The National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC) has awarded the UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program its prestigious Level 4 Pediatric Epilepsy Center designation — the highest recognition for epilepsy care in the nation.
UC Davis is the first and only Level 4 pediatric epilepsy center in inland California north of Fresno. The designation is reserved for centers that:
- Are equipped with the most sophisticated neurodiagnostic technology, evaluation and monitoring
- Provide advanced medical, neuropsychological and psychosocial treatment
- Offer the most complete range of medical and surgical treatments performed by specialized epilepsy-trained neurologists and neurosurgeons.
"This recognition underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional care across the lifespan," said Jack Lin, director of the UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program. "No matter where someone is in their epilepsy journey, we aim to improve quality of life by reducing seizure frequency or achieving seizure freedom through advanced therapies."
The adult epilepsy program at UC Davis was previously designated Level 4 by NAEC and continues to maintain its status.
This recognition underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional care across the lifespan. No matter where someone is in their epilepsy journey, we aim to improve quality of life by reducing seizure frequency or achieving seizure freedom through advanced therapies.-Jack Lin, director of the UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program
Epilepsy program welcomes hard-to-find specialists to ensure best care
Over the past two years, UC Davis significantly expanded its team of nationally recognized epileptologists and fellowship-trained epilepsy neurosurgeons for both pediatric and adult patients. "Right here in Sacramento, we offer world-class care in our state-of-the-art epilepsy monitoring units for children and adults," Lin added.
Trishna Kantamneni, director of Pediatric Epilepsy, emphasized the importance of access to advanced care for children experiencing uncontrolled seizures. "This designation validates our team's dedication to helping children from our community and beyond overcome challenges from uncontrolled seizures."
To better support children with complex epilepsy, the new Pediatric Intractable Epilepsy Clinic, led by Neggy Rismanchi, provides specialized, multidisciplinary care. The clinic integrates genetics, imaging, neuropsychology and surgery evaluations to deliver highly personalized treatment plans.
The pediatric epilepsy program also recently welcomed Courtney Wusthoff, chief of Child Neurology, who brings extensive, rare expertise in neonatal and pediatric electroencephalography monitoring, or EEG, which measures brain activity.
When surgery is indicated for children or adults, UC Davis offers the full spectrum of leading-edge interventions, including laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), robot-assisted surgery, and implantable neuromodulation devices.
Julia Sharma, chief of Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery, noted that the surgical program provides the safest and least invasive options. Procedures are tailored to each person's needs and explained in-depth to patients and family members using immersive, augmented reality technology.
"The Level 4 designations for both our adult and pediatric epilepsy programs reflect our team's dedication to providing the most advanced surgical techniques and treatment technology to achieve the best outcomes for patients of all ages," said Sharma.
