News

Epilepsy Center Offers Advanced Treatments

Published Date:

Central Illinois patients dealing with complex epilepsy and related disorders will now have access to expert care close to home.

In partnership with the Southern Illinois University Neuroscience Institute, Memorial Medical Center in Springfield has been accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers as a Level 3 epilepsy center.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain. It's marked by sudden and repeated episodes of sensory disturbances, loss of consciousness and convulsions. As Illinois’ southernmost accredited epilepsy center, the Springfield program is more easily accessible to patients in the downstate area and is one of only 13 accredited centers in Illinois. One is in Urbana, another in Peoria, and the remaining 10 are in Chicago.

The Level 3 accreditation recognizes that SIU and Memorial have the professional expertise and state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic facilities to provide the highest level medical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy, including surgery and behavioral health support.

“At the SIU Neuroscience Institute, our goal is to provide timely assessment and improve the quality of life for patients with epilepsy,” said Abdullah Al Sawaf, MD, director of the SIU Neuroscience Institute’s Epilepsy Center at Memorial Medical Center. “Patients can see our specialists and have a complete treatment plan in a few days.”

Abdullah Al Sawaf, MD, and Sajjad Mueed, MD, both SIU Medicine neurologists, provide specialty care in epilepsy. The Memorial Epilepsy Center not only provides routine care to individuals with seizures or epilepsy, but also specializes in providing comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services to individuals with uncontrolled seizures. The center’s multidisciplinary team approach includes team-based care from neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychiatrists and neuropsychologists at SIU and radiologists and interventional radiologists at Memorial Medical Center.

 "We are honored and proud of this accreditation, which acknowledges our efforts to provide the most innovation care to our patients," said Tiffany Whitaker, a registered nurse and director of comprehensive stroke services at Memorial Medical Center. "The Memorial Epilepsy Center features an excellent multidisciplinary team that improves access to specialists while providing patient-centered care."

The coordinated care is the infrastructure for the SIU Neuroscience Institute, which consolidates SIU’s departments of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry into a single-site outpatient clinical care center staffed by more than 50 neuroscience providers.

An estimated 2.2 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with epilepsy. In Illinois, nearly 140,000 people live with this chronic and often disabling condition. Early intervention is key to successful treatment, Murr said.

For more information or to make an appointment at the Epilepsy Center, call 217-545-8000.

Life With Epilepsy - Read about a patient whose quality of life has improved with care from the Epilepsy Center (and a furry friend).

More from SIU News

2025 Pharmacology Awards Event

2025 Pharmacology Awards honor determination & scientific excellence

The Department of Pharmacology at SIU School of Medicine held its 2025 Awards, celebrating the dedication and scientific achievements of its students and researchers. The annual event highlighted
Wei Du and the THUNDER Imager

SIU labs can bring the THUNDER with new 3D imaging microscope

A new microscope at SIU School of Medicine can quickly make the invisible visible. The THUNDER Imager TM , a highly advanced technology now in use at SIU’s Core Research Facilities, lets scientists
test tubes

A Torry Testimonial

SIU scientist Andy Wilber know Dr. Don Torry well, and believes he personifies the '3 Ts of research' at the medical school.