Your Child's Safety First. Always.

A new surgical epilepsy program at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital successfully performed its first pediatric surgery aimed at stopping seizures in children with epilepsy. The newly established pediatric epilepsy surgical program at the hospital’s Neuroscience Center is the first of its kind in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The medical team performed the four-hour surgery on a 10-year-old Broward child who was suffering from epileptic seizures for the last three years. The child had been on multiple daily medications and still continued to have seizures, doctors explained. 

During the June 17 procedure, surgeons began by placing electrodes directly on the child's brain. Neurologists and clinical technicians were inside the surgical suite and were able to monitor brain activities in real time. 

“They were able to confirm that a lesion found in the child's left frontal lobe was causing the seizures,” said Dr. Daxa Patel, the pediatric neurosurgeon who led the surgery.

The surgeons safely removed the lesion without injuring the child's brain, speech or motor functions. 

The epilepsy team’s medical director, Dr. Syndi Seinfeld, now leads multiple specialists and clinicians in providing expert and individualized care for children whose lives are hampered by uncontrolled seizures. 

"This is significant to the South Florida community, because there is now an experienced pediatric epilepsy team that provides an effective and safe option for children with intractable epilepsy," said Dr. Seinfeld, a board-certified epileptologist.

In addition to Seinfeld and Patel, the team consists of two additional board certified pediatric epileptologists, two pediatric neurosurgeons, a neuropsychologist, a neuroradiologist, a neuropathologist and an electroencephalographic (EEG) technician. They will use advanced imaging tools and a robot that can assist during surgeries.

Putting together the medical experts and acquiring the latest in surgical and imaging technology was crucial in establishing the pediatric epilepsy surgical program.

"The program has three main components - physicians, staff and equipment," Patel said. "Now that we have all of these, we can offer a full spectrum of pediatric epilepsy care and provide children with a better quality of life.”

Epilepsy occurs when the electrical signals in the brain misfire, causing temporary miscommunication between nerve cells. An individual who experiences recurrent seizures is thought to have epilepsy.

Epilepsy can occur at any age, but most new diagnoses are in children.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, it’s estimated that approximately 470,000 children in the United States have the neurological condition.

The Neuroscience Center diagnoses and treats various types of epilepsy, including: fever (febrile) convulsions (seizures in children with fever), generalized tonic clonic seizures, infantile spasm, myoclonic epilepsy, neonatal epilepsy, partial (focal) seizure and petit mal (absence) seizures.

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital has ranked among the top 50 children’s hospitals in the nation for Orthopedics and Cardiology and Heart Surgery, in the new 2020-21 Best Children’s Hospitals ranking by U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice. The hospital is once again the highest ranked children’s hospital for Pediatric Orthopedics in Florida, and among the 25 best in the U.S., and ranked among the top 50 in the nation for its Cardiology and Heart Surgery program, based on patient outcomes, clinical resources and utilization of best practices.

“It is an honor for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital to be recognized among the top nationally-rated children’s hospitals once again,” said Caitlin Stella, MPH, Chief Executive Officer, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Memorial Healthcare System. “The prestigious rankings of Orthopedics and Cardiology and Heart Surgery, reflect the expertise and commitment of our entire care team who works diligently to deliver the region’s highest quality and most innovative pediatric healthcare. It is with great love and compassion for the community we serve that we accept this recognition. We will continue to advocate for children’s health and provide the highest quality care for children right here close to home.”

This recognition reflects the innovative and multidisciplinary medical expertise available at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. The Department of Orthopedic Surgery is the largest group of fellowship trained pediatric orthopedic surgeons in South Florida, and one of the busiest in the country, providing world class care for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions and sports-related injures affecting children, adolescents and young adults. The Pediatric Heart Institute at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is one of only three programs in the state offering comprehensive heart care, including congenital heart disease and heart transplantation, and most recently spearheaded a multi-disciplinary team to treat children experiencing MIS-C, an inflammatory illness associated with COVID-19.

“Even in the midst of a pandemic, children have healthcare needs ranging from routine vaccinations to life-saving surgery and chemotherapy,” said Ben Harder, Managing Editor and Chief of Health Analysis at U.S. News. “The Best Children's Hospitals rankings are designed to help parents find quality medical care for a sick child and inform families’ conversations with pediatricians.”

U.S. News introduced the ‘Best Children’s Hospitals’ rankings in 2007 to help families of children with rare or life-threatening illnesses find the best medical care available. The ratings, according to the publication, are a comprehensive source of quality-related information on U.S. pediatric hospitals and rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of pediatric specialists. The 2019-20 rankings started with 4,653 hospitals, which represent virtually all U.S. community inpatient facilities. The rankings methodology considers clinical outcomes, such as mortality and infection rates, efficiency and coordination of care delivery and compliance with best practices.

About Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is one of South Florida’s leading pediatric hospitals, offering a comprehensive scope of healthcare services and programs in a caring, compassionate setting designed specifically for children. Part of the Memorial Healthcare System, the level one pediatric trauma center combines advanced technology, the expertise of some of the region’s most diverse, board-certified specialists, and a patient and family-centered focus to heal the body, mind, and spirit of those it touches. To learn more, visit jdch.com and connect with @jdchospital on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and  Instagram.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars and News, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

The Drive-Thru Community Testing Site at C.B. Smith Park has extended its criteria for testing, which now includes children.

The current criteria for testing at C.B. Smith Drive-Thru site is:

• Children of all ages who are symptomatic or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or who previously tested positive and need to be re-tested. 
• Any one 18 years and older, first responders, and healthcare workers regardless of symptoms.

Starting June 9, criteria will further expand to include all children regardless of exposure or symptoms. 

Appointments for children will be available Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Parents must register each child separately, and only one child per car will be tested to help provide a positive experience for the child. Parents who wish to test more than one child would need to make separate appointments for each child. Parents can also get tested during their child’s appointment, as long as they register in advance. To register, call 954-276-4680 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

What to Expect at the Park

• One pediatric “lane” will be provided with two testing stations.
• Parent/legal guardian(s) will be permitted to bring children for testing one child at a 
  time per appointment slot. This will allow us to ensure the patient’s appointment time matches their identification.
• Children will remain in their car seats/boosters.
• Parents appropriately masked will be allowed to get out of the car and sit near the
  child for comfort and assist with positioning if they so desire.
• Two staff members will be available to assist with swabbing.