The Neuro Montreal Clinic was created to fill a critical need in the health care system for patients who need to see a specialist outside of a hospital setting. The clinic, in operation since March 2019, has 25 neurologists- many of whom also see patients at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital)- providing a range of assessments and treatments for general neurology, multiple sclerosis, headaches, epilepsy and more. The clinic serves as a first stop for people in need of a neurological assessment and specialized care.
The Neuro Montreal Clinic has an active electromyography department that allows neurologists to assess conditions such as pinched nerves, carpal tunnel syndrome, and general nerve and muscle function. Specialists at the clinic offer treatments with botulinum toxin (Botox), which is used to treat increased muscle tone, stressed muscles, migraines and patients who have had injuries to the central nervous system that cause muscle spasticity.
Patients with more complex conditions that require more advanced treatment or procedures in a hospital setting can be referred to the specialized multidisciplinary programs at The Neuro, the MUHC or CHUM.
Safe and accessible care
Thanks to its location, and the modern facilities offered at the Neuro Montreal Clinic, clinicians have been able to offer safe and accessible care while also adapting to the challenges of Covid-19. The space can accommodate motorized wheelchairs and its wide rooms and hallways have adapted well to social-distancing norms. “During the pandemic, the clinic space was really flexible. We could see a lot of patients in a safe way because we had enough space to talk to patients with two meters of distance,” something that is more challenging to come by in a hospital setting according to Dr. Liam Durcan, a neurologist at the clinic.
As the clinic continues to slowly increase its intake of in-person visits, physicians are starting to see many of their patients at the Neuro Montreal Clinic.
The clinic also plans to include space for a clinical research unit (CRU), which will conduct clinical trials on volunteer patients. In this setting, individuals seeing their specialist will have greater awareness of and access to clinical trials for conditions such as migraines, headaches and multiple sclerosis.
Training a new generation of neurologists
Beyond offering fast and accessible care for patients, the Neuro Montreal Clinic has established a partnership with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University to train students and residents. “Medical students get to watch physicians perform consultations, physical history and then they perform some of these same tasks in a supervised setting,” explains Dr. Durcan.
Residents do more independent work, “they will see a patient and then review the case with us, and we will go in and see the patients with the resident,” says Dr. Durcan. “Based on every resident, there are many discussions about their topics of interest, how to give useful information to the patient, how to make sure that information is also given to the referring physician who might be looking after this patient in the future and how to arrange for follow-ups.” The Neuro Montreal Clinic has been offering space for 5 to 8 McGill trainees every week.
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Make an appointment
Patients must have a scheduled appointment to be seen at the Neuro Montreal Clinic. If you are a new patient, you must have a referral from a family physician or a general practitioner to make an appointment. Your referring physician must send a consultation request to neuro5100 [at] cmbmed.com or 514.906.3876.
If your referral is coming directly from a specialist, then you can simply fax it to 514.906.3874. Please make sure to include your full contact information. The clinic accepts patients from Montreal and across Quebec.
Special precautions during COVID-19: People with a fever or a cough are asked to avoid patient visits and unnecessary travel to the Neuro Montreal Clinic. If you need to come to the Neuro Montreal Clinic and have these symptoms, please put on a mask, and wash your hands as soon as you arrive.
