1,850 calls
Since launching in July 2023, the Gainesville-based MSTU has responded to more than 1,850 calls, with 48% of those patients being admitted.
Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit – UF Health Shands Hospital
As an extension of the comprehensive stroke care UF Health offers, the UF Health Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, or MSTU, is designed to provide immediate care to the patient by bringing the hospital to them.
This leading-edge service provided in and around Alachua County decreases the time it takes to make an accurate stroke diagnosis and facilitates in our teams administering time-sensitive stroke therapies faster.
In Gainesville and the surrounding areas, UF Health partners with Alachua County Fire Rescue to offer the MSTU services.
The specialized unit has a 16-slice portable diagnostic CT scanner, clot-busting drugs such as tenecteplase, or TNK and reversal agents on board to treat a stroke as soon as it reaches the patient. It is also equipped with telemedicine equipment to connect the emergency personnel to a Stroke specialist. The team onboard includes a CT technologist, stroke-trained registered nurse, paramedic, and EMT.
The MSTU is stationed at the UF Health campus in Gainesville, FL is the first unit in a fleet of MSTUs that UF Health is building to serve multiple regions in the state of Florida.
Hours of operation
Monday- Sunday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
MSTU by the numbers
220 treatments
The MSTU team performed 220 acute, critical treatments including administering IV TNK (clot-busting drug), and direct to operating room mechanical thrombectomy interventions.
235 county calls
The MSTU responded to over 125 calls from surrounding county EMS agencies for rendezvous dispatches.
MSTU rendezvous with EMS in rural counties
Through a unique rendezvous process, the MSTU also coordinates expert stroke care with rural emergency medical services surrounding Alachua County. This brings potentially life-saving care to rural residents, faster. Out of the about 25 MSTU programs in the world, UF Health is the only program that offers this service.
Our team and equipment
In collaboration with Alachua County Fire Rescue, ambulances will be staffed by a team that includes:
- Stroke-trained Registered Nurses
- CT Technologists
- EMT Drivers
- Critical Care Paramedics
- Board-Certified Stroke Neurologists (available via telemedicine)
By deploying to the patient, the MSTU team can begin treatment on scene; this saves critical moments to reduce long-term disability from the stroke.
Our EMS county partners
We work with EMS units in the following counties:
- Bradford
- Dixie
- Lafayette
- Levy
- Suwannee
- Gilchrest
- Putnam
- Union
What Happens When the UF Health Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit is Called?
