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VA Charleston health care

He worked as a student missionary in the Amazon Region of Brazil in 1990-1991. After medical school, Dr. Halford completed an internship in Internal Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University and then spent six years training at Duke University Medical Center where he completed a Combined Neurology-Psychiatry Residency Training Program and a Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship. He accepted a faculty position in the Department of Neurology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 2003 and has been a Staff Neurologist at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center since 2004. Dr. Halford cares for epilepsy patients both at MUSC and at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. He is very involved in epilepsy and neurophysiology research in two areas. First, he works with epilepsy patients in research clinical trials of new epilepsy medications and devices. Second, he works to develop and test software and devices for recording electroencephalography (EEG) and automatically detecting clinically-relevant events in EEG and electromyography (EMG) signals. At MUSC, Dr. Halford is a Professor of Neurology, the Director of the Translational Research Unit for the Departments of Neurology, and the Associate Director for Technical Development for the MUSC Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory. At the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, he is the Director of an Associate Consortium site of the VA Epilepsy Centers of Excellence and the Director of the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the School of Computing at Clemson University.Research interests include developing devices for automatically detecting clinically-relevant events in electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) signals.&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=halford%20jj" target="_blank">Publications (PubMed)</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Clinical Neurologist  Research Health Scientist, Ralph H. Johnson VA Healthcare System  Professor of Neurology, Director of the Translational Unit for the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Associate Director for Technical Development for the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory, Medical University of South Carolina  VA Charleston Healthcare 

Dr. Jonathan J. Halford grew up mainly in Charleston, SC USA. He graduated Cum Laude from Duke University with a major in Religious Studies in 1990. 

She is also Professor of Neurology, Josephine Tucker Morse Chair for Parkinson’s Disease Research, Director of the Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence and Director of the Movement Disorders Division at the academic affiliate Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She earned her medical and doctoral degrees from the University of Hamburg School of Medicine in Hamburg, Germany. After completing a research fellowship at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she trained in Neurology in Münster, Germany. She completed her Neurology residency at MUSC where she also served as chief resident, followed by fellowship training in Movement Disorders at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. &nbsp;Dr. Hinson's special interests include the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s Disease, dystonia, Huntington's disease, and other movement disorders.

Vanessa Hinson, M.D. Ph.D. is the Neurology Service Chief at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center.

&nbsp;He moved back home to South Carolina in 2022 to work at the Ralph H. Johnson VA in Charleston, SC. He was excited to work at such a distinguished VA with outstanding resources to help take care of our veterans. Dr. Smith completed medical school at Kansas City University (’14), neurology residency at University of Minnesota (’18), and has been practicing general neurology since 2018. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). He sees the entire spectrum of adult neurologic disease but his primary interest is multiple sclerosis.

Dr. Kyle Smith grew up in Spartanburg, SC and went to The College of Charleston (‘09). 

She earned her medical degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida and completed her neurology residency at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She then went on to complete her vascular neurology fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina and stayed on as faculty where she has joint appointment with the Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center and the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Wabnitz specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of adult stroke patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. At the Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center, she serves as the Stroke Medical Director and strives to provide evidence-based, quality care for our veterans with cerebrovascular diseases.&nbsp;

Dr. Ashley Wabnitz is a board-certified neurologist with additional board certification in vascular neurology. 

Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine Residency: Carolinas Medical Center Fellowship: Signe Spine &amp; Rehabilitation - Mount Pleasant, SC Board Certification: YesI specialize in the non-surgical treatment of spinal and musculoskeletal pathology with the use of fluoroscopic and ultrasound guided procedures.&nbsp;In my free time I enjoy playing ultimate frisbee, lifting weights, and spending time with my family and friends

Board Certified Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Doctor with a fellowship in Interventional Spine & Musculoskeletal Medicine

Dr. Kirstin Weider  is a Board Certified Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Doctor with a fellowship in Interventional Spine & Musculoskeletal Medicine.

Having joined the VA in 2015, Dr Ozark provides acute neurological care to hospitalized Veterans in the Carolina Low Country.&nbsp;In this role, she is responsible for the diagnosis and management of patients with acute neurological symptoms, including stroke, seizure, CNS infection, and inflammatory conditions, and is passionate about optimizing systems of care to produce the best possible patient outcomes. Dr Ozark previously served as the Stroke Director at the RHJ VAMC, guiding the facility to achieve Primary Stroke Center Designation.&nbsp;&nbsp;A Neurology Faculty member at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Dr Ozark helps train the next generation of neurology specialists.&nbsp; In addition to her inpatient care time there, she is also active in MUSC’s statewide Telehealth program, providing access to expert stroke care to even the most remote rural areas. She is also Medical Director for the Adult Ethics Consultation Service at MUSC.&nbsp;A Florida native, Dr. Ozark&nbsp; completed her undergraduate education at Rollins College, combining her interests in anthropology, biology, and philosophy, Followed by graduate work in Medical Ethics at University of Pittsburgh, before pursuing her medical degree at the University of Miami, followed by Neurology residency training at Brown University/ Rhode Island Hospital, and fellowship specialization in Vascular Neurology through Emory University and Grady Hospitals in Atlanta, GA. She is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) in Neurology with a subspecialty in Vascular Neurology and is certified as a Healthcare Ethics Consultant through the Healthcare Ethics Consortium.&nbsp;&nbsp;Outside of work, Dr Ozark is an avid gardener and bird watcher.&nbsp;

Dr. Ozark is a Vascular Neurologist with the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System in Charleston, SC.

