Care on the Way There

“Time is brain,” goes the mantra for first responders treating stroke patients, and Grady Health System is making the most of critical moments. Their mobile stroke unit hit the streets of Atlanta last summer.

The ambulance has a CT scanner on board and an Epic workstation, so staff can take images right away and send them to the hospital electronically . A vascular neurologist diagnoses the patient and can prescribe treatment and medication from the hospital, communicating with the medical staff in the ambulance.

“In a situation where every second counts, this specialized ambulance allows lifesaving treatment to begin for stroke patients before they reach the hospital,” said Bernie Marcus, chairman of the Marcus Foundation, which helped fund the project.

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