Jennifer Birch, R.N., M.S.N., A.C.N.P.-B.C., is our Nurse Practitioner. Jennifer believes in providing individualized care to each patient and their family. This care philosophy means that Jennifer works closely with both patients and their family members and caregivers.
Jennifer Birch, RN, MSN, ACNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner and Surgical Coordinator
Collaborative Care
Jennifer collaborates with Dr. Fineman in both the outpatient setting and the operating room. She diagnoses and treats acute and chronic neurosurgical illnesses, focusing on movement disorders (such as Parkinson’s disease, tremor and dystonia), degenerative conditions of the spine, and benign and malignant tumors of the central nervous system.
Jennifer is involved in every aspect of the care of a movement disorders patient — including the initial evaluation, preoperative education and testing — assisting with the placement of deep brain stimulators in the operating room and post-operative programming of deep brain stimulators. Jennifer also oversees local movement disorder support groups, and is the clinical research coordinator for deep brain stimulation clinical trials.
Education & Training
Jennifer completed her training as a Nurse Practitioner with an emphasis in the neurosciences at UCLA. She obtained more than 10 years of experience as a Registered Nurse at USC University Hospital in the intensive care unit, seizure monitoring unit and telemetry units prior to completing her advanced care nursing training.
Jennifer has provided specialized neurosurgical care for more than a decade.
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University of California, School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA
Graduate Studies, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, 9/2005–6/2007 -
University of California, School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA
Graduate Studies, Neuropsychiatric sub-specialty, 6/2006–6/2007 -
Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, CA
Neuroscience Review Course, 9/2006 -
California State University, Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor’s of Science, Nursing, 5/1995–6/1999
- California Board of Registered Nursing Nurse Practitioner, License #17518, 7/2007–Present
- California Board of Registered Nursing Registered Nurse, License #55916, 12/1999–Present
- U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, License #MB1836824, 9/2008–Present
- American Heart Association Healthcare Provider, Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS), 7/2005–Present
- American Heart Association Healthcare Provider, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), 10/2005–Present)
- American Nurse Credentialing Center Board Certified, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, 2/2008–Present
- Reynolds Nursing Honors Scholarship Recipient, Spring 2007
- Mosely Nursing Scholarship Recipient, 9/2005 & 3/2006
- University of Southern California University Hospital’s Nurse of the Year, 2005
- University of Southern California University Hospital’s Ms. Congeniality, 2005
- University of Southern California University Hospital’s Rookie of the Year, 2002
- California State University, Los Angeles Summa Cum Laude, 6/1999
- California State University, Los Angeles Dean’s Honor Roll, Spring 1999, Fall 1998, Spring 1998, Fall 1997, Winter 1997, Winter 1996, Spring 1996, Spring 1995
- Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Nu Mu Chapter, California State University, Los Angeles, CA (5/1999–Present)
- Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Gamma Tau Chapter, University of California, Los Angeles, CA (10/2006–Present)
- Society of Critical Care Medicine (9/2006–Present)
- Raymond Neurosurgery & Spine, Pasadena, CA
6/2007–Present- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Deep Brain Stimulator – Programmer
- Movement disorders coordinator
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Surgical coordinator for deep brain stimulatorimplantation
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First assistant in neurosurgical operating room cases.
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Coordinator of Annual Neurosurgical Symposium
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Coordinator of caregiver support groups for Parkinson’sdisease – 2007-2013
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Coordinator of Parkinson’s support group – 2010-2018
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Clinical coordinator for Saint Jude Medical, EssentialTremor Study 2010 – 2013
- Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, CA
8/2007–5/2011- Movement Disorders Coordinator
- Surgical Coordinator for Deep Brain Stimulator Implantation
- Clinical Coordinator for Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, Essential Tremor Study
- Surgical Intensive Care, University Hospital, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
5/2003–6/2007- Staff Registered Nurse and Preceptor to new nurses in the Intensive Care Unit
- Provided care of critically ill patients with neurosurgical, oral pharyngeal, thoracic and gastrointestinal disorders requiring surgical intervention or medical observation
- Specialty training: continuous renal replacement therapy, Swan Ganz catheter monitoring, and Licox monitoring and ventilator management
- Definitive Observation Unit, University Hospital, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
6/1999–5/2003- Staff Registered Nurse and Preceptor to new nurses
- Provided care of the postoperative neurosurgical, oral pharyngeal/laryngeal, thoracic, gastrointestinal surgical and epilepsy patients until discharge or transfer
- Specialty training: advanced electrocardiogram interpretation, basic electroencephalopathy interpretation and epilepsy identification
- Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Glendale, CA
9/1997–2/1999- Student Nurse Pool
- Provided nursing–assistant–level care for a broad variety of medical, surgical and rehabilitation patients
- Neurosciences Services, Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Glendale, CA
3/2007–6/2007-
Evaluated and managed patients with acute stroke through the hospital course from admission to discharge under the guidance of a neurologist or nurse practitioner.
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Developed order sets based on clinical guidelines for the management of acute stroke.
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Assisted in staff development and education with regards to management of the acute stroke patient.
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- Women’s Heart Program, Cedars–Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
1/2007–3/2007-
Evaluated women with cardiac disease and cardiac risk factors. Provided primary and secondary cardiac care including, lifestyle modification (e.g. diet, exercise, smoking cessation), management hypertension, dyslipidemia, dysrhythmias, valvular disorders, diastolic dysfunction, microvascular dysfunction and endothelial dysfunction under the guidance of a cardiologist.
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- Division of Neurosurgery, Los Angeles County/USC, Los Angeles, CA
9/2006–12/2006-
Managed the adult neurosurgical patient in the areas of the emergency room, operating room, neurological intensive care, trauma intensive care, step down units and medical units with a broad variety of diagnoses under the guidance of a neurosurgeon. Diagnoses included: subarachnoid hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, traumatic spine injury, benign and malignant tumors of brain or spine, management of cystercercosis of the brain.
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- Division of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
4/2006–6/2006-
Participated in the assessment and management of neurosurgical patients in the clinic setting. Evaluated patients both pre and post procedure, undergoing stereortactic or functional neursosurgical under the guidance of a supervising neurosurgeon.
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Grand Rounds oral presentation on “Management of Vestibular Schwannomas that Enlarge After Stereotactic Radiosurgery, a scholarly article presentation”
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G. Maguire, J, Ngo, P. Fonswroth III, J. Doan, J. Birch, & I. Fineman. “Alleviation of Stuttering Following Deep Brain Stimulation of the Ventral Intermediate Nucleus of the Thalamus” The American Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 169, Issue &, 759-560.