Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Trauma resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

Event: The Rural Stroke Readiness Blueprint: Coordinating Emergency Care

Fri, 22 May 2026 17:21:07 -0500

-- American Heart Association

News: National EMS Week 2026: Improving Outcomes, Together

Tue, 19 May 2026 09:49:32 -0500

Highlights the role of emergency medical services in Indian Country. The theme for this year's National EMS Week reflects teamwork and coordination that strengthen emergency care, improve outcomes, and help to save lives.

News: NTIA, FirstNet Authority: Public Combined Board and Board Committees Meeting

Mon, 18 May 2026 21:15:59 -0500

Notice from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) announcing a public meeting of the FirstNet Authority Board and Board Committees on June 2, 2026, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Agenda items are being finalized and will be published on the FirstNet Authority website. Public attendance will be available online only.

News: Lessons Learned From a Grain Entrapment Rescue

Mon, 11 May 2026 10:39:12 -0500

Highlights the dangers of grain bin entrapment, profiling a rescue operation in Switzerland County, Indiana. A grain rescue tube developed at Purdue University was used successfully by first responders who had practiced with it regularly.

Event: Coordinating with Emergency Medical Services to Improve Data Driven Safety Analysis and Traffic Incident Management in Rural Areas

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:27:50 -0500

-- Federal Highway Administration

Resource: Ambulance Deserts and Health Care Deserts

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:31:35 -0500

Story maps illustrating the intersection of ambulance deserts and rural healthcare deserts in 2020 across 41 states. Maps include the locations of hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Presents data on the number and percent of rural residents living in ambulance deserts and healthcare deserts in each state and by region. Builds on a 2023 chartbook, Ambulance Deserts: Geographic Disparities in the Provision of Ambulance Services. -- Northeast Rural Health Research Center

Resource: The Golden Hour Is Elusive in Rural Trauma: A 10-year Analysis from a Level I Trauma Center in Montana

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:11:20 -0500

Analyzed 4,213 trauma patients between 2012 and 2022 at a Level 1 trauma facility in Montana to determine whether trauma transfer patterns and rurality impacted outcomes. Discusses the goal of offering definitive care within 1 hour of injury and the impact of workforce shortages in rural areas.

Resource: March 2026 MedPAC Meeting Transcript

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:45:22 -0600

Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2026 meeting. Covers research and proposals related to the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system, access to hospice and certain complex palliative services for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease and beneficiaries with cancer, provider participation in Medicare Advantage (MA) networks, MA encounter data in risk adjustment, the complexity of Medicare enrollment decisions for beneficiaries, and Medicare Part B premium payment basics. Includes rural references and considerations throughout. -- Medicare Payment Advisory Commission

Resource: Telemedicine in Rural EMS: Expanding Capabilities and Scope

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:28:51 -0600

Discusses the integration of telemedicine and emergency medical services (EMS) for improving rural health outcomes by connecting EMS with trauma specialists and expanding what is available as prehospital care. Describes the workforce, equipment, and infrastructure needs.

Event: 2026 National Conference on EMS

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:34:33 -0600

Atlantic City NJ
November 19, 2026

Resource: Simulation on Wheels: How Mobile Training Is Saving Lives in Rural Iowa

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 08:59:46 -0600

Podcast episode that discusses Simulation in Motion-Iowa (SIM-IA), a mobile clinical education program that provides rural hospitals and emergency medical service (EMS) professionals training experience in healthcare emergencies. Discusses the importance of SIM-IA in rural healthcare education to promote quality and patient safety in EMS and trauma situations. -- American Hospital Association

Resource: Emergency Medical Services Legislation Database

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:28:45 -0600

Identifies state legislation addressing emergency medical services, including administration, funding, regulations, systems of care, and workforce. Updated every two weeks, with information on legislation starting in 2021. Searchable by year, state, topic, or keyword. -- National Conference of State Legislatures

Resource: Advancing Trauma Systems in the United States: Bridging Disparities Through State-Level Legislation and a Health Systems Approach

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 09:21:23 -0600

Discusses disparities in trauma care in rural and urban communities in the United States. Examines weaknesses in the current trauma system and provides associated legislative solutions. Offers policy strategies for rural regions and trauma systems with limited capacity.

Resource: Rural EMS Regionalization - Opportunities and Policy Considerations

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:04:51 -0500

Explores models of emergency medical services (EMS) at the state level. Includes a case study exploring successes in Minnesota and offers policy recommendations to overcome common rural EMS challenges. -- Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel

Resource: Quantitative Effects of Mechanical Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Devices in Rural American Emergency Medical Services: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:23:48 -0500

Examines the effect of mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidents in rural areas and the usefulness of new technologies on rural emergency medical services (EMS). Utilizes 2017–2019 National Emergency Medical Services Information System data to analyze 585 rural cardiac arrests and the impact of mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation on EMS care quality.

