New service from Springdale neurodiagnostic provider grows 800% in 2023

A new service for Springdale-based neurodiagnostic services provider Advanced Monitoring Services has achieved 800% growth this year. The ambulatory electroencephalography (EEG) service is the company’s first to use technology to help patients in their home.

Founded in 2006, AMS has focused on making spine and brain surgery safer through interoperative monitoring services. Late last year, AMS launched its first in-home service to help physicians more accurately diagnose seizure disorders and to better treat them.

AMS CEO Brad Vinson said the service measures patients’ brain activity over a longer period than routine EEGs that take place over 30 minutes.

“To really get quality data to a physician, namely a neurologist or epileptologist, to come up with a treatment plan so that this patient doesn’t have this disease anymore or it’s a lot more controlled, you need data over a lot longer period of time,” Vinson said. “That’s what we do in the patient’s home.”

The service includes a technologist setting up equipment and a video camera to monitor patients at home, typically over three days. Staff remotely monitoring the video can alert physicians or emergency responders if warranted.

Vinson said the cost of the at-home service is about 10% of what it would be to complete it at a hospital. Providing the service at patients’ homes reduces hospital bed capacity constraints.

AMS monitors surgeries for about 100 surgeons across its markets, including Arkansas and portions of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Hospitals also outsource neurodiagnostic services to AMS. It’s growing its new service across its markets, starting in Arkansas. Vinson declined to provide revenue numbers but noted that the new service provides the company with increased stability in insurance reimbursements and revenue.

AMS is expected to have 84 staff by the end of this year. Vinson was hired as AMS’ fourth employee in 2009 and became CEO in 2013.