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HISTORY
The idea for a neurological clinic began in December 1967 in Atlanta, Georgia at dinner between Dr. Frank M. Davis and Dr. Bryan W. Robinson. At that time Dr. Davis was in his final year of neurosurgical training at Tulane University in New Orleans and Dr. Robinson was Director of the Yerkes Primate Center at Emory University in Atlanta.
Both physicians were interested in relocating to Tallahassee as Dr. Robinson was a native of the area, having been born and raised in Thomasville, Georgia, just thirty miles north of Tallahassee. Dr. Davis had been approached by friends in Tallahassee regarding the need for a neurosurgeon and neurologist as there were neither in the north Florida or south Georgia areas.
After several meetings, Drs. Robinson and Davis agreed to come to Tallahassee and, subsequently, opened their practice of Neurology and Neurosurgery in July 1968. In March 1970, Tallahassee Neurological Clinic officially became a Florida Corporation
NEUROLOGY
Currently the neurological staff at TNC is composed of Dr. James True Martin, Dr. Ricardo Ayala, Dr. Winston R. Ortiz and Dr. Leonard Dimitri DaSilva. Dr. Martin is the senior partner at the Clinic having joined the group in July 1980. Dr. Martin received all of his neurological training from Vanderbilt University Medical School. Upon graduation from Vanderbilt, Dr. Martin set the national curve on his neurology board exams.
Following the re-location of Dr. William Kohler and the retirement of Dr. Fred Vroom, both twenty-year veterans of TNC, Dr. Martin was joined in practice in July 1993 by Dr. Ricardo Ayala and in July 1994 by Dr. Winston Ortiz. Dr. Ayala, a pediatric neurologist, came to the Clinic following fellowships in pediatric neurology and epilepsy/EEG at the University of Miami Medical School. Dr. Winston R. Ortiz, an adult neurologist, joined the group in July 1994 after the completion of a fellowship in
epilepsy/EEG at the University of Miami Medical School. Dr. Leonard Dimitri DaSilva was recruited to join the group as a hospital neurological consultant and stroke specialist. He joined the group in September 2002 coming from the University of Texas, Houston following completion of a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology. Dr. DaSilva also completed a three year residency in Internal Medicine at Bethlehem Hospital in Pennsylvania.
All neurologists are board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. In addition, Dr. Martin is board certified by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners and Dr. DaSilva is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine
NEUROSURGERY
In 1971 Dr. James D. Geissinger joined Dr. Davis and Robinson in practice as a second neurosurgeon, having completed his training at Northwestern University. Dr. Geissinger would go on to practice at TNC for over twenty years, retiring in 1992.
Dr. Dana Mark Vogter joined the neurosurgical department in 1988 having received his training at the University of West Virginia. Dr. Vogter was a very active and energetic neurosurgeon who sadly passed away unexpectedly in March 1998.
Dr. Frank Davis, a founder of the Clinic, retired in 1993 after twenty-five years of practice. Dr. Mark Cuffe assumed the responsibility for Dr. Davis' practice in July 1993. Dr. Cuffe is a graduate of the University of Florida and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is also the senior practicing neurosurgeon at TNC.
In July 1998, Dr. Cuffe was joined by Dr. Christopher Rumana, who received his undergraduate medical education at Northwestern University and his neurosurgical training at Baylor University, Houston, Texas.
Dr. Albert Lee joined the practice in May 2004. Dr. Lee attended the University of Boston School of Medicine and did his neurosurgical training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He moved to Tallahassee after practicing for two years in Naples, Florida.
Currently, the TNC neurosurgical team is composed of three neurosurgeons. Dr. Mark Cuffe, Dr. Albert Lee and Dr. Chris Rumana are all board certified in neurosurgery and are diplomats of the American College of Surgeons.
