EMS Response Times Improve In Camden After Cooper Takeover Of Ambulance Services
by KYW's David Madden
CAMDEN, NJ (CBS) -- New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was in Camden to praise the efforts of Cooper Hospital, which took over EMS services within the city little over a year ago. The change was heralded as a way to improve emergency response within the city. And new numbers prove it's working.
Over 90% of calls for emergency help are answered within a national guideline of 8 minutes. That's up from 70% a year ago. But Cooper Board Chairman George Norcross says more needs to be done across the state.
"Camden's response times are better than Cherry Hill. Better than Pennsauken.," Norcross said.
He's pushing for legislation to allow residents to know of ambulance response times in every municipality.
Governor Christie wants those improvements, and said he didn't mind the lengthy battles in the courts of law and public opinion that preceded the change.
"Fights that are done in order to better services and save lives for people in this state are the fights worth having," the Governor said.
Christie also wants hospitals like Cooper to do their part in his effort to improve drug and alcohol treatment within the state.
The Governor's staff has drafted legislation that would mandate insurance companies to provide six months of treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. But Christie says that only goes so far.
"All the insurance coverage in the world won't matter of we don't have a bed to put that person in," Christie said.
The Governor wants hospitals across the state to provide more space to deal with the influx of people needing help. And for his part, Norcross is on board.
"It's going to be the responsibility of institutions like ours to expand our facilities and construct new beds to provide for this epidemic level of crisis," Norcross told KYW Newsradio after the event.
He also suggested that Christie's push for improved drug and alcohol programs statewide will be his "greatest legacy."