Hypothalamic Hamartoma is a rare brain tumor that is best treated at an epilepsy specialty center.

Given the rarity of the diagnosis, most neurologists, neurosurgeons and centers are unlikely to encounter and treat even one HH patient let alone a significant volume of patients.  It is critical to identify a neurology team including an epileptologist (a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy, seizure and treatments) and neurosurgeon who:

  • understands HH and is up to date on treatment and care,
  • can offer treatments individualized to the patient and their tumor,
  • has the expertise and practical experience to achieve the best outcomes,
  • is affiliated with a hospital that offers multi-disciplinary coordinated care to support pre and post-surgical evaluations and long-term management

It is important to note not all treatments are available at all centers in the United States and throughout the world. And some centers may develop a particular expertise in one treatment, while other centers may pride themselves on the breadth of treatments they offer.

For complete information regarding the individual HH Treatment Facilities, please scroll down or click on the map provided.

The following list of hospitals offer services for HH patients. Some hospitals offer comprehensive multi-disciplinary care, while others offer very specialized treatments. Hope for HH does not endorse any hospitals or doctors or represent that this is a complete list of hospitals providing HH treatment and care.

As you research hospitals and their services, we encourage you to ask each:

  • If they are a full service epilepsy center?
  • How many HH patients they have treated? And how recently?
  • What treatments and services they provide?
  • And whether multi-disciplinary treatment and post-treatment management is available?

You can also Find a Doctor on the AES website and find an epilepsy center on the NAEC website.

  • Barrow Neurological Institute Hypothalamic Hamartoma Program

    350 W. Thomas Road
    Neuroscience Tower, 5th Floor
    Phoenix, AZ 85013

    Contact: Kris A. Smith, MD

    Email: n/a
    Phone: (855) 473-8069

    • HH Program or Clinic: Yes
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes, more information here or call (602) 406-3396
    • Patient Type: Adults
    • Treatment: Surgical, Gamma Knife, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus Nervie Stimulation (VNS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • Phoenix Children’s Hypothalamic Hamartoma Center

    1919 E. Thomas Road
    Ambulatory Building, 3rd Floor
    Phoenix, AZ 85016

    Contact: Diana LaRocque, RN, BSN, CPN

    Email: dlarocque@phoenixchildrens.com
    Phone: (602) 933-0468

    • HH Program or Clinic: Yes
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes, contact coordinator
    • Patient Type: Pediatric
    • Treatment: Surgical, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • Miami Children’s Health System / Nicklaus Children’s Hospital

    3100 SW 62nd Avenue
    Miami, FL 33155

    Contact: n/a

    Email: pat.dean@mch.com
    Phone: n/a

    • HH Program or Clinic: No
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes, contact coordinator
    • Patient Type: Adult and Pediatric
    • Treatment: Surgical, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus Nervie Stimulation (VNS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • Boston Children’s Hospital

    300 Longwood Avenue
    Boston, MA 02115

    Contact: Cheryl Cahill, RN

    Email: n/a
    Phone: (617) 355-2413

    • HH Program or Clinic: No
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes
    • Patient Type: Adult and Pediatric
    • Treatment: Surgical, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus Nervie Stimulation (VNS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • Northwell Health/North-Shore University Hospital

    300 Community Drive
    Manhasset, NY 11030

    Contact: n/a

    Email: n/a
    Phone: (516) 325-7061

    • HH Program or Clinic: Yes
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes
    • Patient Type: Adult and Pediatric
    • Treatment: Surgical, Gamma Knife, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus Nervie Stimulation (VNS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • NYU Langone Medical Center

    550 First Avenue
    New York, NY 10016

    Contact: n/a

    Email: n/a
    Phone: (646) 558-0803

    • HH Program or Clinic: No
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes
    • Patient Type: Adult and Pediatric
    • Treatment: Surgical, Gamma Knife, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus Nervie Stimulation (VNS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center

    7200 Cambridge Street, Suite 9B
    Houston, TX 77030

    Contact: Faiza Momin, NP

    Email: Faiza.Momin@bcm.edu
    Phone: (713) 798-4696

    • HH Program or Clinic: Yes
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes
    • Patient Type: Adult
    • Treatment: Surgical, Gamma Knife, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Neurology, Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • Children’s Medical Center Dallas

    1935 Medical District Drive
    Dallas, TX 75235

    Contact: Lauren Suttle

    Email: n/a
    Phone: (214) 456-2768

    • HH Program or Clinic: No
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes
    • Patient Type: Pediatric
    • Treatment: Surgical, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus Nervie Stimulation (VNS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • Cook Children Medical Center

    801 Seventh Avenue
    Fort Worth, TX 76104

    Contact: n/a

    Email: saleem.malik@cookchildrens.org
    Phone: n/a

    • HH Program or Clinic: Yes
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes
    • Patient Type: Pediatric
    • Treatment: Surgical, Gamma Knife, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus Nervie Stimulation (VNS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • Texas Children’s Hospital

    6701 Fannin St, Suite 1230
    Houston, TX 77030

    Contact: Georgina Cedillo, Epilepsy Surgery Program Liaison

    Email: gvcedill@texaschildrens.org
    Phone: (832) 822-3952

    • HH Program or Clinic: Yes
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes
    • Patient Type: Pediatric
    • Treatment: Surgical, Gamma Knife, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus Nervie Stimulation (VNS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • UT Health Neuroscience Department

