Mobile Units To Treat Stroke Victims Heading To Park Slope

PARK SLOPE, NY — A fleet of emergency vehicles equipped to treat stroke victims before they get to a hospital will roll out to Park Slope later this month, according to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

The hospital partnered with the FDNY to expand their fleet of Mobile Stroke Treatment Units (MSTU) to cover areas around their Park Slope and Queens locations.

"Response time is a critical factor in stroke recovery and the Mobile Stroke Treatment Units now have the capacity to help even more patients," said Dr. Matthew Fink, who oversees the MSTU program, in a program.

"We are bringing the emergency room directly to a patient suffering a stroke. This is a game changer in advanced stroke care."

The units are equipped with "telemedicine technology" that allows neurologist at the hospital to consult remotely with emergency workers on treatment, NewYork-Presbyterian said.

They're also staffed by two certified paramedics and filled with equipment and medications to improve blood flow to stroke victims, the hospital said.

NewYork-Presbyterian first launched the MSTU last year in Manhattan and expanded it to Queens on April 30. They plan to launch the one based out of their Park Slope location on May 28.

Image: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital leaders with FDNY Chief James Booth. (Courtesy of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital)