May 11, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

UCLA Health Launches Pioneering Mobile Stroke Unit With Support From L.A. County

Roughly every 40 seconds, someone in the United States will have a stroke. Almost every four minutes, one of those people will die as a result. Against that backdrop, UCLA Health has officially launched the first mobile stroke unit on the West Coast, enabling rapid delivery of brain-saving medications to stroke patients who might otherwise face debilitating delays in treatment.

As part of the first phase of a pilot program, the specialized ambulance unit and highly trained personnel began responding in September to select 911 calls in Santa Monica in coordination with the Santa Monica Fire Department. With support from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the unit’s range will soon expand to other parts of Los Angeles County, possibly including Compton, Carson, Long Beach and Westwood. Ultimately, program organizers hope, the unit will operate in other areas of the county and may be the first of a fleet of four to nine units serving the entire county.

“Rapid response is critical, because the sooner a stroke is treated, the better the patient’s outcome,” said Dr. May Nour, medical director of the UCLA Arline and Henry Gluck Stroke Rescue Program. “We know from research at UCLA that in a typical stroke, every minute that goes by without treatment, 2 million brain cells die.”

A mobile stroke unit is a unique type of ambulance equipped with a mobile CT scanner, which allows doctors to diagnose and treat strokes in the field with appropriate medications. Within the unit are a mobile blood-testing laboratory, as well as a neurologist, critical care nurse, CT technologist and paramedic.

“With the UCLA Health Mobile Stroke Unit, we are bringing the hospital to the patient instead of the patient to the hospital, in order to save as much brain as possible,” said Dr. Jeffrey Saver, director of the UCLA Comprehensive Stroke Center.

The UCLA unit is the first such unit to operate in California. It will be the West Coast anchor of the first national demonstration project to gather data on the degree of improved patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness with accelerated field treatment. Positive results from the study could enable the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other insurers to reimburse emergency medical service and hospital systems for mobile stroke clinical activities.

Nour is optimistic. “To be able to take care of stroke patients in the very first minutes after onset, when there is the most brain to save, is our ultimate goal,” she said. “Recovery and quality of life for stroke survivors is of utmost importance. By providing treatment in the most efficient timing, we offer patients the greatest possibility of improved clinical recovery.”

In the initial phase of the pilot program, a neurologist specializing in stroke treatment will be riding in the unit. As the program develops, however, a neurologist will oversee care more efficiently via a live video and voice connection from Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

“Definitive treatments for acute stroke can only be started after a head CT is done and shows the type of stroke the patient is having,” Nour said.

The design, build and clinical rollout of the unit were supported by a philanthropic donation to UCLA by the Arline and Henry Gluck Foundation. “Helping make this mobile stroke unit possible for the people of Los Angeles, and to support the research into this type of care, is such a privilege,” said business executive and philanthropist Henry Gluck, who is also chair of the UCLA Health System Board. “Through this, we can save lives today, while improving care in the future.”

This past summer, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to provide additional funding of nearly $1.5 million to enable the state-of-the-art vehicle to operate every week, instead of the original plan to operate every other week, and to extend the life of the pilot program from 18 to 30 months. The additional funding also will increase the geographic reach of those served by the unit and enhance the quality of data gathered through the project.

“Minutes matter when it comes to treating strokes,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, who wrote the motion for funding. “With a mobile stroke unit operating in L.A. County, doctors will be able to diagnose and treat stroke patients faster than ever before — making it more likely that they not only survive, but go on to live longer, healthier lives.”

The motion passed by the Board of Supervisors specifically directs funding to expand the stroke unit program. The funding will come from Measure B, a county parcel tax dedicated to supporting emergency and trauma services.

“Santa Monica is proud to be a partner in bringing this life-saving resource directly to our residents and neighbors when minutes count,” said Santa Monica Mayor Ted Winterer. “The Santa Monica Fire Department has embraced this partnership from the beginning and we’re thrilled to see the Mobile Stroke Unit launch.”

<>Related Posts

Group Exhibition “Boulders” Showcases Work by 34 Artists at Arcane Space

May 9, 2025

May 9, 2025

The exhibition emphasizes “mutual support, collective strength, and an unflinching engagement with this current moment.” A new group exhibition opening...

Avril Lavigne Partners with Palisades Skate Shop for Sweatshirt Fundraiser

May 9, 2025

May 9, 2025

The sweatshirt, blending Lavigne’s signature style with Paliskates’ skate culture roots, is on sale Three months after its spotlight moment...

Sunshine Beach Volleyball Camps: Register Open for Summer Camps

May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025

Summer is coming. For young volleyball athletes, that means registration for the Sunshine Westside Beach Camp and South Bay Beach...

World-Class Brew: Santa Monica’s Own Takes Home Top Beer Honors

May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025

Basil, Citrus, and Craftsmanship: See Which Local Brewery Just Won Big Santa Monica Brew Works (SMBW) just took home a...

Film Review: Thunderbolts*

May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025

FILM REVIEWTHUNDERBOLTS*Rated PG-13126 MinutesReleased May 2nd The Thunderbolts are a highly unique part of the Marvel Comics universe of superheroes...

Santa Monica Cashier Cited for Selling Alcohol to Minor

May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025

The ABC is conducting compliance checks statewide The Santa Monica Police Department cited a retail clerk at Bristol Farms, located...

Santa Monica Pier to Host Final Locals’ Night of the Season on May 15

May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025

Highlights include a classic car show, free salsa lessons, and performances by punk bands Cycotic Youth and No Reaction The...

(Video) A Fourth Palisades Restaurant Reopens Months After the Wildfires

May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025

The Reopening Coincided with Cinco de Mayo Celebrations The Reopening Coincided with Cinco de Mayo Celebrations. pic.twitter.com/gHgWqVSjY8 — Santa Monica...

Shore Hotel: Your Destination for Local Events, Celebrations

May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025

Cinco de Mayo, Pride Month and More Parties This Summer Shore Hotel, a luxury hotel nestled in the heart of...

(Video) Petitgrain Boulangerie’s Party For Its One Year Anniversary

May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025

We got the gifts with a DJ, free cookies, croissants and affogatos. Congratulations to the co-owners Clémence de Lutz and...

(Video) Socalo’s Cinco de Mayo Celebration

May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025

Co-Owner Susan Feniger Offers Diners Chapulines While Co-Owner Mary Sue Milliken works behind the scenes. Chef Makes Tlayudas on the...

Badmaash to Open Third Location in Venice This Summer

May 8, 2025

May 8, 2025

In a shift toward wellness-conscious dining, the new menu will emphasize brothy soups, raw preparations, and lighter dishes The popular...

Meet the Man Behind the Burritos: Severiano Gonzalez Marks Four Decades at Tito’s Tacos

May 7, 2025

May 7, 2025

One Man’s Dedication, Four Decades of Flavor: Tito’s Senior Cook Speaks By Dolores Quintana Severiano Gonzalez is the senior cook...

Chef Zach Pollack Opens Italian-Californian Restaurant Cosetta in Santa Monica

May 7, 2025

May 7, 2025

The menu includes bar offerings like bluefin tartare with ossobuco aioli and small plates such as burrata agnolotti salad Cosetta,...

Santa Monica Physical Therapist Arrested for Sexual Battery; Police Seek Additional Victims

May 7, 2025

May 7, 2025

The arrest stems from a February 19 report of a suspected sexual battery at Select Physical Therapy A licensed physical...