When Roy Pizzarello suddenly had a stroke, he was fortunate to get to the hospital quickly. For stroke patients, such early intervention is vital. That’s why Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center teamed up to create a mobile stroke treatment unit.
With a specially designed CT scanner, the custom-built ambulance allows first responders to conduct brain scans and administer treatment in the field. “Time is so critical with a stroke, because with every minute, you will lose 1.9 million brain cells,” said Dr. Matthew Fink, chairman of neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine and neurologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.