Frequently Asked Questions about Underwood-Memorial Hospital Paramedic Unit.

 

1. What is the Underwood-Memorial Hospital Mobile Intensive Care Unit?

2. What does UMH-MICU stand for?

3. How do I contact the UMH-MICU?

4. What are ALS and BLS?

5. How is the MICU different from my local ambulance squad?

6. Why am I receiving a bill from Underwood-Memorial Hospital?

7. I didn't call for a paramedic, why did they come to my house?

8. The paramedics were not at my house, why did I receive a bill?

9. Is my town covered by Underwood's MICU services?

10. What is the EMS system?

11. What is a paramedic?

12. What do I have to do to become a paramedic?

 

1. What is the Underwood-Memorial Hospital Mobile Intensive Care Unit?

Underwood-Memorial Hospital's Mobile Intensive Care Unit is comprised of highly skilled paramedic teams that work in close association with ambulance squads throughout Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties. Each paramedic team provides advanced life support care at the scene of illness or injury.

2. What does UMH-MICU stand for?

UMH-MICU stands for Underwood-Memorial Hospital Mobile Intensive Care Unit.

3. How do I contact the UMH-MICU?

Medical Emergencies: Dial 911

All other inquiries: Call the MICU Office at (856) 384-1000 during regular business hours. (Monday-Friday (8:00AM- 5:00 PM EST))

Our mailing address is:

UMH-MICU

238 S. Evergreen Avenue

Woodbury, NJ 08096

4. What are ALS and BLS?

Advanced Life Support (ALS) is a specialized level of care which includes complex emergency procedures such as administering medications, inserting intravenous lines, and inserting breathing tubes. This level of care is only provided by highly trained health care providers such as physicians, paramedics, and nurses.

Basic Life Support (BLS) is a less complex level of care and the foundation on which emergency ambulance care originated. BLS is the integral part of patient care that it focuses on identifying and treating immediately life threatening conditions. This level of care is provided by all levels of providers such as laypeople, EMTs, firemen, police officers, paramedics.

5. How is the MICU different from my local ambulance squad?

Underwood Hospital's Mobile Intensive Care Units are licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. Each MICU is staffed with two Mobile Intensive Care Paramedics (MICPs) trained and experienced in providing ALS care. MICUs are equipped and operated according to New Jersey State Law. Each MICU vehicle is equipped with a heart monitor/ defibrillator, over 50 emergency medications, advanced airway equipment, as well as basic life support equipment, and emergency communications equipment. In New Jersey, local ambulances are equipped with BLS staff and equipment, but their standards of care vary from area to area. Although these ambulances carry only basic equipment and staffing, they are vital in the early treatment and transport of patients.

6. Why am I receiving a bill from Underwood-Memorial Hospital?

Underwood-Memorial Hospital provides the paramedic services in Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties. The hospital supports five paramedic units and a staff of approximately one hundred. These units cover 1100 square miles and provide services to 500,000 people in our three county service area. The costs to provide these services are funded by our ability to bill for services rendered. When UMH-MICU paramedics respond and provide ALS care, patients are billed for services. Although MICU patients may not be transported to Underwood-Memorial Hospital, the patient will receive a bill from Underwood for the services provided.

7. I didn't call for a paramedic, why did they come to my house?

MICUs are dispatched along with your local ambulance squad. When someone calls 911 requesting medical assistance, the dispatcher gathers some basic information. With this information, the dispatcher determines what is needed and sends the appropriate resources. If the dispatcher determines that ALS services may be required, the nearest MICU unit will be dispatched simultaneously with the local ambulance. If the MICU crew determines that ALS services are not needed, the MICU unit will make themselves available for other calls in their area.

8. The paramedics were not at my house, why did I receive a bill?

Underwood's MICU vehicles cover over 1100 square miles of terrritory in providing advanced life support services. Many times your local ambulance is able to begin basic treatment and transport to the hospital before our paramedic unit arrives at the scene of the call. In these instances, the local ambulance may begin transport and meet the MICU unit in route to the hospital. Upon meeting the ambulance squad, the MICU staff will begin treatment and accompany the patient to the hospital. These patients receiving treatment will also receive a bill from Underwood-Memorial Hospital for services rendered.

9. Is my town covered by Underwood's MICU services?

Underwood's MICU serves all of Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties in Southern New Jersey.

10. What is the EMS system?

The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system is a complex system of people, equipment, and facilities developed to meet the emergency health care needs of the community. The first part of the system consists of laypeople recognizing the need for help and contacting 9-1-1. Then, 9-1-1 dispatchers gather information and dispatch the appropriate resources. These resources include police, fire, ambulance, and paramedic services. After providing initial care, patients are transported to the hospital. Each of these: laypeople, 9-1-1 communications centers, police, fire, ambulance, and paramedic services interact to make up the EMS system.

11. What is a paramedic?

Paramedics extend the reach of physicians at scenes of illness and injury. Using specialized knowledge and practical skills, paramedics assess and treat patients under the direction of physician medical directors. Administering medications, inserting intravenous (IV) lines, monitoring heart rhythms and inserting breathing tubes are a sample of the skills of paramedics. Although many of these skills are found in other professions, the environment in which they are performed compound their difficulty. Paramedics go beyond practicing these techniques in the controlled environment of a hospital. Their performance in places such as moving ambulances, scenes of car accidents, scenes of violence and in all types of inclement weather require paramedics to perform at a step above the average health care provider.

Paramedics are highly skilled professionals who undergo over 1,000 hours of classroom and clinical training. Standards for training are developed by the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Further development of training and certification standards is done by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. The State of New Jersey now requires all paramedics to meet the National Registry standard in order to obtain certification for practice.

12. What do I have to do to become a paramedic?

In New Jersey, paramedics undergo over 1,000 hours of clinical and classroom training. To learn about the paramedic training opportunities at Underwood-Memorial Hospital, Visit our Education and Training Pages.