UPHS – Marquette Brain and Spine offering telehealth services

Despite social distancing and safety parameters put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Amy Martyanov, a pediatric neurologist at UPHS – Marquette, has still managed to see patients by utilizing technology in creative ways. 

For several years, Pediatric Neurologist, Dr. Amy Martyanov has been involved with the Pediatric Epilepsy Project. This statewide grant funds projects in Michigan to improve epilepsy for teens and children. This year, the grant focused on telehealth visits from patients’ homes. When the COVID-19 outbreak started, many insurers and states rushed to approve telehealth from home. As soon as telehealth was approved, Dr. Martyanov began offering the service to her patients in Neurology.

“We are offering these types of visits to all of our patients, new and follow-up,” Dr. Martyanov said. “Some patients may still need to come to the hospital for testing and follow-up, but this is a great way for them to get started with care or continue care.”

The Brain and Spine Center at UPHS – Marquette is seeing adult and pediatric neurology patients through the Zoom Video Communications platform. Patients can go to the Zoom website on their home computer or laptop, or they can download the app onto their smartphone. The UPHS – Marquette Brain and Spine team will then email a meeting code to patients for them to be able to log into the virtual visit for their appointment.

“It’s very simple and easy,” Dr. Martyanov said. “It looks very much like Skype or Facetime.”

Telemedicine visits provide an easy way for patients to see their health care provider when there are travel restrictions. Telemedicine visits also conserve personal protective equipment (PPE) and other clinical resources that are needed in the hospital.

The Brain and Spine Center at UP Health System – Marquette specializes in disorders of the brain and spine. Our team is made up of neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, physician assistants, and technologists trained in specialized testing such as electroencephalograms (EEG) and electromyelograms (EMG). The conditions we treat include epilepsy, stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain and spinal tumors, headache, multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders. 

For more information or to make an appointment, please call (906) 449-3600, or visit www.mgh.org/brain-spine-center