    6400 Fannin St., Suite 2800
    Houston, TX 77030

    Contact: Jessica A. Johnson, FNP, Epilepsy Surgery Program Coordinator

    Email: jessica.a.johnson@uth.tmc.edu
    Phone: (713) 500-5443

    Contact: Morgan Talbot RN, BSN, Clinical Program Coordinator

    Email: morgan.talbot@uth.tmc.edu
    Phone: (713) 500-5053

    • HH Program or Clinic: Yes
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes
    • Patient Type: Adult
    • Treatment: Surgical including Resective Surgery, Gamma Knife, MRI Guided Laser Ablation, Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG), Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition, Neurology, Neurosurgery

  • Primary Children’s Hospital, University of Utah

    100 N Mario Capecchi Drive
    Salt Lake City, UT 84113

    Contact: Kimberly Orton, RN

    Email: kimberly.orton@hsc.utah.edu
    Phone: (801) 213-7758

    • HH Program or Clinic: No
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes, contact coordinator
    • Patient Type: Pediatric
    • Treatment: Surgical, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus Nervie Stimulation (VNS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • Seattle Children’s Hospital/Univ of Washington

    4800 Sand Point Way NE
    Seattle, WA 98105

    Contact: Julie Wilson

    Email: julie.wilson@seattlechildrens.org
    Phone: (206) 987-8728

    • HH Program or Clinic: No
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes
    • Patient Type: Pediatric
    • Treatment: Surgical, MRI Guided Laser, Ketogenic Diet, Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

International Treatment Facilities

Other expert epilepsy centres in Europe can be found through through EpiCARE. Each centre is a member of EpiCARE and as such has been judged to meet the standard of expertise in the rare and complex epilepsies required by the EU to be part of this rare disease network.

  • The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne

    50 Flemington Road
    Parkville, Victoria, 3052

    Contact: Jeremy Freeman

    Email: jeremy.freeman@rch.org.au

  • CHUM – Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (University of Montreal Hospital Center)

    1000, rue Saint-Denis
    Montréal, Quebec
    Canada QC H2X 0C1

    Contact: Alain Bouthillier and Alexander G Weil

    Email: alexander.weil.med@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
    Phone: 514-890-8123

    • HH Program or Clinic: Yes
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes
    • Patient Type: Adult
    • Treatment: All treatments offered including open microsurgical resection/disconnection, endoscopic disconnection, gamma knife radiosurgery, MR guided laser ablation, radiofrequency ablation, VNS, DBS, ketogenic diet
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • CHU Sainte-Justine (Sainte-Justine University Hospital)

    3175 Chem. de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine
    Montréal, Quebec
    Canada QC H3T 1C5

    Contact: Alexander G Weil

    Email: alexander.weil.med@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
    Phone: 514-345-4931

    • HH Program or Clinic: Yes
    • Provide 2nd Opinion: Yes
    • Patient Type: Pediatric
    • Treatment: All treatments offered including open microsurgical resection/disconnection, endoscopic disconnection, MR guided laser ablation, radiofrequency ablation, VNS, DBS, ketogenic diet. Gamma knife is organized at the CHUM (affiliated adult hospital)
    • Multiple disciplinary care: Psychiatry, Neuropsych, Endocrine, Nutrition

  • The Hospital for Sick Children

    555 University Avenue
    Toronto, Ontario
    Canada M5G 1X8

    Contact: n/a

    Email: n/a
    Phone: 416-813-1500

  • Beijing Tiantan Hospital

    6 Tiantan Xili,
    Chongwen District,
    Beijing, China

    Contact: Professor Chunde Li

    Email: ichunde@hotmail.com
    Phone: n/a

  • Xiangya Hospital, Central-South University

    932 South Lushan Road
    Changsha Hunan, China

    Contact: Dr. Zhi-Quan Yang

    Email: y66406914@163.com
    Phone: n/a

  • Aix Marseille University Timone Hospital

    278 Rue Saint-Pierre
    13005 Marseille, France

    Contact: Professor Jean Regis

    Email: JeanMarie.REGIS@ap-hm.fr
    Phone: n/a

  • Rothschild Foundation Hospital

    29 Rue Manin
    75019 Paris, France

    Contact: Dr. Christine Bulteau

    Email: cbulteau@for.paris
    Phone: n/a

  • Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital

    Piazza di Sant’Onofrio, 4
    00165 Roma, Italy

    Contact: Dr. Luca De Palma

    Email: luca.depalma@opbg.net
    Phone: n/a

  • Nishi-Niigata Chuo Hospital

    Niigata, Japan

    Contact: Dr. Shirozu

    Email: hh.hrssrz@gmail.com

    Phone: n/a

  • Centre National de Réhabilitation et des Neurosciences

    B.P : 6444
    Rabat-Instituts, 10112, Rabat – Maroc

    Contact: Dr. Adyl Melhaoui

    Email: adymelh@yahoo.com
    Phone: n/a

  • Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)

    Rue du Bugnon, 46
    Ch-1011 Lausanne

    Contact: Professor Marc Levivier’s assistant Danielle Grin

    Email: danielle.grin@chuv.ch
    Phone: n/a

  • Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

    Great Ormond Street
    WC1N 3JH London, United Kingdom

    Contact: Professor J Helen Cross

    Email: h.cross@ucl.ac.uk
    Phone: n/a

Other expert epilepsy centres in Europe can be found through through EpiCARE. Each centre is a member of EpiCARE and as such has been judged to meet the standard of expertise in the rare and complex epilepsies required by the EU to be part of this rare disease network.

Disclaimer: Hope for HH makes best efforts to maintain a list of treatment centers in the US and abroad. However, Hope for HH does not endorse any hospitals or doctors or represent that this is a complete list of hospitals providing HH treatment and care. Contact information is provided as a courtesy to HH patients. The Site and Content are for informational purposes only, and you assume full responsibility and risk for the appropriate use of information contained herein. If you are aware of any information that is out of date, please let us know at info@hopeforhh.org