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The Children’s Mercy neurology department ranks among America’s top pediatric neurology programs, according to U.S. News & World Report. We provide innovative solutions to care for your child, like the Sarli Family Foundation Neurology Clinic, and our Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, one of only twelve pediatric epilepsy centers in the nation.

The Children's Mercy Comprehensive Stroke Center is the only pediatric stroke center in the region and one of just ten in the nation. Rapid diagnosis, treatment and follow-up services help kids who experience a stroke to receive the best possible care.

Experienced pediatric neurologists


Our neurology team has more than 100 staff members, including pediatric doctors, nurses, imaging specialists and others who are experts in the developing brains and nervous systems of children.

All of our physicians are board-certified in neurology, meaning they have passed rigorous additional qualifications in this area of study. Many also have advanced expertise in a specific area of neurology, such as epilepsy or movement disorders. We are part of care teams for newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) who need neurological care.

Children's Mercy has three of the very few doctors in the nation to be triple board certified in pediatric neurology, epilepsy, and clinical neurophysiology.

Our family-centered approach means that we’ve built a team of experts who will work together with you and your child’s primary care doctor to find solutions that work for your family.

 

Neurology services include:

 

  • Brain imaging

  • Evaluation of anti-epileptic drug efficacy and adversity

  • Vagal nerve stimulator implantation

  • Inpatient epilepsy monitoring unit

  • Epilepsy surgery

  • Outpatient epilepsy clinic

  • Neurophysiologic testing: Brain Stem Audio Evoked Response (BSAER)

  • Electroencephalogram

  • Evoked potentials

  • Intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring

  • Somatosensory responses

  • Video-EEG monitoring


In some cases, you can visit with your doctor from a location outside of Kansas City through our telemedicine clinics. Talk with your neurology team about whether it is a good fit for your family.

Watch Powering Children’s Potential - Neurology

Image of Dr. Abdelmoity in clinic seated in front of computer monitor talking to a patient at Children's Mercy.

We're not just among the top tier of epilepsy centers. We're really leading the way. We're one of only a handful of epilepsy centers for adults and pediatrics that were able to do over 20 epilepsy surgeries in a calendar year.

Ahmed Abdelmoity, MD

Check out CEO Paul Kempinski’s new Powering Children’s Potential interview with Ahmed Abdelmoity, Neurology Division Director, to learn more about our nationally ranked Pediatric Neurology and Neurosurgery program.

Watch the video

Clinical Services

Dr. Keith Coffman is well-known for his expertise in neurodevelopmental disorders like Tourette syndrome. Recently, he collaborated with a research team to develop an algorithm to help doctors worldwide find the most effective medication for kids with Tourette syndrome.

The Comprehensive Epilepsy Center is recognized by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers as a Level IV Center, the highest obtainable level in epileptic care.

The headache team provides specialized migraine relief care for children and teens through our Headache Services, including an innovative Headache Treatment Center—the first pediatric-centered headache facility to offer a variety of same-day headache relief options in a quiet, low-light environment.

The Comprehensive Movement Disorder and Spasticity Clinic is made up of experts across multiple specialties. The team works together to provide the best treatment plan for patients with complex movement disorders and spasticity.

The Comprehensive Stroke Center is the only pediatric stroke center in the region. In addition, our multidisciplinary stroke clinic is one of just ten in the nation. The center is prepared to respond quickly to any child who comes in with stroke symptoms.

Children's Mercy provides care for children with neurocutaneous disorders such as Tuberous Sclerosis and Neurofibromatosis. In this multidisciplinary clinic, specialists in dermatology, genetics, hemato-oncology, neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychology, nephrology, social work and neuro-radiology work together to address each child's medical needs in a single visit.

The Angelman Syndrome Clinic at Children’s Mercy is a medical home for children with Angelman syndrome. We coordinate your child's care so that you can see all the specialists you need in one place.

Conditions

We can help with all kinds of neurological conditions, including:

  • Developmental delay

  • Epilepsy/seizure disorders, including Dravet Syndrome

  • Kernicterus (brain damage caused by excessive jaundice)

  • Migraines/headaches

  • Movement disorders and spasticity (tremor, dystonia, chorea, ataxia, dyskinesia, and others)

  • Neurodegenerative disorders (Batten disease, Huntington’s disease, and others)

  • Neurodevelopmental disabilities (autism, ADHD, Angelman syndrome, dyslexia, learning disorders, and others)

  • Neuroimmunological disorders

  • Tourette syndrome

We also offer neurometabolic and neurogenetic evaluations.

Neurology and Neurosurgery Clinic Visits Chart

Research to improve lives

The Children’s Mercy Research Institute is working to translate medical research into better ways of treating sick kids. We currently have many studies in progress related to epilepsy, movement disorders, Tourette syndrome, stroke, headache, neurogenomics, development of new treatments in neurology, and developmental neurology.

Medical education programs

Our team of physician educators, led by J.B. Le Pichon, MD/PhD, provide leadership and guidance to the next generation of pediatric neurologists through our Child Neurology Residency program.
 
We also offer an epilepsy fellowship in partnership with the University of Kansas Medical Center and a fellowship in headache medicine.

Stories

Protein C deficiency: Will’s story

It wasn’t likely that Amber and Blake McKinnon would have another child with a rare blood clotting disorder, but when it happened, the Children’s Mercy Elizabeth J. Ferrell Fetal Health Center and Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were there for them. Today, their second son, Will, is a healthy toddler thanks to the lifesaving care he received as soon as he was born.

Meet Will
Color photo of Will McKinnon and his brother, Ben. Ben is sitting behind Will with his hands on his shoulders smiling.

Pediatric stroke: Ben's story

The Children’s Mercy Comprehensive Stroke Clinic stabilized newborn Ben McKinnon using blood thinners after he had a life-threatening perinatal stroke. Today, the toddler is walking and running, thanks to early intervention.

Meet Ben
Ben's story about receiving care in the Comprehensive Stroke Clinic at Children's Mercy.

Pediatric epilepsy: Gary's story

Christian Kaufman, MD, Children’s Mercy pediatric neurosurgeon, performs an intricate surgery to remove abnormal brain tissue, which should help stop severe epileptic seizures for Gary. Months later, Gary is seizure-free, and is slowly being taken off his anti-seizure medications.

Severe spasticity and dystonia: Josie's story

At three-years-old, a rare condition damaged Josie’s brain, impacting her ability to speak and leaving her with a severe movement disorder. The Children’s Mercy Comprehensive Movement Disorders and Spasticity Clinic recommended an intrathecal baclofen pump be implanted, and now Josie is on the road to recovery.

Meet Josie
Severe spasticity and dystonia patient, Josie, pushing her hand against adult's hand

Contact the Neurology Team

Neurology Clinics
(816) 234-3490 - General and Acute Neurology Clinic
(816) 413-2500 - Children's Mercy Northland
(913) 696-8220 - Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas

Neurophysiology Laboratory
(816) 234-3092

The inspiration behind our unit

The transformative care at our Neurology Clinic is made possible by the Sarli Family Foundation.