Neurology

Grand Rapids Neurology Program at Hauenstein Neurosciences 

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Mission Statement

To educate the next generation of neurologists through a tradition of passionate clinical teaching. We will do this by providing exposure to a diverse patient population in an environment of patient-centered care taught by dedicated faculty and staff, using an interdisciplinary approach, with a broad subspecialty base and a foundation for neurological disease processes. We will provide a comprehensive and collaborative environment of mutual enrichment for residents and mentors to foster a culture of lifelong learning.

Our commitment is to serve the community today and in the future, and to inspire our graduates to bring excellence in neurological care, stewardship, humanism and healing to the communities they will serve.

Our Program AIMs

• To prepare our residents to be exceptional clinical general neurologists by providing clinical and didactic experiences in an extensive array of neurological sub-specialties.
  
  
• To provide an overall culture of clinical and research excellence, firmly based in an unwavering commitment to our patients and our community.
  
  
• To develop expert neurologists by providing a tailored educational plan that focuses on a progressive resident responsibility and autonomy over the course of an intensive 4-year experience, in accordance with the ACGME milestones and program requirements.
  
  
• To ensure collegiality, professionalism and passion for teaching and lifelong learning by encouraging robust dialogue with our residents and faculty to create an environment that supports an ever-improving educational experience, patient safety and resident well-being.

Program Highlights

• Resident education is centered at the first comprehensive Neuroscience Center in West Michigan.
  
  
• Hauenstein Neurosciences offers fully-integrated inpatient and outpatient facilities at the same site, offering a unique opportunity for continuity of care and direct involvement in all facets of patient care.
  
  
• We are the largest neuroscience faculty in the community, with general and fellowship-trained experts in all areas of neurologic care.
  
  
• Our faculty has completed their training at a broad range of world-renowned institutions, prior to locating in West Michigan to be part of a unique blend of cultural integrity, clinical excellence and an opportunity to be part of a dynamic, evolving and innovative neuroscience program.
  
  
• Many members of our faculty maintain a high level of academic activity, including research and publication in their areas of expertise.
  
  
• Our institutional culture is singularly unique, with a focus on exceptional patient care, service to the community, and innovation through our philosophy of excellence.
  
  
• Our graduates have 100% board passing rate and have matched to world class fellowship programs.
  
  
• Our Continuity Clinic trains residents to be independent in procedures, including Botox, Nerve Blocks, and Lumbar Punctures.

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Welcome from the Chair and Hauenstein Center Leadership

We are pleased to welcome you to Trinity Health Hauenstein Neurosciences in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We provide a unique opportunity for residency training that is anchored in a special institutional culture, philosophy of excellence, and commitment to our patients and community.

Our mission is to provide a transforming and compassionate health care presence in the community, and our vision is to be a trusted health care partner for life. The general and subspecialty neuroscience programs at Hauenstein Neurosciences emphasize team work, comprehensive care, and community support and outreach. Thus, we strive to provide a bridge to a full continuum of patient-centered programs.

Our History

As the first comprehensive neuroscience center established in West Michigan, we are proud to be part of the legacy of Ralph Hauenstein, the namesake of our center and a great humanitarian and philanthropist. Mr. Hauenstein lived his life with reverence, integrity and by placing the community first.

He helped to rebuild Europe after World War II, was an advisor to US Presidents, and through generous donations helped to build institutions of higher education and health care in West Michigan and beyond. We walk in Mr. Hauenstein’s path of greatness, and seek residency applicants with substantial human qualities and clinical acumen.

Training Opportunities

Our neurology residency is anchored by training opportunities in programs such as neuromuscular disease, ALS and muscular dystrophy clinic, memory disorders and Alzheimer’s disease, comprehensive epilepsy care, Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders, headache and general neurology, multiple sclerosis, neurocritical care, interventional neuro-radiology, neuro-hospitalist services, neuro-ophthalmology, neuro-palliative care, neuropsychology, neurosurgery, sleep medicine, spine and back care, vascular neurology and neuro-oncology.

A hallmark of these programs is an award-winning faculty and national recognition achievements for high-quality, well-coordinated, and comprehensive health care. In addition, we have access to other training opportunities through a statewide educational initiative in the neurosciences.

Not only are we notable for regional neuroscience care in West Michigan and outreach to our surrounding communities, we also provide excellence in neuroscience research as a component of many of our specialty programs. Research offerings include opportunities for medical students and residents to work with us and present their findings under our supervision at national meetings.

