If a patient is having seizures and has not responded to two or more seizure medications, he or she may have refractory epilepsy or no epilepsy at all. The patient may be eligible for the Fast Track to the epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) at Norton Brownsboro Hospital. Records are sent to Norton Neurology Services to determine if the patient is a good candidate. If so, the epilepsy staff works with the primary physician to generate a referral for admission to the EMU using a one-page Fast Track form completed by the referring physician’s office staff. The goal is for the patient to be admitted directly to the EMU, where he or she receives a full consultation with an epilepsy physician and receives complete EEG, ECG, respiratory and video characterization of his or her seizures. This saves months of time compared with the wait for a clinic visit, followed by an additional six-week wait for EMU admission.

Our EMU is the only center in Kentucky accredited by the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET).

The Fast Track EMU form assists with determining whether the patient is appropriate for Fast Track, as well as obtaining appropriate insurance approval for the EMU admission. To get a copy of the Fast Track form for your office, contact Alma Blinn at alma.blinn@nortonhealthcare.org or (502) 394-6460, ext. 3058.