About the Communications Center
> Transfer a Patient to Hopkins
> Transfer a Patient from Hopkins
One of the most vital components of the Lifeline Program is the communications center, providing centralized coordination of all transportation activities, while controlling costs and providing a central source of data. Through an integrated telephone triage system, in coordination with the Access Line, the patient’s transportation needs are matched with their clinical condition to assure the appropriate mode of transport is arranged. The dedicated communications center operates twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven days a week to coordinate medical ground and air transportation services inclusive of domestic and international transport requests.
Requests for inter-facility transport are initiated by the The Hopkins Access Line (HAL) via a toll-free number which is 1-800-765-JHHS (5447) and relayed to the communications center for immediate dispatch. This system allows for a patient transport to be initiated by a “one-call” method for referring physicians and is a cornerstone in the transport process.
The communications personnel are medically trained emergency medical technicians (EMT’s) and paramedics (EMT-P’s), who have intimate knowledge of all aspects of patient transport and the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Our communications center is also the focus point for patient movement within the Johns Hopkins Main Campus. They arrange and coordinate all requests for patients who require continued ALS and Critical Care treatment and monitoring while going to another department for a procedure or test from an ICU here at Johns Hopkins.
A Yellow Transportation specialist is available to our communications center to facilitate arrangements to include non-emergency transports that include sedan, limousine and van services.
A Lifestar Response dispatcher is available to our center to assist with increased call volumes at peak times through-out the day.
The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Emergency Medicine Department, under the umbrella of the Center for Transportation Services, provides medical command services consisting of telephone access to a physician who will serve as medical director on a twenty-four (24) hour, seven (7) day per week basis. Our close relationship with Department’s Level One adult and pediatric trauma center afford our EMT’s, Paramedics and Critical Care Transport Nurses an exceptional experience in keeping their advanced assessment and procedural skills up to date.
Our Medical Director is Dr. Ricky Kue and he is responsible for the credentialing, training and education of the transport team members. He is assisted by an EMS Fellow from the Department of Emergency Medicine.