Explore our residency website to learn additional details about our faculty’s professional and research interests. These are exciting times in Grand Rapids as Hauenstein Neurosciences is rapidly growing and evolving to recruit competent, talented and engaging individuals who fit our warm culture at Trinity Health for our fully accredited and approved residency program in neurology.

Respectfully, 

 

Herman Sullivan, MD
Executive Medical Director

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Program Director Introduction

It is with the warmest of welcomes that I introduce myself as the program director for the Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Neurology Residency at Hauenstein Neurosciences. It is an honor to be in this role, and it is my goal to provide every resident with an excellent education as well as the attention and support needed throughout all the years of residency. 

I have always been passionate about teaching, beginning in my undergraduate studies as an MCAT instructor for The Princeton Review, progressing through multiple tutoring and mentoring roles for hundreds of undergraduate and medical students through the years, including serving as a clerkship director for medical students and residents in neurology. 

As a former chief resident and chief fellow, I feel a strong connection with the younger generation of residents. I am committed to providing innovative curricula and educational opportunities for residents, focusing on diverse clinical and didactic experiences with limited disruptions to maximize educational value and improve resident well-being.

In addition to being program director, I am currently a faculty member in the simulation lab at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. As part of my role as the medical director for the sleep lab, I give numerous community and statewide lectures and perform local interviews related to sleep medicine.

Learning in Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids is a wonderful place to live and practice. It has all the benefits of a big city while maintaining a small town feel. The area boasts over 1.4 million people, providing learners with an incredible diversity of neurological pathology.

I chose to practice at Trinity Health Hauenstein Neurosciences because of the warm culture, supportive faculty, staff, and community, and breadth of expertise and subspecialty neurological care that is second to none. 

Overall, the patients are kind, the community is caring and the people at Trinity Health are a pleasure to work with. I cannot describe in words how welcoming and supportive the environment is at our campus. We provide extraordinary care to patients with incredibly talented faculty with diverse backgrounds who are just as dedicated to your education as they are to their patients. 

Our medical director Dr. Herman Sullivan, an extremely accomplished clinical and research neurologist, has provided enormous support for residents and their education, helping to solidify a strong foundation for our residency.

I would also like to recognize Dr. Philip Gorelick, who was integral in the development of our residency and still provides valuable didactics and research mentoring to our residents. He is a world-renowned stroke and neurology expert with a breadth of research and clinical experience that is insurmountable.  He has helped to shape and direct a number of high quality neurology residency programs and continues to have confidence and commitment to Trinity Health Grand Rapids, and he will always be a valuable mentor to me.

I hope this message finds you well and I am excited to meet you all during our interview season! 

Best Regards,

 

Christopher E. Morgan, MD
Program Director

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Program Overview

The Trinity Health Grand Rapids Neurology Residency at Hauenstein Neurosciences offers a fully-integrated clinical and didactic program that has been thoughtfully developed to offer the very best in neurology training. We pride ourselves on being a new, dynamic program that is continually evolving through the input of our residents.

We have very enthusiastic faculty members, representing all areas of neurologic sub-specialty practice and with diverse backgrounds of training at some of the best neuroscience centers in the world. Our faculty are dedicated to offering an exceptional residency education, and we are truly excited to inspire the success of our next class of resident neurologists.

Goals and Philosophies

The Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Neurology Residency at Hauenstein Neurosciences offers a unique training opportunity, based on an institutional culture that is distinctly different. Our goal is to prepare our residents to be exceptional clinical neurologists, through clinical and didactic experiences led by our diverse team of general and fellowship-trained physicians.

Our training philosophy is an outgrowth of our overall culture of clinical and research excellence, firmly based in an unwavering commitment to our patients and our community. This is further supported by the transformative institutional mission of Trinity Health Grand Rapids Hospital, and guided by the reverence, integrity and generous spirit of our namesake, Ralph Hauenstein.

Our program provides exceptional neurology training through a carefully-designed educational plan that focuses on a progressive increase in resident responsibility and autonomy over the course of an intensive 4-year experience, in accordance with the ACGME MILESTONES process. We encourage robust dialogue with our resident colleagues for the purpose of ensuring an environment that supports an ever-improving educational experience, patient safety, and resident well-being.