Northwell CEMS named EMS agency of the year

Northwell Center for Emergency Medical Services awarded best in New York State. Northwell Center for Emergency Medical Services was honored with the EMS Agency of the Year Award, reflecting their dedication to the community. Northwell Center for Emergency Medical Services (CEMS) was honored with the EMS Agency of the Year Award at the annual New York State EMS Conference in Rochester.

Impact and Operational Scale

The award recognizes the EMS agency's critical role as an integrated health delivery system; one which responds to over 200,000 calls each year. As the largest hospital-based ambulance service in the New York metropolitan area, CEMS is also one of the largest in the United States. The emergency medical service (EMS) provider serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the five boroughs of New York City, providing basic, advanced specialty, and critical care, as well as medical transport. Northwell is one of only a few hospital systems to offer EMS on Long Island. Within the broader region, Northwell Health’s CEMS responds to more than 100,000 calls annually, transporting upwards of 60,000 patients to hospitals across the metropolitan region — a critical lifeline for one of the busiest cities in the world.

History and Personnel

Regarding its origins, CEMS, established in 1992, was originally called North Shore LIJ EMS. It began as a hospital-based interfacility transport department specializing in cardiac, neonatal and pediatric intensive care transports. In 2000, it expanded to provide service in the New York City 911 system. Today, CEMS employs over 1,000 personnel, a majority of whom are emergency medical technicians and paramedics. Their work is even highlighted in Emergency NYC, a new Netflix series featuring Northwell.

Accreditation and Healthcare Mission

It is also the only EMS agency in the region with a triple accreditation for its communication center, critical care service and air and medical center. In terms of their clinical mission, Jonathan Berkowitz, MD, MBA, medical director for Northwell Health’s Center for Emergency Medical Services, stated: “EMS is a fundamental part of the Northwell mission to raise health.” He added, “This award reflects decades of work by our EMS professionals collaborating with our physician specialists to create a one-of-a-kind integrated health delivery system.”

CEMS Agency Overview

• Established: 1992
• Personnel Count: Over 1,000 staff members
• Annual Calls: Over 200,000
• Special Accreditations: Triple accreditation for communications, critical care, and air medical services
• Service Scope: Nassau, Suffolk, and all five NYC boroughs

Recognition by Peers

Alan Schwalberg, vice president of Northwell’s Center for Emergency Medical Services, commented: “I’m proud that we’ve been named EMS Agency of the Year. Being recognized by our peers is especially meaningful because they understand the dedication required to reach this level of success.” He further noted that “By setting this standard at Northwell, we’re also raising the bar for other agencies to follow.” It is an honor to provide care to our patients in moments of need, whether it be at home or when they need to be transferred for advanced care in one of our tertiary hospitals.