Underwood-Memorial
Hospital’s Mobile Intensive Care Unit has provided paramedic services in
the South New Jersey region since 1977. The UMH program was one of the
original MICU programs established in New Jersey. The project was
implemented using a single MICU vehicle based in Woodbury and staffed by a
core group of volunteer paramedics. In 1981, the volunteer program evolved
into a fully staffed department of the hospital and provided
out-of-hospital emergency services to the residents of Gloucester County.
Also in 1981, the population growth and increased demand for MICU
services, supported expansion into southern Gloucester County. With the
cooperation of representatives from Franklin Township, a second MICU
vehicle was placed into service at the Franklinville Fire Company. This
unit provided advanced life support services to the residents of southern
Gloucester County and the adjoining Salem and Atlantic Counties.
During the period from
1983 to 1989 UMH participated in various initiatives to improve the
quality of advanced life support services in the underserved areas of
Salem and Cumberland Counties. UMH, in cooperation with local emergency
medical services, the Memorial Hospital of Salem County, and Newcomb
Hospital, gained Department of Health approval to provide education and
services at the Emergency Medical Technician - Intermediate level. While
EMT-I was not able to perform skills within the scope of a paramedic, the
EMT-I units in Salem and Millville were able to enhance the level of
patient care provided in the areas not served by current MICU resources.
The Department of Health
quickly recognized the need to expand MICU services in the areas of the
state that were presently under-served and began to entertain Certificate
of Need applications for the expansion of MICU services. In 1989, the
Certificate of Need for MICU services in Salem County was awarded to UMH.
A cooperative effort between UMH and the Memorial Hospital of Salem County
resulted in the rolling of existing EMT-I services into fully capable MICU
services. Similarly, on April 1, 1990, UMH expanded once again and
implemented MICU services in Cumberland County. The Cumberland County
expansion resulted from a cooperative Certificate of Need application
process between UMH, Newcomb Medical Center, and the South Jersey Hospital
System.
The growth and demand
for services in Cumberland County supported the addition of a second MICU
station. In January 1998, a second MICU was
placed in service to provide residents of western
Cumberland County more efficient access to advanced life
support services.
The Tactical Medical
Unit was originally developed in the late 1980’s to supplement the
Gloucester County SWAT team. The program initially began to prevent
primary service paramedic units from being committed to these assignments,
creating potential delays in 9-1-1 responses, as well as to provide
medical support to the law enforcement officers. The Unit's focus is to
provide services that are not routinely available on standard 9-1-1
responses. Today the Tactical Medical Unit responds to more than 200
assignments annually. The team provides medical protection to the various
County SWAT teams, Critical Incident Response units, New Jersey State
Police T.E.A.M.S. and specialty teams such as Dignitary Protection, Drug
Enforcement Agency, FBI and the regional bomb squads.
Early in 2001, the
Mobile Intensive Care Unit developed a Special Operations Division. The
concept was to create a team of specially trained Paramedics to manage
medical operations during large-scale incidents and planned events.
This forethought proved valuable later that year during the terror attacks
of September 11th 2001. Immediately following the attacks that
morning, the team mobilized and responded to assist the emergency service
personnel in New York City, as part of New Jersey’s task force response.
The Special Operations
paramedics continued to operate at “Ground Zero” in New York City for an
extended period of time providing resources, medical protection and field
hospital services. The team has grown to 55 members all specially trained
to support various operations and provide rehabilitation to emergency
personnel at scenes involving extreme environmental conditions.
Further growth and
demand continued to require additional paramedic resources. In March of
2004, an additional unit was placed in service. Based at the Washington
Township Fire Headquarters, this unit is assigned to assist with the
growing volume in the southeastern sector of Gloucester County. This unit
will more efficiently serve the residents in that area.
In May of 2005
additional growth required the placement of another paramedic unit in the
western section of Gloucester County. This unit also provides enhanced
coverage to the northern section of Salem County.
