Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network is partnering with the Boyertown (Pa.) Community Ambulance Service on a mobile unit that uses virtual care technology to help treat stroke patients, WFMZ reports.
LVHN's mobile stroke unit features video and telehealth technology to help first responders treat stroke patients in the ambulance rather than waiting until they arrive at the hospital. The unit also includes necessary clot-treating medications needed for stroke patients.
Boyertown Community Ambulance Service personnel can virtually communicate with LVHN's clinical team, who can provide treatment support.
"Our EMS team provides exceptional patient care, but there are limitations as to what can be done with stroke care in the field," said Jeff Knopf, EMS director for Boyertown Community Ambulance Service, according to the report. "With one call, we can bring the stroke team to you and more definitive care can begin immediately."