EMS System Review - State of New Jersey

State of New Jersey, DHSS, OEMSConsulting Services: EMS System Reviewthen will the NJOEMS issue a certificate of need and authorize the ALS project. The certificateof need requirement has allowed New Jersey to assure 100 percent ALS coverage throughout thestate, an accomplishment that few states can boast. To keep their certificate of need, ALSprojects must provide services described in their application and no change their response planwithout NJOEMS approval. NJOEMS carefully reviews requests for changes to preventjeopardizing the 100 percent ALS coverage goal. ALS projects must also agree to provideservices to areas that are not served by ALS projects. Often, these services are “pro bono,” asthere is not guarantee of reimbursement.. When profitability was greater, this requirement hadlittle impact. A decrease in profits has services crying foul at the requirement to provide this highfinancial risk care. Recently, an ALS provider chose to reduce ALS coverage, potentially leavingan area without ALS service. The NJOEMS was forced to intervene to assure ALS coverage.In 2005, New Jersey ALS projects responded to over 400,000 calls for service. Thenumber of requests continues to slowly rise even though New Jersey’s population is decreasing.By 2015 the number of requests should exceed 425,000. This is happening because the seniorcitizen and minority communities are increasing, generating greater requests for services (Figure25).Figure 25: MICU Call Forecast Model Through 2015Responses50000040000030000020000010000000 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 162000 - 2016Raw DataTriDataForecastFor 400,442 ALS dispatches, only 173,535 (43.34 percent) required transport. Excludinga relatively small number of physician-directed termination of CPR cases and DOA’s, mostcancellations were due to ALS not being needed (Figure 26).TriData, a Division of 108September 2007System Planning Corporation