Santa Monica to Bar Harbor

Andy Leeka is the president and COO of Angle Health, a medical insurance company based in San Francisco. Cycling is something Andy Leeka has a passion for, and he completed a ride across the country, from Santa Monica to Bar Harbor, at his own pace.

The distance between Santa Monica, California, and Bar Harbor, Maine, is roughly 3,300 miles and would take around 50 hours by automobile. The average cyclist could complete this journey in just under 280 hours. Andy Leeka made this trek over a 10-year period, taking a route that spanned more than 4,600 miles and 23 states.

Mr. Leeka completed his marathon over 12 stages, where he would leave his bicycle in storage at the end of each stage. He had to plan this event around his career and family life, and continued on his destination whenever he had some extended free time. The longest stage was just over 600 miles between Pueblo, Colorado, and Kansas City, Missouri, while the shortest was just 167 miles between Las Vegas, Nevada, and St. George, Utah.

What It Means for a Comprehensive Stroke

A resident of La Canada, California, Andy Leeka has spent his career working in finance and management in the medical industry. Andy Leeka spent more than 20 years at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, a hospital that features a comprehensive stroke center.

There are various levels of certification that a stroke center can obtain, with comprehensive certification being the highest level available. A center that has earned this certification has proven its ability to treat and manage the most complex cases. A stroke center must meet a number of criteria to earn comprehensive certification, including already having a primary certification. These certifications are obtained through the Joint Commission, the largest provider of certifications in the country.

A comprehensive stroke center must have personnel available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to do everything from imaging to operations. The center must have certain imaging equipment, including CTA, DSA, MRI/MRA, and TCD. There must also be ICU services available and experts in endovascular procedures, neurology, and neurosurgery, along with personnel skilled in treating intracerebral hemorrhage, ischemic strokes, and subarachnoid hemorrhages.