Blue Sky Neurology's Growth, Expansion Continue

Blue Sky Neurology, an innovative inpatient neurology practice, continues to grow and expand as six new providers have begun to provide neurologic services at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Blue Sky began managing Research's neurology needs via its BSN United arm just over two years ago, using a combination of Denver neurohospitalists and locums physicians for staffing. A high-volume comprehensive stroke center, Research is the hub hospital for many of the primary and rural hospitals across Kansas and Missouri which are covered by Blue Sky's telehealth providers.

The six inpatient providers — neurohospitalists Anthony Harrington, Dan Kaplan, Ala Saleh, and Neena Viswanathan and physician assistant Isabella Baldacci and nurse practitioner Miranda Wahn — represent Blue Sky Neurology's first permanent, boots-on-the-ground neurology group in Missouri. They will provide continuity of care and collaboration within the extensive Research network. Their start at Research sets the stage to build a center of excellence for neurological diseases at the 590-bed hospital.

"We are so fortunate to have a healthcare partner in Research Medical Center. Their commitment to providing the most advanced and innovative neurological care within the midwest division has created a vast referral network ideal for our neurohospitalists to continue to build upon," said Blue Sky Neurology's Dr. Emily Lampe, the stroke medical director at Research. "The growth of our neurosciences department on the Research Medical campus will provide faster and easier access to expert neurological care within southern Kansas City."

Harrington, who spent four years on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He completed his neurology residency at the University of Colorado and a neurology fellowship at the University of Michigan.

Kaplan, a chemist before transitioning into the field of medicine, went to medical school at Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine and did both his neurology residency and a vascular neurology fellowship at the University of South Florida.

Saleh graduated from medical school at Hashemite University in Jordan. He went on to complete his neurology residency at the University of South Florida and a neurophysiology fellowship at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Viswanathan completed her medical training at Thanjavur Medical College in Tamil Nadu, India. After graduating from Thanjavur, she did her residency at the University of South Florida and remained at South Florida for a neurophysiology fellowship.

Baldacci graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Physician Assistant program while Wahn earned a Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of Central Missouri. Wahn was a neurocritical care nurse at Research for five years before becoming an NP there. Her experience at Research will benefit the team greatly as relationships are built with all the hospital's multidisciplinary teams.

With inpatient providers now in Missouri, Blue Sky Neurology has a presence in 20 hospitals across five states.

"Blue Sky Neurology continues to grow in the space of inpatient neurology coverage of hospitals," Blue Sky Neurology and Blue Sky Telehealth medical director Dr. Chris Fanale said. "With this innovative collaboration with Research Medical Center, Kansas City is the sixth region around the country where Blue Sky is providing on-site neurohospitalist expertise."