Coastal Neurology and Wellness Center, a nurse practitioner-owned neurology and chronic pain clinic, opened its Lewes doors in January.

The center, located at 33664 Bayview Medical Drive Unit 2, offers evidence-based, holistic treatment for various conditions, including migraines and headache disorders, neuropathy and nerve pain, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and cognitive impairment, seizure disorders and epilepsy, cerebral palsy and other neuromuscular disorders, post-stroke care, dizziness, sleep disorders and chronic pain.

“We’re taking a look at the whole individual and treating all of a patient when they come in, not just whatever their complaint is,” said Stephen Israel, NP, who co-founded the practice with his wife and fellow NP, Anastasiia, after moving to Delaware from Virginia a couple months ago.

Taking a full picture of a patient’s life allows care providers to get to the root cause of an issue and, in many cases, better understand how the issue affects the individual’s other comorbidities, Stephen explained.

He and Anastasiia also both work at Beebe Healthcare in the neurology inpatient and intensive care units, respectively, where they’ve seen firsthand the community’s need for more accessible and affordable neurology treatment.

“We see so many patients in the hospital that come back to the hospital because they can’t get timely care,” Anastasiia said. “There’s not enough providers in the area to cover the need.”

In many cases, if a patient can’t get timely follow-up care after being discharged, they end up back in the hospital. For example, if a person who’s had seizures can’t access timely treatment, then the seizures may recur.

“I kept on seeing the same patients come back, and I’m like, ‘We haven’t been here long enough for me to have regulars,’” Stephen said.

He and Anastasiia are hopeful the services they offer through Coastal Neurology and Wellness will reduce a patient’s need to revisit the hospital.

The center offers hour-long appointments for new patients and 30-minute follow-ups. These time frames include only the time the NP actually spends with the patient, not the time it takes to fill out the paperwork that goes along with the visit. This ensures as much time with the patient as possible.

The center is currently accepting new patients ages 14 and up for in-person – and, in some cases, virtual – appointments.

Appointments are available Monday through Saturday. In special circumstances, they can schedule appointments for Sundays, as needed.

All appointments must be scheduled in advance. They do not accept walk-ins.

They are currently in the process of getting credentialed with insurance companies and will begin accepting insurance once everything is approved. In the meantime, they’re offering a promotional self-payment program for patients, charging $100 for a new patient visit and $60 for a follow-up.

In addition to treating patients at the clinic, a couple months down the line, Stephen plans to start hosting free community lectures on neurology-related topics.

Public education, he and Anastasiia said, is key to success in treatment.

“Something that we pride ourselves on is being able to explain pathologies in a common tongue,” he said. 

The husband-and-wife duo became registered nurses within six months of each other and went back to school together to become NPs.

“We are in this very wonderful situation where we’ve done every step of the process together,” Stephen said with a smile.

Fittingly, they first met in an ambulance, when Stephen was being transported to the hospital after being hit by a car and breaking his shoulder. Anastasiia was one of the emergency medical responders on board, and after the accident, she’d come over every day to help to care of him. They’ve been together ever since.

“I tell people I literally gave my left arm for my wife,” Stephen laughed.

Their bond translates into a great work dynamic, he said.

“There’s something about her being around that just makes me better at everything I do,” he said.