UMC specialized stroke center

University Medical Center is leading the way when it comes to stroke care.

The hospital now has a stroke center that ensures staff is present around the clock when a stroke patient is admitted to the hospital.

UMC officials said it is the only hospital in the city with stroke specialists at all times of the day.

“The stroke center has people that have the specializations to identify problems more readily,” said Dr. Salvador Cruz-Flores, a neurologist and professor and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

A stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, affecting the portions of the brain that control the arms, speech, vision and other functions.

Stroke is the number five cause of death in the United States, according to the American Heart Association, with about 795,000 thousand people dying of a stroke every year.

The stroke center currently has four rooms, but Dr. Cruz-Flores said that could increase as more patients are taken to UMC.

“Being the only one in the community that can provide that care, it’s where patients will want to go,” Cruz-Flores said.