Division Director - Pediatric Neurology

Overview

The Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Mercy (CM) seeks to recruit a creative and scholarly leader to serve as Division Director of Neurology
. The Division of Neurology is a nationally recognized leader in comprehensive pediatric neuroscience care, education, and research. The ideal Division Director will bridge the Division’s past and present successes with the possibilities that await its future, forging a bold vision for the years to come.

The Division of Child Neurology has experienced a decade of significant growth and anticipates continued expansion. Over the past 18 years, the division has grown from a five-provider, epilepsy-focused service into a vibrant, multidisciplinary program comprising 25 physicians, 20 nurse practitioners, 23 staff nurses, and two nurse coordinators. The Division has substantial expertise in a broad range of neurological subspecialties, delivering expert, evidence-based care to a growing regional and national patient population.

In 2024, our team completed over 22,000 patient visits, including nearly 7,000 new patient evaluations. We are proud to be ranked #21 nationally by U.S. News & World Report in pediatric neurology and neurosurgery, underscoring our focus on clinical excellence, innovation, and access to care.

Division of Pediatric Neurology Mission Statement:
Through innovation, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to excellence, the Division of Neurology at Children’s Mercy continues to redefine what’s possible in pediatric neuroscience.

We operate nationally accredited and recognized centers and subspecialty clinics, including:

• Level 4 Epilepsy Center:

· As a member of the National Association of Epilepsy Centers, we offer high-volume epilepsy surgery, ketogenic diet therapy, vagal nerve stimulation (VNS), and intracranial EEG monitoring. We are one of the largest pediatric neuromodulation centers in the U.S., with over 2,000 children with VNS devices. We actively engage in data mining efforts to evaluate efficacy, side-effect profiles, and programming best practices for VNS.

· Epilepsy patients are evaluated in one of two Epilepsy Monitoring Units, depending on acuity. Our surgical EMU prioritizes patients undergoing SPECT, PET, or other evaluations needed to determine next steps in care for refractory epilepsy.

· Multidisciplinary clinics provide coordinated care for first-time seizures, tuberous sclerosis and neurofibromatosis, Dravet syndrome, and ketogenic diet treatment.

• Comprehensive Movement Disorder & Spasticity Program:
  • Multidisciplinary spasticity and tone clinic involving neurology, rehabilitation, neurosurgery, orthopedics, pharmacy, and nurse coordinators.
  • Evaluation and procedural planning for selective dorsal rhizotomy, intrathecal baclofen pump placement, and orthopedic interventions.
  • Active Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) program, which includes a pre-surgical multidisciplinary DBS clinic and ongoing programming follow-ups.
• Headache and Pain Program:
  • Six advanced practice providers credentialed in procedures such as basic and advanced acupuncture, occipital and pericranial nerve blocks, and botulinum toxin for migraine.
  • Two board-certified headache medicine physicians with comprehensive procedural privileges across all headache interventions.

·
Neonatal Neurology Program:

· A team of four pediatric neurologists, with expertise in epilepsy and stroke, see consults in the NICU for a broad range of conditions including hypoxic ischemic injury, structural brain abnormalities, and genetic differences.

· Collaborative care is provided to families being seen in the Fetal Health Center as part of a multidisciplinary team.

· Patients seen by the Neuro/NICU team in the hospital are followed in a specialized clinic for one year, ensuring excellent continuity of care.

Research Vision and Active Projects

We have transformed into a research-active division, aligning clinical innovation with scientific discovery. Over the last five years, we secured over $6M in extramural funding and implemented a strategic vision supporting physician-scientists and clinically focused faculty.

• Pharmac…