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Pediatric Neurology

Comprehensive Care

The Neurology Division at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla offers care for infants through Young Adults.

Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital is a level 1 trauma center with an active Pediatric ICU, Neonatal ICU, and inpatient pediatrics service. As such the patients in the hospital require expertise covering a broad range of neurological disorders.

Our team consists of physicians specializing in the evaluation and acute management of a broad range of conditions, including: seizures, strokes, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury and encephalitis. We also provide excellent longitudinal care for learning disabilities, tics, migraines, and epilepsy.

Our division works closely with the Neurophysiology Lab to provide inpatient and outpatient EEG evaluation of seizures. We have dedicated epilepsy monitoring unit beds in the hospital to provide optimal management of patients with seizures. In addition, all beds in the Pediatric ICU and 8 in the Neonatal ICU are hard wired for continuous EEG monitoring. We have the experience with grid placement as part of the pre-surgical evaluation for epilepsy surgery.

A Multi-Disciplinary Approach

Pediatric Neurology patients are often complex, with a broad range of needs. Neurological conditions can impact children acutely and long term. Collaboration with other specialties is essential, and the hospital has a full range of subspecialties to provide comprehensive care: neurosurgery, neuroradiology, neurovascular, critical care, neuropsychology, psychiatry, genetics, rehabilitation services, social work and child life.

Each morning we have rounds dedicated to neuro-critical care in the Pediatric ICU, followed by close collaboration with pediatric hospitalists and a full complement of other pediatric subspecialties. The Neonatal ICU at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital is a level 4 Regional NICU with a neurologist dedicated to Neonatal Neurology. We also have a dedicated Pediatric Neurology Hospitalist, which allows for the rapid response to neurological conditions including concussion/traumatic brain injury, stroke and status epilepticus. Pediatric Stroke is an emerging field and we have experience with both IV and intra-arterial tPA.

After admission to the Children’s Hospital, it is our goal for children to benefit from our network of more than 700 pediatric physicians so they can return home and get the follow-up care they need.


Clinicians, Educators, Scholars & Scientists

The Neurology Division's physicians have an active role in bedside care, teaching and research. We have ongoing collaborations with neurosurgery, neuroradiology, the pediatric and neonatal ICU, and bench researchers at New York Medical College interested in pediatric epilepsy and traumatic brain injury.

Medical students and residents in pediatrics, as well as adult Neurology and Psychiatry residents, are an active part of the inpatient service. They benefit from experiencing a broad range of illnesses and it is our goal to help train the future generations of physicians in both clinical care and research.

In addition faculty members are active members of local and national organizations such as the Child Neurology Society, American Epilepsy Society, and American Academy of Neurology
  • Coordinate all neuroradiology studies
  • Electroencephalography (EEG)
  • Electroencephalography video monitoring for seizure diagnosis or as part of localization for seizure treatment
  • Electrophysiology studies (epilepsy monitoring unit, electromyography/nerve conduction, evoked potentials)
  • Lumbar puncture for cerebral spinal fluid studies
Cantor, Liliah, MD
  • Psychiatry & Neurology, Neurology with Special Qualifications in Child Neurology
Jacobson, Ronald I., MD
Ronald Jacobson, MD

Division Chief
  • Psychiatry & Neurology, Neurology with Special Qualifications in Child Neurology
McGoldrick, Patricia E., PNP
  • Psychiatry & Neurology, Neurology with Special Qualifications in Child Neurology
Overby, Philip, MD
  • Psychiatry & Neurology, Neurology with Special Qualifications in Child Neurology
Wolf, Steven M., MD
  • Psychiatry & Neurology, Neurology with Special Qualifications in Child Neurology