New England Center for Headache

A Commitment to Excellence in:

Diagnosis
Treatment
Education
Research

You are not alone...

BACKGROUND:

Founded in 1979, the New England Center for Headache has gained international recognition in the field of headache treatment and research The Center is under the direction of Dr. Fred Sheftell (Director and Founder) with Dr. Alan Rapoport (Co-founder) remaining as Director Emeritus. Dr. Sheftell is currently President of the American Headache Society, Listed in Woodward and White’s “Best Doctors in America” for more than a decade, past President of the American Council for Headache Education (ACHE), founding Chair of the World Headache Alliance, winner of lifetime achievement awards by ACHE and the American Headache Society. He is certified in Headache Medicine by the United Council of Neurological Specialties and by the National Board of Headache Management. He has lectured widely throughout the world to lay and professional audiences alike and has appeared on such national media as NPR, Discovery Channel, 20/20, Good Morning American, the Today Show and many others.

OUR PHILOSOPHY:

While we cannot offer a cure, we work earnestly and in partnership toward an improved quality of life, better headache control, and fewer headache days each month. We will identify your specific headache condition, explain it to you, and help you gain control over your headache. Our view is that we do not treat headache; we treat people with headache!

OUR MISSION:

To restore quality of life through the most up to date treatment techniques available.
To educate sufferers and their families as to the mechanisms of headache disorders and to underscore our firm belief that your pain is real and headache is fundamentally a biologic, not psychological, disorder.
To establish realistic goals and expectations and to work towards an alliance between our staff and our patients.
To educate spouses and other family members, healthcare providers, insurance companies, bosses, educators, and the public at large as to the devastating impact of headache on work, home/school, and play.
Through research to further our scientific understanding of headache and to provide new and more effective headache therapies. We may ask you to participate in a clinical research project involving the latest headache treatments.
To provide these comprehensive therapies in the most cost-effective, patient-friendly manner possible.

YOUR INITIAL VISIT:

Prior to your first visit you will be asked to send us a list of all previous medications and to complete detailed medical history forms. Please complete these forms in advance and as accurately and carefully as possible, as this thorough and detailed medical information will make your initial visit more productive for you.

Your introduction to the Center begins with an in-depth evaluation of your medical history and a comprehensive review of all previous treatments and tests by Dr. Sheftell. We will closely examine your diet and exercise routines and pay close attention to important aspects of family, work/school, social life, and leisure activities. You can expect your initial visit to last from two to four hours, depending on the complexity of your individual history.

At the completion of your first visit, you will have begun to understand the nature of your headache problem, your concerns, and your treatment plan. You will receive a written plan, which will be individualized to your specific headache condition and lifestyle. We will also provide you with tools, such as a headache calendar, with which to monitor progress, identify trigger factors, and record medication intake, menstrual cycles and other important headache factors.

Depending on your particular circumstances, your comprehensive treatment plan may involve a combination of changes in diet, vitamin and mineral intake, sleep, exercise, and recommendations for gradual changes in lifestyle habits that may be interfering with your progress. We will also discuss potential acute care and daily preventive medication, behavioral therapy, biofeedback training and additional medical referrals or diagnostic tests if necessary. The Center works closely with Drs. Steven Baskin and Randall Weeks, internationally known experts in behavioral medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy, neuropsychology and a variety of other non-pharmacologic therapies including biofeedback, stress management, time management, etc. Although 90% of our patients will experience improvement through outpatient services, patients with headaches that have been or remain refractory to all reasonable approaches may be referred to an inpatient headache unit.

FOLLOW-UP VISITS:

Depending on the intensity of your symptoms and the complexity of your headaches, the first follow-up visit will occur two to four weeks from your initial visit. At these visits we will review your headache calendars and monitor frequency, intensity and duration of headache episodes. We will also review trigger factors, diet, medication, changes in symptoms and overall response to treatment. Modifications to your treatment plan will be made accordingly.

When more time is necessary, you may be scheduled for an extended re-visit. Medications are refilled at this time, and we ask that you make sure you will have enough medication to last between visits. No medications will be refilled when the office is closed. In the event that you must cancel a scheduled re-visit, you will need to call us and you will be given enough medication to last until your next appointment. Your refill will be called in within 24 hours. Please have your pharmacy number available.

CANCELLATION AND NO-SHOW POLICY: Due to the enormous inconvenience to our clinical staff and other patients, there will be a charge for those patients who do not show up for appointments or those who cancel with less than 24 hour notice. While we recognize there may be extenuating circumstances, we nonetheless must impose the changes as described below:

PHONE CALLS:
During Office Hours:

Dr. Sheftell will make every effort to return your calls and you will be dealing directly with him on problems you may experience in between re-visits. We recognize that emergencies may occur, and he will try to get to your call as soon as possible. In the event that there is a major emergency we recommend that you go to the nearest emergency room. We hope that you will understand that Dr. Sheftell is usually occupied in patient care and at times the phone lines may be tied up. Please be patient. In addition, given Dr. Sheftell’s teaching commitments he may travel from time to time and not be available while in transit.

After Office Hours:

In the event of an emergency when the office is closed, the answering service will have Dr. Sheftell return your call as soon as possible. If you cannot wait for a return call it would be best to go to the nearest acute care medical facility.
Please have your pharmacy’s phone number available when your call is returned.

PAYMENT POLICY: Our fees are in accordance with the intensity and level of services delivered in the setting of multi-disciplinary care. The Center accepts Anthem Blue Cross as well as MasterCard and VISA to assist in your payment. Each patient is personally responsible for payment of services at the New England Center for Headache. Payment is due at time of service. We will provide you with necessary forms for submission to your individual insurance company.

OFFICE HOURS:	PHONE HOURS:

Monday thru Thursday 8 AM to 6 PM Office closed from 12 PM – 1:00 PM for lunch Phone: (203) 968-1799 Fax: (203) 968-8303	8:30 AM to 4:45 PM

And Finally …

We hope that your experience at the Center will be rewarding and productive. We look forward to working with you towards a more enjoyable quality of life and a less painful existence. Remember, you don’t have to learn to live with headache!

Comments about the New England Center for Headache:

“It seems only yesterday that we arrived at the Clinic and were greeted with kindness, friendship and understanding. We don’t know how to thank you for all you did. . .” MB

“Our daughter spent 8 days with you and this June graduated from high school. We never thought we’d see this miracle.” K and JH

“Your understanding and acceptance of migraine is a godsend.” LH

“We wanted to take this time to thank you so very much for all you’ve done for our son. You have made an incredible difference in his life and in turn the everyday life of our whole family. Words truly cannot express how grateful are!” P, E, R, & SL

“For the first time in 40 years, I felt as if I had a ‘lifeline’; that I was not out there by myself. . .” EK

THE NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR HEADACHE
30 Buxton Farm Road, Suite 230
STAMFORD, CT 06905
203 968-1799
203 968-8303 FAX
For Clinical Trial information call (203) 322-2748.
Website: http://www.headachenech.com