Overview
University Hospital provides the City of Newark and Greater Newark area with a comprehensive emergency medical service (“Newark EMS”) system that includes basic and advanced life support ambulances, a “state of the art” Regional Emergency Medical Communications System (“REMCS”), a heavy rescue unit and other specialized resources for disaster response. Paramedic services in NJ must be hospital-based by law and the Hospital holds the Certificate of Need to provide Advanced Life Support (“ALS”) in the cities of Newark, Orange and East Orange. A dedicated ALS ambulance is also stationed at Newark Liberty International Airport to provide services there and for Port Newark and Elizabeth. Paramedics bring the Hospital’s Emergency Room to the patient providing the highest level of care to patients suffering life threatening illness or injury. Basic Life Support (“BLS”) ambulances are staffed by Emergency Medical Technicians (“EMTs”) and respond to all requests for an ambulance in the City of Newark. REMCS receives and processes all 9-1-1requests for ambulances and dispatches the appropriate level of EMS resources to those requests in Newark and the Greater Newark area. REMCS also serves as the state-wide communications center for all air medical helicopters operating in NJ. REMCS is also the designated communications center for the NJ EMS Task Force and for coordinating any mutual aid responses between the State of NJ and City of New York. The Newark EMS Rescue Unit provides vehicle extrication and other highly specialized rescue services when required. Newark EMS also hosts highly specialized resources for disaster response and is an anchor agency for the NJ EMS Task Force.
The Newark EMS responds to more than 120,000 calls for assistance each year. The unit was recognized by the American Heart Association with the highest award possible for treating patients suffering from the deadliest form of heart attack. It is the only EMS unit in New Jersey honored with this award.
University Hospital has also provided the medical crew for the Northern Shock Trauma Air Rescue (“NorthSTAR”) program since its inception in 1988. The flight crew, consisting of a flight paramedic and flight nurse, works in conjunction with the New Jersey State Police who fly and maintain the aircraft. NorthSTAR responds to the most critical of emergencies across the northern half of the State and provides high level ALS care and transport mostly to Trauma Centers, which includes the Hospital’s designated Level One. It also provides critical care inter-facility transports between the State’s hospitals when necessary.