Resource: Characteristics and Trends of Critical Access Hospitals That Own or Operate Ambulance Services

Fri, 16 May 2025 10:08:49 -0500

Explores trends in the number of Critical Access Hospital (CAH)-based ambulance services between 2017 and 2022. Analyzes Medicare Cost Report data to compare the characteristics of of CAHs that own and operate ambulance services to CAHs that do not. Presents findings from interviews with eight CAH-based ambulance services regarding the challenges of operating these services, including workforce recruitment and retention issues, the role of partnerships and community involvement, and lessons learned. -- Flex Monitoring Team

Resource: AHRQ Summit to Address Emergency Department Boarding: Technical Report

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 15:55:33 -0500

Report from an October 2024 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) summit to discuss emergency department boarding. Examines some of emergency physicians' biggest concerns and highlights possible solutions to address boarding head-on, including enhancing measurement and standards, re-aligning hospital incentives, and increasing support to empower emergency physicians to do their jobs effectively. Includes sections on rural patients and rural areas. -- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Resource: Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model: Final Evaluation Report

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 10:24:55 -0600

Presents quantitative and qualitative results from the evaluation of the Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model, a voluntary model that allowed ambulance care teams to use alternate models of emergency healthcare to improve quality and lower care costs. Describes the characteristics of ET3 participants, the extent to which ET3 interventions successfully prevented emergency department (ED) visits, and how average Medicare Parts A and B spending for patients that received ET3 interventions compared to patients who had low acuity ED visits. Discusses challenges and barriers to delivering ET3 interventions. Includes rural references throughout. -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Resource: Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS) Report: Year 1 and Year 2 Cohort Analysis

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 14:16:08 -0600

Provides data from the first two cohorts of ground ambulance organizations selected to participate in the Ground Ambulance Data Collection System. Includes response rates, information on data cleaning and validation, statistics summarizing responses, and analyses exploring relationships between costs per service and organizational characteristics. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, rural, and super rural areas. -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, RAND Corporation

Resource: Emergency Medical Services (EMS): A Look at Disparities in Funding and Outcomes

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 15:36:33 -0600

Details disparities related to rurality, income, sex, and race in emergency medical services (EMS) funding, staffing, and patient outcomes. Provides a case study of local EMS agencies in 11 California counties, highlighting challenges rural agencies face related to funding and quality of care. -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Resource: Workforce Toolkit to Support Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Providers

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 08:43:34 -0500

Toolkit intended to help Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other rural providers improve workforce recruitment and retention efforts. Provides information on healthcare workforce challenges faced by CAHs. Offers examples of external resources that CAHs may utilize to address their workforce needs across four topics: organizational culture and leadership, leveraging partnerships, emergency medical services workforce, and administrative and support staff workforce. -- Flex Monitoring Team

Resource: Ground Ambulance Industry Trends, 2017–2022: An Analysis of Ground Ambulance Organization Entrance and Exit

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 14:23:12 -0500

Describes ground ambulance trends from 2017 to 2022, focusing on organizational characteristics associated with organizations' entry into or exit from the Medicare program. Presents data on the likelihood of entry and exit by a ground ambulance transportation organization by ownership status; urban, rural, or super rural location; and volume. Examines the change in traditional fee-for-service Medicare ground ambulance transport volume at the county level after an organization enters or exits the market. -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Resource: With New EMS Quality Measures, Florida Aims to Have a National Impact on Rural Care

Fri, 24 May 2024 13:31:36 -0500

Features the Feasible, Actionable, Impactful and Relevant (FAIR) EMS Measurement Project, an initiative by the Florida Department of Health which developed rural-relevant EMS quality measures for use in the state and nationally. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Funding opportunity: Rural Emergency Communications Operational Rapid Assistance Package Technical Assistance Program

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 17:34:41 -0500

Technical assistance for rural communities to help examine barriers and identify solutions to enhance existing emergency communications infrastructure to improve the delivery of rural emergency medical services. -- U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Resource: The Effect of Rural Hospital Closures on Emergency Medical Service Response and Transport Times

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 09:57:51 -0500

Examines ways in which rural hospital closures affect EMS response time, transport time, and total activation time, using data from 2010-2016. Features statistics comparing rates prior to rural hospital closure and immediately post-closure.

Resource: Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS): Rural and Super Rural Organizations Tip Sheet

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 10:52:36 -0600

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. -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Resource: First Responder Network Authority Roadmap

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 09:21:30 -0600

Describes First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) programs, activities, and investments to support the creation and evolution of a dedicated and differentiated broadband communications network. Discusses efforts to enhance coverage in rural areas.

Resource: Keeping Rural EMS Reliable and Sustainable, with James Small

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 11:19:46 -0600

An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring James Small, Rural EMS Outreach Director for the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health. Focuses on rural emergency medical services workforce and funding shortages, and how rural EMS can be maintained and expanded. -- Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: A Consensus Panel Approach to Estimating the Start-Up and Annual Service Costs for Rural Ambulance Agencies

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 10:14:22 -0500

Policy brief exploring the costs of running ambulance services for 3 population-based service tiers. Establishes a minimum access standard for ambulances servicing a 25-minute travel time from the ambulance station, and enables policymakers and community stakeholders to develop strategic plans for the financing and provision of ambulance services. Features statistics on number of calls, population ranges of service areas, and fixed, depreciation, variable, and administrative costs. -- Maine Rural Health Research Center

Resource: 2023 National Survey on MIH-CP Programs

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 13:28:47 -0500

Results of a February 2023 survey of approximately 400 emergency medical services (EMS) agencies nationwide that have launched mobile integrated healthcare and community paramedicine (MIH-CP) programs. Features statistics on nontraditional services offered, and programs by demographic region served, with breakdowns by 3 levels of population density. -- National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians