Emergency Medicine

Emergency Medicine

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Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

NorthShore’s Highland Park Hospital plays a vital role in delivering emergency medical services (EMS) in the local community and region. A level II trauma center and primary stroke center with a comprehensive emergency department (ED), Highland Park Hospital has been an Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)-designated emergency medical services (EMS) resource hospital for decades. In 2002, the hospital was designated Illinois EMS Region 10 Regional Hospital Coordinating Center (RHCC) for disaster response.

Highland Park serves as one of five hospital hubs assisting in and directing pre-hospital care and disaster management for Illinois EMS Region 10. The Highland Park Hospital EMS System includes multiple municipal fire departments, emergency dispatch centers and private ambulance services.

As an EMS resource hospital, Highland Park helps guide hundreds of licensed emergency medical technicians and paramedics in the care and transport of thousands of patients to hospital EDs each year. The state of Illinois relies on resource hospitals for training new paramedics and continuing the education of existing EMS professionals. NorthShore’s Highland Park Hospital fosters strong partnerships with system providers, from public safety to fire departments, to provide our community with rapid and expert emergency care.

Patient Care
Physician Response Vehicle
Training
Our Educational Programs
Community Partnership
Contact Us

Patient Care

Highland Park Hospital provides medical direction to multiple system providers in Illinois EMS Region 10 to ensure a coordinated response to 911 calls and provide seamless emergency medical care from the field to the hospital setting. Our system provider partners are

Physician Response Vehicle

NorthShore recently launched a Physician Response Vehicle (PRV) program—one of only three in the state and the first in northeastern Illinois. Thanks to the generosity of the Alvin H Baum Family Fund and Hatzalah Chicago, we have acquired a specialized emergency response vehicle to strengthen patient care from 911 call to hospital discharge and bolster outcomes.

Staffed by the EMS medical director, the PRV may respond alongside our EMS providers in the field to help patients before they reach Highland Park Hospital. The program brings specially trained physicians and added emergency resources to patients’ homes, offices, schools, or other pre-hospital environments. Responding to any and all calls up to and including a large-scale event, the PRV will serve as an educational and medical resource.

The PRV program will allow Highland Park to provide real-time education for EMS professionals, monitor and adjust standard operating procedures and bolster quality assurance. The NorthShore PRV serves fire departments under the medical direction of Highland Park Hospital, including Deerfield/Bannockburn, Highland Park, Glencoe, Gurnee, and Northbrook.

For additional information contact Dr. Ben Feinzimer or call the EMS Office at 847.480.3758.

Training

NorthShore’s Highland Park Hospital is a CoAEMSP and CAAHEP accredited program with more than 40 years of experience in pre-hospital education. Curricula are based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) National EMS Scope of Practice Model Guidelines. Guiding both EMTs and paramedics on their path to licensure, Highland Park Hospital is dedicated to peak performance for all our graduates.

Lead, adjunct, guest, and physician instructors deliver the latest healthcare information to our students in an intimate class setting. Our program exposes students to simulation training both in our attached Sim Lab and NorthShore’s state-of-the-art mobile Simbulance Program.

Students also have multiple opportunities to perform learned skills in the hospital setting, including shifts in the Emergency Department alongside the EMS medical director. After adequate preparation, students ride with surrounding fire departments as they prepare themselves for a career in emergency pre-hospital healthcare.

NorthShore is affiliated with College of Lake County (CLC) affiliate. This partnership allows EMS students to earn college credit through our program.

Our Educational Programs

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Courses
This course culminates in the EMT curriculum for those at the early stage of their field medicine career or interested in basic pre-hospital health care.

Prerequisites for this program are a high-school diploma or GED, 18 years of age or older.

Paramedic Courses
This course culminates in the Paramedic curriculum for those interested in higher level/advanced understanding and licensure in the pre-hospital setting.

Prerequisites for this program are a high-school diploma or GED, 18 years of age or older, CPR certification for a healthcare provider, an EMT license, and two letters of recommendation, Bio III or equivalent, at the College of Lake County.

Emergency Care RN (ECRN)
The Highland Park Hospital EMS System provides Emergency Care Registered Nurse (ECRN) certification and training. After completing a 40-hour course, our ECRN graduates have the ability to receive EMS calls and provide guidance to system providers during patient transport to the hospital.

We provide our ECRN candidates with the opportunity to ride with NorthShore’s fire department partners and experience EMS calls from a different perspective. This invaluable field experience allows hospital personnel to witness patient care in the eyes of the EMT/paramedic.

Active Field Providers
Delivering continuation education (CE) to our EMTs and paramedics is a top priority. EMS educators are dedicated to meeting the needs of each fire department and each provider. Instructors are passionate about our partnership. From 911 contact to hospital discharge, the care continuum works best when it is seamless. CE is a critical year-long exchange of ideas and display of our team-oriented philosophy through didactics, case-based scenarios, and simulated patient encounters.

Community Partnership

Educating the community on emergency medical services makes for smarter and savvier healthcare consumers. From children to seniors, Highland Park Hospital works to promote the EMS system, so the public better understands how emergency care is delivered. We routinely make available our Physician Response Vehicle and Simbulance for health fairs, parades, community discussions, lectures, or school programs.