Base Station Designation

UM Shore Emergency Center at Queenstown designated as EMS Base Station

University of Maryland Shore Regional Health announced that University of Maryland Shore Emergency Center at Queenstown, 115 Shoreway Drive, is now a designated Emergency Medical Services Base Station in the state of Maryland.

As accredited by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS), UM Shore EC at Queenstown provides immediate, quality medical direction to EMS providers working with patients in the field in response to the patient's medication and procedural intervention needs, rather than waiting for a dual consultation with another hospital. UM Shore EC at Queenstown is the only freestanding emergency center in Maryland with the designation.

"The outcome of the designation is shorter transport times for ambulances because emergency center staff can make the appropriate transport decisions for patients coming to our facility," said Emergency Center Nurse Manager Mary Alice Vanhoy, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, NRP, who is base station coordinator. "It improves the continuity of care – the people who will be taking care of the patient will give the medical direction to the EMS provider on the scene."

"Our thanks go to our partners in Queen Anne's County, the Department of Emergency Services, our EMS partners and everyone here at the Emergency Center who helped move us through this process," said Jane Wang, MD, base station medical director at UM Shore EC Queenstown.

Ken Kozel, MBA, FACHE, president and CEO of UM Shore Regional Health, said, "This important designation demonstrates UM Shore Emergency Center at Queenstown's continuing vital role in the safety, health and well-being of Queen Anne's County and the surrounding region. I commend the staff on their achievement and commitment to excellence in patient care."

UM Shore EC at Queenstown began operating as a designated Emergency Medical Services Base Station on March 1, capping two years of tireless work since the facility's staff first approached MIEMSS about revising a section of the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) that had prohibited freestanding emergency centers from being designated as base stations.

After successfully achieving the change in COMAR, UM Shore EC at Queenstown staff completed an in-depth application. The process culminated in a site visit in late February by MIEMSS staff, including Richard Alcorta, MD, FACEP, state EMS medical director; Anna Aycock, MHA, RN, MIEMSS base station coordinator; John Barto, MAS, Region IV administrator; and Anna Sierra, MS, EMT, Region IV associate administrator.

Site surveyors met with Vanhoy and Wang along with Joseph Ciotola, MD, EMS medical director and Kevin Pearl, MD, regional medical fellow.

Serving the region since 2010, UM Shore EC at Queenstown is one of only three freestanding emergency facilities in the state of Maryland and the only one in a rural area. The facility operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, treating patients for acute illnesses, injuries and trauma as well as minor injuries. The 16,000-square-foot center boasts four ambulance bays, a helipad, 14 treatment beds, and services including diagnostic imaging and a full-service clinical testing laboratory. The staff of 50 includes board certified emergency medical physicians, nurses, medical technologists, radiology technologists, patient registration representatives, housekeeping techs and security officers.