Photo: Sutter West Bay Medical Group neurosurgeon Dr. Matthew MacDougall and the surgical team at Sutter’s CPMC implant a vagus nerve stimulator to support a patient’s stroke recovery.

For patients facing stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease or other complex neurologic conditions, timely access to specialized neurologic care can shape recovery, independence and quality of life.

Across Northern California, not-for-profit health system Sutter Health is expanding how advanced neurologic care is delivered – helping patients receive the right care, at the right time, close to home.

To highlight how this work reflects Sutter’s comprehensive, integrated approach to neuroscience care, this fact sheet was created to illustrate how the service line is advancing the future of neuroscience services through expanded access, innovation and clinical excellence. Click here to enlarge the document.

Innovation With Impact

Sutter continues advancing its award‑winning, high-quality neurologic care through systemwide efforts focused on improving the speed and precision of diagnoses and treatments, and the patient experience. The following reflect just some of those efforts:

• AI-powered imaging to support earlier detection and faster triage of stroke, helping reduce diagnostic delays and improve care coordination across Sutter’s 17 certified stroke centers that collectively care for more than 6,000 stroke patients each year.
• Expanded access advanced imaging for epileptic seizure detection, including new headset technology that brings outpatient brain monitoring to rural areas and hospitals without on‑site neurologic coverage.
• Digital cognitive screening tools that help identify early signs of cognitive decline in older adults, supporting earlier diagnosis, care planning and easier access to specialty memory services, including care delivered through specialized sites like Sutter’s Ray Dolby Brain Health Center in San Francisco.
• Advanced neurosurgical and brain‑stimulation therapies – from incisionless surgery and minimally invasive options such as focused ultrasound and laser ablation to deep brain stimulation and vagus nerve stimulation – providing a comprehensive array of surgical treatment options for brain tumors, refractory epilepsy, movement disorders, and improved motor recovery after stroke.

“These advances translate into meaningful, real‑world impact for our patients and their families,” said Dr. Shawn Kile, chair of Sutter’s Advanced Neuroscience Service Line. “They help people regain independence through prompt, coordinated care and return to daily activities they once thought were out of reach.”

Investments Built to Last

Expanding access to top-tier neurologic care remains a defining priority at Sutter, with virtual care models extending specialty expertise to hospitals without on‑site coverage so more patients can receive advanced neuroscience services close to home.

That commitment is reinforced by major investments such as a $442 million comprehensive, advanced neurologic and neurosurgical care complex set to open in 2028 in San Francisco. The new center which will serve as a regional hub for multidisciplinary care, research and education.

“Together, these initiatives reflect how we’re strengthening neurologic care today while also preparing for what’s next,” said Dr. Kile. “By combining advanced technologies and therapies with ongoing research and physician training, we’re able to deliver exceptional care now while continuing to raise the bar for the future.”