Narrator: This is Science Today. The UCLA Stroke Center has received a national stamp of approval by becoming a certified Primary Stroke Center. Dr. David Liebeskind, an associate neurology director at the Stroke Center, says this prestigious certification is based on the highest quality of care and national guidelines that can significantly improve the outcomes for stroke patients.

Liebeskind: It's important for us to take note of the quality of the care we do provide. There are a lot of places that have been considering themselves stroke centers, providing this type of care, except for the fact that an accreditation process is necessary to make sure that everybody is keeping up to par.

Narrator: UCLA has a history of changing stroke care and strives to continue doing so in the future. Currently, UCLA is conducting the first study of its kind that looks into paramedic-delivered stroke care.

Liebeskind: So, paramedics have been trained to recognize stroke in the field, they call our investigators at that point where the patient is just initially being evaluated, immediately after their stroke. So that a treatment can be given and hopefully improve patient outcomes overall.

Narrator: For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.