A newly developed unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston was created out of a need to treat patients following a serious neurological event like a stroke even more quickly, according to a May 1 press release.
The Neurosciences Receiving Unit operates as a collaboration between the hospital's neurology and neurosurgery departments. Even in the event beds are taken in the intensive care unit, patients who fall into the need for this type of care can be transported to the NSRU for prompt treatment — which helps improve outcomes after events like a stroke.
Even outside the Massachusetts General Hospital system, if the hospital receives a transfer request for a patient requiring prompt neurological care, the Massachusetts General transfer team can coordinate to receive the patient from the original hospital into the NSRU.
"The NSRU is essentially a small 'express' emergency department within the Neuroscience ICU," Bob Carter, MD, PhD, chair of neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a statement. "Patients in need of immediate, lifesaving neurocritical care can come to MGH knowing their injury or illness will be treated with the highest priority right at the bedside to determine the best treatment course. The goal of the NSRU is to increase capacity while improving patient outcomes."
The NSRU became fully operational in February and is equipped to receive patients 24/7 with its staff of experts from Massachusetts General Hospital's neurocritical care team.