Neuroimmunology fellow will build clinic at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health

Indiana’s only fellowship-trained autoimmune neurologist is paving the way for a new neuroimmunology clinic for children at Riley Hospital for Children.

In her practice at the IU Health Neuroscience Center in downtown Indianapolis, Dr. Stefanie Rodenbeck treats adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other inflammatory diseases that cause a patient’s immune system to attack the brain, spinal cord and nerves.

Over the next year, Dr. Rodenbeck will train pediatric neurologist Dr. Jerilyn Summay through a fellowship at the Neuroscience Center funded by a gift from the Koorsen-Hoffman family. As part of her fellowship, Dr. Summay will develop a neuroimmunology clinic at Riley to care for younger patients who face diseases like MS. Currently, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is the closest option for such pediatric patients.

"We’ve already been meeting with [Cincinnati Children’s Hospital] to understand how they built their clinic and how it’s run," Dr. Rodenbeck said. "Dr. Summay has already been in touch with other folks here at Riley who trained in Cincinnati to bolster the new clinic here."

Dr. Summay completed her pediatric neurology residency at Riley Hospital for Children.

"The clinic Dr. Summay will create helps grow the Neuroscience Center as a whole," said Dr. Rodenbeck. "Patients suffering from diseases like MS will receive better care from a fellowship-trained neurologist like Dr. Summay. Indiana needs more neuroimmunologists, generally. Dr. Summay just happens to be a pediatric neurologist, so this will serve our pediatric patients in a way that aligns nicely with the intent of the gift from the Koorsen-Hoffman family."

If you’re interested in joining the Koorsen-Hoffman family in support of neuroscience care at IU Health, consider a gift today at iuhealthfoundation.org/brain.