GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida is launching a statewide network of mobile stroke treatment ambulances specially designed to speed diagnosis and treatment, including one planned for Palm Beach County.
The first UF Health mobile stroke unit will be housed in Gainesville and is expected to be deployed by July. Then plans are for an additional unit in Central Florida in The Villages, and later mobile stroke ambuances are expected in Palm Beach County and Jacksonville.
Only 20 mobile stroke programs are now operational nationwide, the university said in a news release.
“UF Health is committed to improving clinical treatment advances for patients, and mobile stroke treatment units will do just that, providing faster and more specialized care to those who suffer stroke, a condition in which time is of the essence for better outcomes,” said Dr. David R. Nelson, senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health.
Gainesville’s mobile stroke unit will be staffed 12 hours a day, seven days a week for service within a 30-mile radius.
When a stroke is suspected, both EMS and the mobile stroke unit will be dispatched simultaneously.
The specialized ambulances allow team members to begin treatment while in transit to the nearest available stroke center, saving critical moments to reduce long-term disability from the stroke. The stroke team will first conduct a neurological evaluation.
The criticial care is described as the Golden Hour when it’s most effective — and a higher probability of avoiding disability following treatment.
"As an American Heart Association Gold Plus-rated and Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center, we are the highest-level stroke center in the region. We are always looking for innovative ways to enhance our patient care efforts,” said Dr. Brian Hoh, chairman of UF's Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery in Gainesville. The mobile stroke treatment unit allows us to bring stroke care to the patient and save precious time in our efforts to preserve brain function.”
In Florida stroke is the fifth leading cause of death with more than a third of people under 65. Known risk factors include hypertension, heart disease, smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol. But stroke can also strike unexpectedly.
In Palm Beach County, the age-adjusted death rate was 40.6 per 100,000 (1,279 total) in 2020, according to the Florida Department of Health. Statewide the figure was 44 per 100,000 for a total of 15,356.
The highest rate was Wakula with 89.4 per 100,000 and a total of 30.
A $1.5 million commitment from an anonymous donor spurred planning for a unit. Then there was additional $1 million contribution from The Villages Hospital Auxiliary Foundation to support construction of a unit that will be stationed in The Villages.
UF runs hospitals in Gainveville, Jacksonville, Leesburg and The Villages.
