About Us - Mission Statement - Who We Are - Highlights
The New Jersey Pediatric Society/Quality Physicians Network of America
& Children's Emergency Medical Fund of New Jersey
A Very Special Partnership
In 1998 a small group of pediatricians and allied health care specialists, affiliated with the New Jersey Pediatric Society, met together to discuss the formation of the Children's Emergency Medical Fund of New Jersey. The NJPS is an academic organization made up of medical practitioners and allied health care professionals throughout the region. The Quality Physicians Network of America is the 501 (c) (3) not for profit administrative umbrella for NJPS. CEMF was founded with the hopes of meeting the needs of underinsured and un-insured chronically and critically ill children throughout the state and the nation.
Even when faced with overwhelming costs associated with each case that is referred, the fund has never turned a child away. The organization's patient base comes through referrals from major medical centers in the state. Families are accepted regardless of financial, social, cultural, racial, or ethnic background.
Families and children from Essex (specifically East Orange, Maplewood, South Orange, and West Orange), Morris, Middlesex, Sussex and Union Counties as well as many areas around the state receive direct services and aid. Numerous medical professionals have joined forces with CEMF to provide the best care regardless of ability to pay. The children are referred to the top centers in the nation including Hopkins, Columbia Presbyterian, NYUMC, CHOP, and Pittsburg Children's. Aside from the medical care and drugs the children receive, the mothers are provided with counseling and training on how to care for their chronically ill children.
The Children's Emergency Medical Fund of New Jersey's advocacy and outreach programs offer legal assistance/case management to families facing financial devastation due to their child's illness, noting that HMO's often refuse to pay for procedures and necessary medications.
Over the last six years the Children's Emergency Medical Fund of New Jersey has achieved some major accomplishments. Through the Emergency Accessibility project CEMF has been involved in emergency home improvements focused on handicapped accessibility and other environmental factors. In 2004 CEMF undertook a massive project to create an interactive CD-ROM (which is being distributed to hundreds of pediatric practitioners) which highlights our services and provides informative resources. CEMF has also put together many informational sessions, dinner meetings and consultations for doctors and families on how to treat these patients. One of the major accomplishments of CEMF was to be the first in the state to build custom computers equipped with video conferencing which provided doctors the ability to monitor the children and examine them over the internet. The system allows these sick children to receive instantaneous aid in a crisis. These systems have been donated to families at no cost.
A future goal is to work with local townships and advise on accessibility issues. The Emergency Accessibility Project and the Outreach Program both have many future goals and program. The volunteers of the Children's Emergency Medical Fund of New Jersey like to say they're in the business of going out of business because someday all children will have equal access to quality health care and fundamental social services. When this becomes a reality, the fund will continue to provide informational resources and teach coping skills. It is only through the generosity and compassion of organizations and other donors that CEMF can continue its programs and extend its services. Thank you for taking an interest in the children of the Children's Emergency Medical Fund of New Jersey of New Jersey.