There are two pain management specialists in the clinic. Dr. Vildan Mullin, board certified in pain management and anesthesiology, joined the practice in 2003 after a successful tenure as Director of the Pain Management Residency Program at the University of Michigan. Dr. Joshua Fuhrmeister, board certified in pain management and anesthesiology, joined the practice in July 2006 after successfully completing his fellowship. He is a welcomed addition to the TNC staff.
GOALS & SERVICES
The goal of physicians at Tallahassee Neurological Clinic has always been to provide excellence in neurological and neurosurgical care to patients in the Tallahassee community. Working closely with Tallahassee Memorial Hospital has made it possible for TNC to achieve this goal. The hospital has provided and maintained the very latest surgical equipment including microsurgical instrumentation, lasers, ultrasonic aspirators and a dedicated linear accelerator for use in stereotactic radiosurgery as
well as providing state-of-the-art surgical operating rooms and skilled operating room personnel. Also, the arrival of neuro-anesthesiologists to Tallahassee has expanded the capability for intra-operative monitoring. TNC physicians also work very closely with their neuro-radiology colleagues.
Neurological services provided by the physicians at TNC include complete neurological evaluation and treatment, Independent Medical Exams (IME's), EMG/nerve conduction velocity studies, EEG (including 24 hour EEG), therapeutic BOTOX injections, and clinical drug studies.
TNC’s CONTRIBUTION
Tallahassee Neurological Clinic had earlier made its contribution to the hospital and the community in 1970 when the first CT scanner was developed by EMI and the founders of the Clinic, Drs. Robinson and Davis, formed the Tallahassee Neurological Foundation which purchased a CT scanner for the Tallahassee area. The scanner was installed at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and was only the fifteenth scanner to be installed in the United States. Shortly after installation, ownership of the scanner
was transferred to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
Following the death of Dr. Robinson in 1979, the name of the Tallahassee Neurological Foundation was changed to the Bryan W. Robinson Neurological Foundation. In 1998 assets of the Foundation were transferred to the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital Foundation. Subsequently, the Hospital Foundation established the Bryan W. Robinson Endowment for the Neurosciences utilizing the assets of the Robinson Foundation to create a perpetual endowment.
DIVISION OF PAIN MANAGEMENT
Tallahassee Neurological Clinic has continued to grow with the establishment in August 2003 of the Pain Management Division under the direction of Dr. Vildan Mullin, previously director of the Pain Clinic at the University of Michigan. Dr. Mullin is a well- regarded and nationally known pain management specialist.
In July 2005, the Pain Management Division moved into a new facility built specifically to provide exceptional services to patients of TNC. The facility houses a state-of-the-art open, high field performance Hitachi Altair MRI as well as the offices of the Pain Management Division. The new facility also serves as a dedicated surgery center for TNC surgeons.
In July 2006 the clinic expanded services with the addition of a second pain management physician, Joshua E. Fuhrmeister, MD. Dr. Fuhrmeister comes to the clinic after completing The Mayo Clinic of Jacksonville Pain Management Residency Program.
Dr. Vildan Mullin and Dr. Joshua Fuhrmeister evaluate each patient by spending
time talking and listening to the patient to learn about the
patient's pain. They offer a variety of treatments including
injections, nerve blocks and other therapies. Our patients
also have the opportunity to have their procedures done at
Tallahassee Memorial Center for Pain Management, an ambulatory
surgery center, that is conveniently located adjacent to the
TNC Pain Management Office. Because this facility is strictly
used for pain management procedures, the staff is able to
accommodate each patient's needs and provide comfortable,
caring service.
MARIANNA EXPANSION
In April, 2008, Tallahassee Neurological Clinic’s Marianna
Office opened its doors for business. The neurosurgeons, neurologists
and pain management physicians travel weekly to this office
to care for local residents. Our doctors are able to provide
preventative diagnosis and treatment along with both non-surgical
and surgical care. We can perform EMGs and nerve conduction
studies in our Marianna office as well as outpatient surgery
at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
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