She earned her medical and doctoral degrees from the Ewha Woman University, South Korea, then she completed her neurology residency at MUSC. After finishing her fellowship training in neurophysiology at MUSC, she joined MUSC's faculty and joined Charleston VA hospital.&nbsp; &nbsp;Dr. Sohn's special interests include the diagnosis and treatment of headache disorder , botulinum toxin injections for migraine patients and EMG study. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Mimi Sohn, M.D. is professor of neurology at MUSC.

Associate Professor of Neurology, Division of Stroke and Cerebrovascular disorders

He completed fellowships in Neurological Infectious Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; and Electromyography at the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke followed by a mid-career fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Harvard where he also received an MPH. He had previously received an MS in microbiology from Ohio State University. Dr. Kurent received board certifications in Neurology; Neuromuscular diseases; Hospice and Palliative Medicine; and Pain Medicine. Dr. Kurent’s clinical interests include a major focus on the multidisciplinary care of persons with ALS; electromyography; neuropalliative care and bioethics. He is director of the ALS Multidisciplinary Clinic at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and Professor of Neurology and Medicine at MUSC. Dr. Kurent is a member of the ALS Association South Carolina Chapter Advisory Council and serves on the National Academies Committee, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Accelerating Treatments and Improving Quality of Life&nbsp;

Dr. Jerome Kurent received his MD from the University of Cincinnati and completed residencies in Neurology and Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. 

Medical School: Washington University of St. Louis Residency: Neurology - University of Pennsylvania Fellowship: Neurology, Epilepsy, Clinical Neurophysiology - University of Pennsylvania Board Certification: YesAs the daughter of a Vietnam veteran treated at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, I am proud to provide the best possible care for other veterans treated at our facility. &nbsp;I am a trained specialist in the area of seizures and epilepsy. &nbsp;I want to enable our veterans with epilepsy to lead the best lives possible.&nbsp;

Dr. Sarah Schmitt  is the Associate Professor of Neurology at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System.

Medical School: MSN - University of South Carolina Board Certification: YesSame Day Access (SDA) clinic. I provide mental health treatment to walk in patients within the RHJ hospital system. I served 12 years in the military (4 active, 8 reserve), was enlisted as a combat medic, and am an OIF veteran. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, I was an ER nurse for 11 years, and was lucky enough to win nurse of the year in 2017. &nbsp;In my free time I like to spend time with family, listen to audiobooks and try to survive Charleston traffic.

Dr. Thomas "Kyle" Nygren  is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System.

Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina Residency: PGY1 general pharmacy practice, PGY2 ambulatory care pharmacy Board Certification: Yes - Pharmacotherapy and Ambulatory CareAlison Martin, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP.&nbsp; Dr. Alison Martin serves as a Neurology Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner as the Ralph H. Johnson VA Healthcare System in Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Martin attended the Medical University of South Carolina where she received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree, followed by a PGY1 general pharmacy practice residency and PGY2 ambulatory care pharmacy residency training at the Ralph H. Johnson VA. She is a board-certified pharmacotherapy and ambulatory care pharmacy specialist. She also serves as the PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency Program Director for the Ralph H. Johnson VA, chair of the national VA Clinical Pharmacy Practice Office Neurology Subject Matter Expert workgroup, and co-chair of the Research and Education workgroup within the national Headache Centers of Excellence Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology Council.In her free time, Dr. Martin enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys, reading, traveling, and teaching group fitness exercise classes including Body Pump, Body Combat, cycling, and yoga.

Dr. Alison Martin is board certified Neurology Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner.

She is a board-certified neurologist with a subspecialty in Movement Disorders. Dr. Cooper received her medical degree from the University of Florida with Honors in Clinical Research. She completed her Neurology residency training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard University, followed by a fellowship in Movement Disorders at Pennsylvania Hospital/University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Cooper treats adult patients with Parkinson's disease, tremor, dystonia, dyskinesia, ataxia, tics, and chorea. As part of the treatments offered, Dr. Cooper performs botulinum toxin injections for Movement Disorders patients with dystonia, and spasticity. She provides pre-surgical evaluations and post-surgical programming for Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's disease, tremor, and dystonia.&nbsp;

Neurology Assistant Service Chief at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center.

Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina Residency: Temple University Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia Fellowship: &nbsp;Nuclear Medicine; Thoracoabdominal Imaging with Advanced Body MRI - St. Louis; Minneapolis Board Certification: Yes - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation&nbsp;

Dr. Mary Herring is a board certified Physician at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Heath Care System.

He obtained his medical degree and neurology training in Turkey. He then completed three years fellowship to specialize in Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and University of Michigan. Prior to joining MUSC and Ralph H Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, Dr Kutluay was a faculty member at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Medically refractory seizures, intracranial EEG and neurologic intraoperative monitoring (NIOM) are Dr Kutluay’s special interests. Dr. Kutluay has over 30 publications in prestigious medical journals and chapters in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology textbooks. &nbsp;Dr. Kutluay is a fellow member of American Epilepsy Society (AES) and American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS)&nbsp;

Professor of Neurology in the division of Epilepsy 

Dr. Kutluay is a Professor of Neurology in the division of Epilepsy at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). 