PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release – June 7, 2011
Contact: Julie Holland, Marketing & Communications Director
(509) 473-7027 or (509) 981-3447
Deaconess Medical Center Expands Neuroscience Program
Neurosurgeon Demakas Joins Deaconess Team
SPOKANE – Deaconess Medical Center announced today the expansion of its neurosciences program. The first phase of growth is the addition of John Demakas, M.D. and the staff from Spokane Brain and Spine to the Deaconess team. Dr. Demakas’ practice remains in the same location in the Deaconess Medical Office Building, 801 W. 5th Ave., Suite 210, and is now called the Spokane Regional Neuroscience Center (SRNC).
“Dr. Demakas and his team bring valuable experience to our growing neuroscience program,” said Deaconess chief executive officer William L. Gilbert. “We’re excited that he and his team will provide the foundation for our neuroscience center and an expanding range of diagnostics and treatments for patients.”
A board-certified neurosurgeon, Dr. Demakas has been practicing in Spokane for more than 25 years. He specializes in adult neurosurgery and Gamma Knife® radiosurgery, a noninvasive brain surgery that can be performed with extreme precision, and enhanced safety and accuracy. Dr. Demakas earned his medical degree from Creighton University Medical School and completed his residency at Barrow Neurological Institute of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, AZ.
“As we develop SRNC,” says Dr. Demakas, “we look forward to partnering with other specialists throughout the Inland Northwest to continue providing high quality neurological and surgical care. While I’ve been performing surgeries at Deaconess for many years, I’m excited about our new relationship and the opportunities for developing a more comprehensive neuroscience program that will include pain management support, a focus on treating epilepsy and a continued high level of customer service and care for patients seeking treatment for brain tumors, spinal and neurosurgical conditions.”
This integration allows our groups to continue to work even more closely with each other in the future to provide high quality care.
Through Dr. Demakas’ new affiliation with Deaconess, SRNC has become a member of the integrated healthcare delivery system that includes Deaconess, Valley Hospital, Rockwood Clinic and Inland Cardiology Associates. “We all share a vision for a more coordinated, efficient approach to caring for patients,” said Gilbert. “Together, we’re building on our promise to create a full spectrum of health services for the patients who count on us.”
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Deaconess Medical Center is a licensed 388-bed acute care hospital fully accredited
by The Joint Commission and located in downtown Spokane, Washington.