Cooper Transfer System (COTS)

Emergent Transfers for Seriously Ill Cardiac Patients

Cooper University Hospital is the only academic medical center in South Jersey, and the only hospital to offer round-the-clock bedside coverage by physicians trained in critical care medicine. The Cooper Heart Institute provides unparalleled access to advanced treatment options for acutely ill patients via the Cooper Transfer System (COTS). This pioneering program provides air or land transfers of seriously ill cardiovascular and critical care patients from over 20 community hospitals in the Delaware Valley region.

In the past year alone, COTS thas ransferred by land or air nearly 1,000 critically ill patients to the Intensive Care, Coronary Care and Stroke Units of Cooper University Hospital.

“We believe that access to the latest in diagnostic and therapeutic options, as well as 24/7 physician coverage at the bedside, made a significant positive impact on the outcome for many of these patients,” says R. Philip Dellinger, M.D., director of Critical Care Medicine at Cooper University Hospital and the Cooper Transfer System. “COTS provides safe, timely transfer and management of adult critically-ill patients, including coordination of all transfer needs, regular physician communication, bed availability and administrative processes,” he added.

Utilization of an urgent transfer system to provide emergent cardiac care was supported in a clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine (August 21, 2003).

“In the study,” says Joseph Parrillo, M.D., head of the Division of Cardiovascular Disease and Critical Care Medicine. “these benefits were even seen in patients who presented first at outlying facilities, if the transfer was made expeditiously. The 24/7 interventional and surgical capabilities of the Cooper Heart Institute combined with COTS, allows us to provide urgent state-of-the-art, timely care for the critically ill cardiac patient,” adds Dr. Parrillo.

For land or air transfers 24/7 of adult critically-ill patients to Cooper University Hospital’s Coronary Care Unit, Medical / Surgical Intensive Care Unit, or Stroke Unit please call 1-866-723-COTS (1-866-723-2687).