An emergency department on wheels, Holy Name Hospital's Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) provides specialized emergency care to patients with a variety of serious illnesses or medical conditions. The "eyes and hands of the emergency room physician" are the MICU's 35 certified paramedics, who are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assess, treat, and stabilize patients at the site of an emergency. Patients are then transported to Holy Name and other hospitals via local ambulances for continued care.
In addition to providing medical treatment within minutes of an assessment — including advanced airway management, IV lines, medications, defibrillation, advanced cardiac life support, and pediatric life support — Holy Name's paramedics are trained to respond to emergency calls involving hazardous materials, weapons of mass destruction, and disasters such as fires, hurricanes or blizzards.
Holy Name is a New Jersey Department of Health Medical Coordination Center. In the event of a major disaster or terrorist incident, Holy Name will partner with public health and emergency management system to provide regional planning and coordination of medical activities and resources. Thanks to grants from the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, the MICU recently acquired several new technologies that will assist paramedics in treating patients at large-scale disasters as well as routine emergency calls: a video system to record digitally treatment given at the scene of an emergency; a triage tracking system that uses bar codes embedded on patients' triage tags to help paramedics track each patient's medical care from assessment through to treatment at a hospital; and respiratory equipment for rescuers of victims contaminated by biochemicals.
As a vital component of Holy Name's emergency services and its Hospital Emergency Incident Command System, the MICU has two paramedic vehicles and an emergency preparedness support vehicle equipped with decontamination supplies and radio equipment to be used in the event of a major disaster or emergency. The van can serve as a satellite command post and can be set up as needed in Holy Name's parking lot or on site at a disaster.
Paramedics like those employed by Holy Name's MICU must be emergency medical technicians first and then undergo a two-year training program to become NJ certified paramedics. This training consists of one year of didactic (classroom) instruction and one year of clinical training that rotates them through several departments of a hospital. In addition, they must be certified in advanced life support, advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support, and pre-hospital trauma life support. They are also required to take courses in weapons of mass destruction, incident command system, and hazardous materials. They must complete yearly continuing education classes and annual competency exams, and they must be re-certified every two years.
Contact Information
Mobile Intensive Care Unit
Holy Name Hospital
201-541-6325.