Inter-facility transport, coordinated from call to handoff
Hospital-to-hospital and facility-to-facility patient transfer with physician-ordered care level, full documentation, and direct crew-to-crew handoff at destination. BLS, ALS, and critical care transport levels available across NY and NJ.
What inter-facility transport means
Inter-facility transport (IFT) is the medical transfer of a patient between two healthcare facilities: from an emergency department to an inpatient unit at another hospital, from a hospital to a skilled nursing facility, from a rehab center to an imaging facility, or between any two points in the healthcare continuum. The care level assigned to an IFT run (BLS, ALS, or CCT) is determined by the ordering physician based on the patient's current clinical status and anticipated needs during transport.
Hatzolah EMS accepts IFT requests from hospital case managers, charge nurses, physicians, and discharge planners. Our dispatch team confirms vehicle availability, care level, and estimated pickup window. Crew will arrive at the originating facility, receive report from the bedside nurse or physician, confirm the patient paperwork and destination orders, and transport the patient with the care level specified in the orders.
At the destination, crew provides a direct handoff to the receiving nurse or physician, transfers all documentation, and confirms patient status. We do not drop patients without a signed receiving acknowledgement. Our documentation travels with the patient and is completed using a standardized patient care report (PCR) that meets state and CMS requirements.
When inter-facility transport is the right choice
- Hospital to skilled nursing facility or long-term acute care
- Emergency department to inpatient hospital admission at another facility
- Hospital to imaging center or radiation therapy center
- Hospital to rehabilitation facility post-acute care
- Skilled nursing facility to outpatient appointment and return
- Inpatient psychiatric transfer per physician order
- Hospital to home or hospice care
Where this service is available
This service is available across our full coverage area in New York (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Rockland) and New Jersey (Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Ocean, Monmouth). See our coverage page for zone-level detail. Contact dispatch at [TBD-DISPATCH] to confirm availability for your specific location.
Insurance and payment
We bill most major insurance carriers for this service including Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. Accepted insurers: [TBD-INSURANCE-LIST]. Financial-assistance pathways are available for uninsured patients. No patient is turned away for inability to pay. Contact our billing office at [TBD-BILLING-CONTACT] for coverage verification or payment plan inquiries.
You may also need
BLS Ambulance
BLS-level IFT for stable patients not requiring ALS intervention during transport.
View service →ALS Ambulance
ALS-level IFT for patients requiring paramedic monitoring or intervention during transport.
View service →Critical Care Transport
CCT-level transport for ventilated or hemodynamically unstable inter-facility moves.
View service →Ready to schedule or need help now?
Dispatch is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call for emergencies or to arrange scheduled service.