Burke Rehabilitation Hospital announced the expansion of its Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology Department with the addition of two clinical neuropsychologists who will offer assessment and rehabilitation psychology services to patients at Burke and in the community.

Each of Burke’s clinical neuropsychologists has a doctoral degree in psychology, with at least two years of advanced training in the science and practice of psychology and/or neuropsychology. Neuropsychologists work closely with Burke’s rehabilitation physicians to inform individualized treatment and care plans.

Neuropsychologist Tehila Eilam-Stock, Ph.D., joined Burke’s Psychology and Neuropsychology Department after completing her predoctoral training in Clinical Neuropsychology at NYU Langone Rusk Rehabilitation. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City. Dr. Eilam-Stock sees the role of a neuropsychologist as vital to the depth of care at Burke.

“Neuropsychology is so important in this setting because people have such life-changing events. They have many limitations and require significant care. There is an emotional burden to it as well,” said Dr. Eilam-Stock. She intends to increase the number of group therapy sessions at Burke, where groups explore various stages of the rehabilitation process. “Having someone to talk to and share this experience with provides hope, and that is powerful,” she added.

Neuropsychologist Elizabet Santana Marmon-Halm, Psy.D., completed a predoctoral internship in Health Psychology/Neuropsychology in the Department of Veterans Affairs, PM&R/Spinal Cord Injury Unit, at New Jersey Health Care System Medical Center in East Orange, New Jersey. She then continued her education in a postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology in the Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York. Dr. Santana, who speaks both English and Spanish, treats patients at Burke’s White Plains campus and at the Montefiore Wakefield campus in the Bronx. She is the first neuropsychologist at Montefiore Wakefield.

Dr. Santana commented, “There is a need for neurological services in the Spanish-speaking community, and it is important for assessment materials to reflect the closest approximation of the patients’ culture, language, and country of origin to achieve the most accurate assessment.”
Julieanne Shulman, Psy.D., Chief of the Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology Department, noted the institutional commitment which supported broadening the scope and scale of these crucial services. “We are thrilled to be able to offer expanded evaluation and intervention services which will contribute to improved outcomes and an enhanced continuum of care benefiting both our Westchester and Bronx patients,” she concluded.

The role of Burke’s psychologists and neuropsychologists is to work with patients who have confirmed or suspected neurological, medical or psychiatric conditions which may cause cognitive concerns. This could be due to a variety of factors, including: concussion, stroke, traumatic brain injury, dementia and other mild cognitive impairments, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, brain tumors and other illnesses or disorders causing cognitive difficulties. They conduct cognitive evaluations that assess all relevant areas of cognition, such as language, memory, visual spatial skills and attention and concentration. The team also provides psychotherapeutic treatments and cognitive remediation, either individually or in group settings.

The Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology Department also works with caregivers and family members adjusting to new situations. For more information about Burke’s Inpatient and Outpatient Programs, please visit burke.org/Outpatients/PhysicianPractice/Rehabilitation-neuropsychology