Epilepsy Care

The MetroHealth Epilepsy Center providers and staff want to ensure that those with epilepsy in our community have access to the care, resources and education they need to lead healthier lives. We want to make sure that no one falls through the cracks, and we strive to provide comprehensive care and access to newer medications.

We want to ensure that each patient is on the right medications for them so that they can have fulfilling lives. And if medications aren’t working, there are other ways to optimize care. This could include a surgically implantable device that sends electrical currents to control seizures in the brain or nerves.

• Approximately 3.4 million people in the United States have epilepsy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Epilepsy is a chronic disorder with the main symptom of recurrent, unprovoked seizures.
• Epilepsy is a neurological disease that results in seizures or brief surges of uncontrolled synchronous electrical activity in the brain. 
• A person is diagnosed with epilepsy if they have two or more unprovoked seizures or one unprovoked seizure with an abnormal EEG or MRI.
• Causes vary, ranging from neonatal injuries, stroke, tumors, traumatic brain injury or other conditions.
• In some cases, there is no known cause.

Program Offerings

• Expert management of patients with all types of epilepsy
• Access to the newest anti-seizure medications
• Specialized pregnancy and epilepsy clinic
• Pathway to surgical evaluation
• Neurostimulation programing of the Responsive Neurostimulation System (RNS), Deep Brain Stimulator (DBS), and Vagal Nerve Stimulator (VNS)
• Access to social work and mental health resources for patients with epilepsy
• Collaboration with the Epilepsy Association and Empowering Epilepsy and help navigating the associated resources
• Support staff to enable timely response to patient concerns
• Multiple clinic locations for expanded access

Epilepsy Team-Based Care

In order to improve access to high-quality specialized epilepsy care, our practice uses a team-based care model with both an epilepsy specialist physician and two nurse practitioners.

When patients come to the appointments, they will be seen by either the nurse practitioner or physician, who will work collaboratively to manage the patient’s condition. By utilizing team-based care with a joint physician and nurse practitioner provider model, we can offer timely appointments for all patients. 

• The Epilepsy team is also consulted to evaluate and guide care to patients on the trauma and inpatient service teams.  
• Two nurse practitioners, as well as a dedicated specialty nurse and medical team assistants. 
• Multi-disciplinary care team (behavioral health, social work, physical therapy, rehabilitation) 
• Additional services include focus on pregnant patients 

Ebru Erbayat, MD is a Staff Physician, Neurologist and Epileptologist in the Department of Neurology.
Dr. Erbayat was appointed in March 2023 after 10 years of working as an epileptologist and a director of adult epilepsy Center at Medipol University Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. 

She completed her Neurology residency and clinical fellowship in epilepsy and neurophysiology at Cleveland Clinic between 2007-2012.  She previously spent 6 years of epilepsy research, both clinical and experimental side at Washington University in St. Louis. Her specialty interests include clinical neurophysiology, neuroimaging, translational research and epilepsy surgery. 

Dr. Erbayat received her medical degree from Ankara University School of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey. She also completed her Neurology residency in Turkey and worked as a neurologist for few years before she came to the United States.

Ahmad Siddiqi, MD is a Staff Physician/Neurologist at in the Department of Neurology. Dr. Siddiqi was appointed in September 2024 after working at MetroHealth as a locums neurologist from June 2023 to August 2024. Prior to this, Dr. Siddiqi was a staff neurologist at University Hospitals from 2018 to 2023.

His subspecialty interests include seizures, cognitive disorders, headaches, and neuromuscular conditions.

He completed his neurology residency  and clinical neurophysiology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mirchigan from 2013 to 2018. Dr. Siddiqi received his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan in 2013.

Virginia Edwards, APRN-CNP holds a Master's Degree in Nursing from the Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with many years of experience helping neurology patients achieve a state of health and independence. She has a special interest in working with people with epilepsy and seizure disorders.

Virginia has provided care to patients at MetroHealth since 2004 when she began as a registered nurse in the Neurosurgical and Spine Intensive Care Unit.  Virginia joined the neurology team as an Advanced Practice Nurse in 2007.  Virginia believes that enhanced communication and interdisciplinary collaboration are paramount in delivering quality care.

Working with Community Organizations

In addition, there are two prominent non-profit organizations in our area – Empowering Epilepsy and The Epilepsy Association – that provide services and information. MetroHealth's Epilepsy program intends to foster more collaboration with these organizations.