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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency medical services

Ground Ambulance Industry Trends, 2017–2022: Analysis of Medicare Fee-for-Service Claims
Explores whether ground ambulance organizations have changed between 2017 and 2022. Examines trends in the number of ground ambulance transports paid for by traditional fee-for-service Medicare, the characteristics of organizations billing Medicare for these services, the most common diagnosis codes reported on Medicare ground ambulance claims, and the share of transports to or from an end-stage renal disease (ESRD) facility. Discusses how the growth in Medicare Advantage enrollment could impact the volume of traditional Medicare ground ambulance transports. Includes data on ground ambulance transports by service area population density.
Author(s): Petra W. Rasmussen, Jonathan Cantor, Jennifer Gildner, Sara Heins, Andrew W. Mulcahy
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RAND Corporation
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Geographic Variation in Trauma Deaths in Rural Illinois: A Hypothesis about Trauma Deserts
Analyzes the relationship between trauma deserts and trauma mortality in Illinois counties. Includes metro versus nonmetro comparisons of mortality rates due to various health conditions, as well as driving distances to the nearest emergency medical services (EMS) by county.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Report on Prevention of Out-Of-Network Ground Ambulance Emergency Service Balance Billing
Recommendations from the Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee, convened between May and November, 2023, to protect consumers from balance billing and protect their access to emergency services. Features sections on rural ambulance services and community paramedicine.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee
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Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS): Rural and Super Rural Organizations Tip Sheet
Covers 6 Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS) tips and common reporting scenarios for ground ambulance organizations serving rural and super rural areas. Intended to help highlight geographic differences in costs, revenues, and services.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Frontline Presence, Building Trust, Emergency Preparedness, and Lessons Learned: Q&A with Dr. Tim Putnam
An interview with Tim Putnam sharing rural health leadership insights from his experiences as a rural hospital CEO, a member of a White House task force, and in an academic healthcare policy position.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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2024 EMS Index: North Dakota Rural EMS Counts
Presents data on rural-relevant EMS quality measures for North Dakota, focusing on cardiac, stroke, pain, vitals, and safety using 2023 data from the North Dakota State EMS Repository. Compares metrics in each focal area to national rates.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organizations: ESO, North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, North Dakota EMS Association, University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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Mississippi State Department of Health 2024 Annual Report
Offers overview of public health indicators for residents of the state of Mississippi including mortality, teen birth rates, various health conditions, and vaccination. Discusses regulation and legislative changes, pharmaceutical programs, lab services, public health outreach, rural health and primary care, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and administrative updates.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Mississippi State Department of Health
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Introducing K-DATA: Kentucky - Demographics, Analytics, Trends and Access (K-DATA)
Reports on health and population in Kentucky. Includes coverage of state demographics, social determinants of health, healthcare workforce supply and distribution, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), access to care, facilities, public health programs, nutrition, youth, people with disabilities, substance use disorder, cancer, diabetes, and characteristics of Kentucky's rural, urban, Delta, and Appalachian regions.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health
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2023 Indiana EMS Workforce Assessment
Provides an overview of the emergency medical services (EMS) workforce in Indiana. Focuses on sustainable EMS workforce tracking, pipeline and retention assessments, and county-level workforce needs. Includes county-level data on population characteristics, such as uninsurance, opioid use, and emergency department utilization rates as compared to EMS workforce characteristics and supply in each respective county.
Author(s): Mykayla Tobin, Becky Boustani, Courtney Medlock, Sierra Vaughn, Hannah L. Maxey
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Changes in Perceptions of First Responders after Witnessing a Drug Overdose: Individual and Contextual Variations among People Who Use Opioids in West Virginia
Evaluates changes in attitude toward first responders among people who witnessed an overdose and stayed until first responders arrived. Utilizes interview data from 50 nonmedical users of prescription opioids from 3 rural Appalachian West Virginia counties. Identifies personal and contextual factors associated with changed perceptions of first responders.
Author(s): Kathleen L. Egan, Kelly Gurka, Alexandria Macmadu, Herb Linn
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 5(3), 22-37
Date: 12/2023
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