If patients either gain or lose insurance during their treatment or follow up, they can still be followed by the same team of epilepsy specialists. Clinical resources such as advanced imaging studies and research collaboration can be nurtured in the “private” or “public” sector to complement one another.
The USC Epilepsy Care Consortium is evolving to meet the needs of patients and families across Central and Southern California. From Kern County, where almost a million people lived without any epilepsy center or specialist, to Orange County, where over 3 million people lived with a single university center, there is now a network of dedicated epilepsy specialists – neurologists, neurosurgeons, nurses, psychologists and others – who can deliver the highest level of care to our patients. We are proud and privileged to have served and continue to serve patients with epilepsy within the Consortium.”
Director Bio:
Dr. David Millett is passionate about all things epilepsy. He received his undergraduate education at UCLA before attending the University of Chicago-Pritzker School of Medicine for his MD-PhD. He then received his neurology training at UCLA, as well as his epilepsy fellowship there under the direction of Pete Engel. After fellowship, Dr. Millett had a principal role in the establishment of the Rancho Los Amigos Epilepsy Center. His approach to the management of epilepsy was immediately evident upon joining the USC group. He moved down to Hoag Hospital in Orange County, where he rejuvenated the Epilepsy Center there in rapid order. He is a tireless advocate of all epilepsy patients, coordinating programs with advocacy groups and hospital networks, all with the goal of providing excellent care for all patients.