State lawmakers passed a bill in July 2015 allowing Level 1 trauma centers the exclusive right to provide basic life support and operate advanced life support services in their home city.
Two area institutions, Mount Holly, N.J.-based Virtua Health System — a Level II trauma center — and Pennington, N.J.-based Capital Health, jointly sued the state in July 2015, claiming the law only benefited specific parties involved, according to the report.
A lower court ruled against the law in December 2015 citing that the provisions constituted special legislation and were therefore unconstitutional. On appeal, the New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division voided the lower court’s decision, stating that “it is conceivable that [certain treatments] can be provided more efficiently if provided by a Level 1 trauma center,” according to the report.
With this development, Camden, N.J.-based Cooper University Health Care will continue to exclusively operate ambulances for emergency services in Camden.
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