Skip to main content

Clinical Excellence in Action

Posted Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Leading the Way in Dizziness Treatment

Woman wearing infrared vestibular googles
Person wearing infrared vestibular goggles.

For patients arriving in the UPMC Hamot Emergency Department, dizziness can feel like the floor has dropped out from under them. The room spins, vision blurs, and panic sets in. One of the first priorities for the clinical team is determining whether those symptoms are signs of a stroke—something demanding immediate action—or a vestibular disorder.

What’s a vestibular disorder? 

It’s an inner ear issue that causes a range of symptoms, including vertigo, dizziness, loss of balance, and vision problems. It can be disorienting and even terrifying, but it is a relatively quick and painless condition to treat. Simple positional maneuvers guided by a physical therapist often provide near-immediate relief.

The best diagnostic tool for this is infrared vestibular goggles, a high-tech device that tracks tiny, involuntary eye movements to reveal whether dizziness is caused by a vestibular disorder or something more serious.

“If you look at the literature, patients with vestibular issues presenting to the ED often undergo a ton of preventable testing. It’s a lot of healthcare dollars wasted and can be very stressful for patients."

— Amanda Daily, UPMC Hamot’s Assistant Program Director of Physical Therapy.

Amanda is leading a multidisciplinary team determined to change that. With a $5,000 investment from Hamot Health Foundation, the team acquired two sets of vestibular goggles—one for the Emergency Department and one for the inpatient physical therapy team. Between these two care settings, the goggles are projected to help 4,000+ patients at UPMC Hamot each year.  

“Patients will benefit through streamlined care. Instead of getting an MRI and being admitted because they’re so dizzy they can’t walk safely, patients with a vestibular disorder could be evaluated, treated, and discharged from the ED with great improvement in their symptoms. Vertigo is one of the few ailments in physical therapy that is a quick and definitive fix,” explained Amanda.

For the hospital, the impact is just as meaningful. By swiftly identifying which patients can be safely treated and discharged, UPMC Hamot will reserve beds, MRIs, and clinical staff time for those who truly require higher‑level care. It’s a smarter, more efficient use of resources, ensuring that patients who need the most urgent help can receive it without delay.

Amanda's broader goal is to create a model for dizziness care that can be replicated across the entire UPMC system, improving outcomes far beyond Erie. “We couldn’t have done this without Hamot Health Foundation,” she said. “It’s such an incredible opportunity for UPMC Hamot to pilot something that’s cutting-edge in physical therapy, and we believe will generate a vast impact.”

This is the power of donor-supported innovation: faster answers, better care, and brighter outcomes. Your investments strengthen our community today and fuel the innovative care models that will guide our region’s future.

More news