Vanguard Healthcare Management.

Smooth EMS Transition in the City of Hackensack, N.J.

The City of Hackensack, N.J. successfully transferred responsibility for the community's EMS program to the Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) on September 15, 2008, beginning a new era in emergency care for the 45,000-person city. Vanguard Healthcare provides top-quality emergency medical services to the $1 billion HUMC. Since the transition, emergency response times are averaging 4 minutes or less, and there have been no systemic interruptions. This level of performance is consistent with HUMC's reputation for emergency care, and it exceeds national performance standards.

Vanguard Healthcare Opens Regional Field Offices and Expands SYSCOM Operations Throughout the Nation

Vanguard Healthcare is embarking on its most substantial expansion yet, launching EMS programs in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and Georgia over the next 12 months. In addition to regional operations offices, Vanguard has made the strategic decision to open five more regional communications centers. These centers will coordinate new and future hospital-based EMS and transport services, with development over the next 12 -24 months as hospitals and municipalities begin operations with Vanguard. The all-cash investment is expected to exceed $8 million dollars in new technology, medical systems, and program development.

Each new communications center --
or SYSCOM -- will feature advanced modeling and location-based CAD technologies, state-of-the-art medical control programs, as well as satellite
and internet-based communications.

The five locations will include:

SYSCOM New England, based in Providence, R.I, serving hospitals in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.

SYSCOM MidAtlantic, in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., serving hospitals in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

SYSCOM South, in Atlanta, GA, with responsibility for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana.

SYSCOM West, based in Chicago, IL, with a satellite station in Wyoming. SYSCOM West will service hospitals and municipalities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota; the satellite station will direct operations in Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, and North Dakota.

SYSCOM West Coast, in San Diego, CA, will serve hospitals throughout California, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah.

Vanguard Names Vice President and Chief Medical Officer

Vanguard Healthcare Management Inc. and its associated companies are pleased to announce the appointment of James J. Flowers, DO MBA as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Flowers is the Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington, DE and a Board Certified Emergency Medicine Specialist with over 25 years of EMS and emergency medical experience.
A graduate of LaSalle University, Philadelphia (BA) and the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences, Des Moines (DO) Dr. Flowers went on to complete his MBA from St. Josephs University in Philadelphia.

Licensed to practice medicine in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New York and North Carolina, Dr. Flowers is also a member in good standing and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians as well as a Fellow in the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians.

In addition to his work as a clinical provider and emergency physician throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Dr. Flowers served as the Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of St. Agnes Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA as well as President and Chief Executive Officer of the St. Agnes Continuing Care Center. He has worked extensively as an emergency physician throughout the greater Delaware Valley and Pennsylvania.

Throughout his career Dr. Flowers has served as medical director for a number or private ambulance and EMS operations where he was responsible for a wide range of clinical and quality management programs dedicated to advancing EMS and the care and treatment of prehospital and emergency patients. “Dr. Flowers will be an excellent addition to our firm”, said Kevin J. Wallis Chief Executive Officer of Vanguard Healthcare. “He will help us raise the medical standards throughout our industry.” Wallis said.

“Jim is a true asset” said Ryan P. Greenberg, President of Vanguard Healthcare Management. “He was instrumental in our development throughout the Delaware Valley, and his expertise will help us further as we open our markets in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

He serves on multiple professional associations including the American College of Healthcare Executives, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Physician Executives as well as multiple regional associations in Pennsylvania and throughout the greater Delaware Valley. He has taught in the field of Emergency Care at numerous universities and colleges and helps to train other emergency medicine physicians.

In his role as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Jim will work with all of Vanguards ambulance service and EMS programs throughout the United States ensuring that all our employees are trained to the highest level of their certifications. In addition, he will work on quality management and clinical excellence programs that ensure that all our EMS and ambulance programs are operating with the highest patient care standards within their region.

Lastly, he will interface and assist hospital specific medical directors for each program and lend them support as necessary to ensure that our corporate and clinical standards are compliant with the JCAHO as well as all other local, State and Federal requirements.

Vanguard Upgrades ALL EMS, Ambulance and Flight Programs to Electronic Patient Records

As part of a companywide investment in technology, Vanguard Healthcare Management has expanded its company wide use of technology by adopting true electronic patient care records.

The new technology is part of SYSCOMS upgrade to RightCAD which includes new computer aided dispatch and Flight Following technology. All Vanguard healthcare EMS and ambulance programs will place laptop computers into each ambulance and flight operation to coordinate dispatch, expand compliance and improve financial performance for all programs company wide.

The expansion which is budgeted for 2008 and will be expanded into 2009 will make hospitals based ambulances operated and managed by Vanguard on the forefront of technology in the United States. “This will allow our hospital to further improve everything from financial performance to overall efficiency in EMS operations”. Said Kevin J. Wallis Vanguard’s Chief Executive Officer.

The technology expansion and program development will add to SYSCOMS communications center the ability to communicate with every program in the Vanguard healthcare system. This includes both ground and air units nationally. Using the latest in voice over IP as well as satellite communication dispatchers at any of Vanguards SYSCOM facilities nationally will be able to use mobile data technology as well as the latest in medical control systems to support EMS and ambulance operations regardless of location.

The program is spearheaded by Ryan P. Greenberg, President and Chief Operating Officer of Vanguard Healthcare and is part of a wide reaching technology plan designed to make hospital based EMS system managed by Vanguard among the most technically advanced in the nation. The new technology made its debut in EMS units providing primary 911 to the City of Hackensack and Garfield, New Jersey as well as Wilmington Delaware where EMS units are responding to over 19,000 EMS calls per year.


	Emergency Care Quarterly Vol. 1, No.2

	Vanguard Pulse Newsletter Fall 2008

	Journal of Healthcare Research