Neurologist Jason Silversteen Is in His Patients' Corner

Jason Silversteen, D.O., was a fourth-year medical student when his sister, at age 21, developed numbness and tingling in her feet. The young woman had glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer that typically presents in the brain, growing in her spine. The situation was made worse, Silversteen’s mother told him, by unsupportive doctors. “They were very straight, to the point, very negative,” Silversteen said. “You’re already scared, but then you don’t feel like there’s anybody in your corner.” After his sister died a year and a half later, Silversteen honed his interest in neurology and felt a “compulsion” to ensure his patients felt the support his family didn’t. “The goal is to take care of people,” he said. “If they don’t feel comfortable, you’re not going to achieve that.”

Since joining ChristianaCare in 2010 as a neurologist specializing in multiple sclerosis (MS), Silversteen has grown the health system’s MS Comprehensive Center of Excellence, which now treats some 2,500 patients. “He is phenomenal,” one patient said. “I literally shed tears of joy mid-visit reflecting on how grateful I am to be under his care.”

From the moment Silversteen meets his patients in the waiting room — yes, he does this himself — he’s constantly assessing their comfort level through eye contact, facial expressions and conversation. “My job is to make sure they understand everything the way that I understand it,” he said. “I guide them through what I think would be helpful.” If he’s not sure if a patient is on the same page, Silversteen said he’ll reiterate or explain in a different way. Silversteen keeps conversations open-ended, giving patients plenty of time to ask their most pressing questions. “People will generally go right to what [symptom] is bothering them most,” he said. “That helps me make sure I’m using our time wisely.” These techniques help ensure patients have buy-in, both to their diagnosis and their treatment plan, because that’s key to a successful outcome, Silversteen said. “I look at my role as an adviser along their path.” At the end of each appointment, Silversteen sits next to his patients and goes over their printed visit summary of important points and action items. “It takes just a few moments to drive it home,” he said. In March, Silversteen was recognized at ChristianaCare's inaugural The Way We Care Awards for excellence in doctor communication.

Patient Amanda Pierce brought her mother, a longtime cardiac nurse, to her first appointment with Silversteen last year. By the end of the nearly two-hour visit, both women were confident they had found the right doctor. “He respects me as a patient,” Pierce said. “He never makes me feel rushed.” Silversteen diagnosed Pierce, a high school English teacher, with MS. Pierce, who incorporates holistic approaches into her care plan, said Silversteen listens to her ideas and helps her explore the best treatment options. “Anything I learn or hear about on my own, he will consider and give me his educated opinion,” she said. “He can help me make informed decisions.” After seeing providers who had dismissed her symptoms, telling her she was “just anxious,” Pierce said Silversteen empowered her as a patient. “He honors my voice as a member of the care team,” she said. “He’ll never dismiss me.”