RWJBarnabas Health, which operates the largest Emergency Medical Service program in the state, has been commemorating National EMS Week 2024 this week by recognizing and saluting all the dedicated emergency medical services practitioners throughout the state.
This year’s theme is “Honoring Our Past. Forging Our Future.”
RWJBarnabas Health is primarily responsible for 38% of the state’s population. Its Mobile Health service has 1,700 emergency medical technicians, paramedics and dispatchers in 10 counties and 23 municipalities and counting, from Belleville to Toms River. Mobile Health handles 225,000 emergency medical response assignments annually, with a fleet of 300 vehicles, including a helicopter and 40 EMS stations.
The RWJBarnabas Health system is unique in its ability to meet the entire chain of survival, as well as its geography (1,280 square miles) and covered lives (approximately 3.4 million people).
Mobile Health’s air medical program, which launched in 2019, significantly enhances the health care system’s capabilities. It facilitates the rapid transport of critically ill patients across New Jersey, ensuring timely access to essential interventions and seamlessly integrates with the existing pre-hospital system. When time is critical — especially for patients suffering from severe burns requiring treatment at the Burn Center of New Jersey, stroke victims or individuals experiencing heart attacks and traumas — swift intervention becomes their best chance at recovery.
James Smith, vice president, mobile health, for RWJBarnabas Health, said the organization prides itself in its efforts.
“Our comprehensive EMS team provides high-quality, patient-centered care to all our communities 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, no matter the emergency,” he said. “What makes them truly remarkable is their resilience, dedication and professionalism in what is often challenging and unique environments that come with serving a diverse cross-section of New Jersey, from inner cities to suburban and rural areas.”
