New York Presbyterian to Launch First Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit

A New York City hospital is set to launch the first ambulance fleet on the East Coast specially equipped to aid patients suffering from strokes.

New York Presbyterian Hospital, in in collaboration with the FDNY, will launch the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit at its campuses in Washington Heights (Columbia University Medical Center) and on the Upper East Side (Weill Cornell Medicine), according to a press release.

The Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit will be outfitted with equipment that can better diagnose and treat strokes, and will be staffed by highly-trained paramedics a computed tomography technologist and a neurologist, according to the press release.

“The Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit delivers the most advanced technologies, expert staff and life-saving treatment to more stroke victims in need,” said Dr. Steven J. Corwin, president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian, in a statement. “We are very proud to be the only hospital on the East Coast to provide these services. This is a remarkable achievement as we move forward in revolutionizing stroke care.”

The goal of the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit is to reduce the time to delivery the necessary care required when a patient suffers a stroke. Every minute that a stroke goes untreated, a patient loses 1.9 million brain cells, said neurologist-in-chief at New York Presrbyerian Cornell Dr. Matthew Fink in a statement.

“The most effective method in saving a stroke victim’s life is to diagnose and treat immediately after a stroke occurs,” Dr. Fink said. “The MSTU rapidly brings a neurologist and advanced technologies of an emergency room directly to the patient, offering state-of-the-art care that is only moments away. This is just the beginning – there will be a number of innovative clinical treatments that we will be developing in the future for the treatment of stroke in the field.”

Photo: Screengrab from YouTube video uploaded by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital