By Nancy Brumback, Contributing Writer
Business name: Community Neuroscience Services
Address: 33 Lyman St., Westborough
Owner: Jordan Eisenstock, MD
Contact information: 508-898-0055
www.CommunityNeuroServices.com
How long has the practice been open?
“Community Neuroscience Services (CNS) opened October 1, about seven months ago,” said Dr. Jordan Eisenstock, who heads the neurology practice, which treats all types of neurological conditions. “Most of the people here are connected with other health care facilities as well, at UMass Medical Center and at area rehabilitation facilities and other hospitals.”
What is neurology?
“Neurology is the study and treatment of disorders of the nervous system. It includes the brain, spinal cord and other areas of the central nervous system, and anything that involves nerves.”
What services does CNS offer?
“We consider ourselves primary-care neurologists. We can cover any condition, diagnosis or concern that has to do with the nervous system,” Eisenstock said. “While we pride ourselves on being primary-care neurologists, most neurologists do additional training in some specialty, so we have a several specialties represented on the staff. Sharing expertise is extremely helpful.
“We want to provide all the services a patient might need in a single, convenient location. Neurology diagnoses are varied and can include such conditions as dementia, seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Those are conditions for life. We want our patients and their families to count on us to care for them through whatever is required by their condition.”
What services do you offer a patient’s family or caregivers?
“It is very individualized. To treat many of these patients also means treating their primary caregivers, usually their family. We are building up social services, including support groups where patients and families can find attention to their particular needs,” he said.
“With a diagnosis like Alzheimer’s, we would try to provide ancillary services and necessary testing to understand the diagnosis all in one place, because it can be distressing for patients to go to multiple different places. For example, we offer neuro-psychological testing here, often the most effective way of diagnosing a condition like Alzheimer’s.
“We take a holistic approach. It often takes more than one provider to offer what patients and families need for these chronic conditions.”
CNS also treats shorter-term problems such as trauma, headaches, and tingling?
“Yes, all of those things fit under primary-care neurology. Something like tingling in the feet requires a comprehensive workup to exclude treatable causes and provide symptomatic treatment. We offer the gamut of headache treatments and have a headache specialist. Personally, I have a clinical interest in brain injuries, including post-concussion treatment.”
Are most of your patients referred by their physicians?
“Most of our care does require a referral. We get a lot of referrals from primary-care physicians who are also part of the UMass network, as well as from outside that network.”
What sets the CNS practice apart?
“Everyone who works here knows that they are a provider. The medical assistants, the front desk, the back office, they’re all providers of medical care. Often patients and families call with a problem, and sometimes the staff is better at fixing those problems than a doctor. Our patients can count on us. They have chronic and unpredictable conditions. We would like them to worry about one less thing,” Eisenstock said.