Jacksonville officials are considering bringing a mobile stroke treatment unit to Northeast Florida in partnership with UF Health, with plans to have it operational by early May.
The ambulance would be the latest addition to Florida’s first mobile stroke treatment unit network, which speeds care to patients and greatly reduces the risk of death or disability from the medical condition, UF officials say.
The mobile stroke units have diagnostic equipment like a mobile CT scanner to immediately diagnose a stroke, plus medications to break up a clot or lower blood pressure at the scene and on the way to the hospital.
Jacksonville’s would be UF Health’s second mobile stroke treatment unit in Florida.
The first began operating in July 2023 in Alachua County and has responded to almost 1,500 calls, with more than 700 patients requiring stroke treatment in the field. Of those, 176 required critical interventions on the ambulance, UF Health officials say.
The Jacksonville Mayor’s Budget Review Committee is evaluating the agreement to collaborate on the unit and will send it next to the city council.
“This new unit is a testament to the hard work, innovation and dedication of our first responders, medical teams and community leaders,” said Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Chief Keith Powers in a news release. “It will allow us to bring lifesaving care directly to those in need, reducing response times and improving outcomes for stroke patients. In moments that matter most, we are ready to act – faster, smarter and more effectively than ever before.”
The ambulance would be staffed by personnel from UF Health Jacksonville and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue, including a stroke-trained nurse, CT technologist and two critical care fire department paramedics.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan called the new stroke unit a “leading-edge resource” that will ensure that help gets to those who need in faster, “making our city a stronger, healthier place to live.”
