Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency medical services
EMS Services in Rural America: Challenges and Opportunities
Policy brief describing challenges for rural EMS providers, including workforce shortages and inconsistent funding. Features statistics including percentage of potentially excess deaths for 5 leading causes of death, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and average EMS call time response and distribution of all-volunteer and all-paid staff EMS agencies, with breakdowns by 4 levels of population density. Discusses effects of the opioid crisis and Critical Access Hospital closures on provision of EMS services.
Author(s): Nikki King, Marcus Pigman, Sarah Huling, Brian Hanson
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
Policy brief describing challenges for rural EMS providers, including workforce shortages and inconsistent funding. Features statistics including percentage of potentially excess deaths for 5 leading causes of death, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and average EMS call time response and distribution of all-volunteer and all-paid staff EMS agencies, with breakdowns by 4 levels of population density. Discusses effects of the opioid crisis and Critical Access Hospital closures on provision of EMS services.
Author(s): Nikki King, Marcus Pigman, Sarah Huling, Brian Hanson
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
Leaving the Emergency Department Without Complete Care: Disparities In American Indian Children
Examines children who leave the emergency department (ED) without complete evaluation or care (LWCET) in American Indian (AI) pediatric populations between June 2011 and May 2012. Analyzes 68,461 visits made by 47,228 children to 5 EDs and investigates factors such as demographic characteristics of patient, triage level, distance from the ED, timing of visit, ED activity level, and more.
Author(s): Tess L. Weber, Katherine M. Ziegler, Anupam B. Kharbanda, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 18(267)
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
view details
Examines children who leave the emergency department (ED) without complete evaluation or care (LWCET) in American Indian (AI) pediatric populations between June 2011 and May 2012. Analyzes 68,461 visits made by 47,228 children to 5 EDs and investigates factors such as demographic characteristics of patient, triage level, distance from the ED, timing of visit, ED activity level, and more.
Author(s): Tess L. Weber, Katherine M. Ziegler, Anupam B. Kharbanda, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 18(267)
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
view details
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123): Brief Summary of Division E--The Advancing Chronic Care, Extenders, and Social Services (ACCESS) Act
Brief summary of ACCESS Act provisions, and names of experts knowledgeable about each point. Topics include Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), public health, child and family services, foster care, social impact partnerships, child support enforcement, and prison data reporting. Features provisions specific to institutions and services in rural areas, including hospitals, home health, and ambulance services.
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
view details
Brief summary of ACCESS Act provisions, and names of experts knowledgeable about each point. Topics include Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), public health, child and family services, foster care, social impact partnerships, child support enforcement, and prison data reporting. Features provisions specific to institutions and services in rural areas, including hospitals, home health, and ambulance services.
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
view details
Hospitals and Health Systems Ensuring Access in Their Communities: A Compendium of Case Examples
Identifies 9 primary strategies used by hospitals to increase access to healthcare services in rural and urban areas and offers examples of each. Covers virtual care options such as telehealth, emergency and urgent care models such as freestanding emergency departments (EDs), rural hospital networks, partnerships with Indian Health Service providers, and strategies to address social determinants of health.
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Identifies 9 primary strategies used by hospitals to increase access to healthcare services in rural and urban areas and offers examples of each. Covers virtual care options such as telehealth, emergency and urgent care models such as freestanding emergency departments (EDs), rural hospital networks, partnerships with Indian Health Service providers, and strategies to address social determinants of health.
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Recruitment and Retention: Overcoming the Rural EMS Dilemma
Reports on rural emergency medical services (EMS) workforce challenges and identifies innovative approaches to meet these challenges, highlighting programs in several states. Includes a list of 4 EMS recruitment and retention tactics for rural communities.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Reports on rural emergency medical services (EMS) workforce challenges and identifies innovative approaches to meet these challenges, highlighting programs in several states. Includes a list of 4 EMS recruitment and retention tactics for rural communities.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Promising Practice: Wisconsin Office of Rural Health Rallies EMS Providers in the State
Describes how EMS Day at the Wisconsin capitol brought 50 local EMS agencies and two state EMS associations together to meet with state legislators and advocate for their support and recognition of their needs. This event developed out of an effort by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health (WI-ORH) to design and implement an assessment tool evaluating rural ambulance services within the state.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
view details
Describes how EMS Day at the Wisconsin capitol brought 50 local EMS agencies and two state EMS associations together to meet with state legislators and advocate for their support and recognition of their needs. This event developed out of an effort by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health (WI-ORH) to design and implement an assessment tool evaluating rural ambulance services within the state.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
view details
EMS Response to Multiple Casualty Incidents: A Description of the EMS Responses to Multiple Casualty Incidents in Minnesota, 2014 - 2016
Analyzes emergency medical services (EMS) data to describe multiple casualty incidents (MCIs) in Minnesota from 2014 through 2016. Includes data on MCIs by age, race, gender, rural versus urban areas, provider first impression, and more. Compares response time benchmarks for rural and urban incidents. Offers data describing rural EMS staffing challenges.
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health Statewide Trauma System
view details
Analyzes emergency medical services (EMS) data to describe multiple casualty incidents (MCIs) in Minnesota from 2014 through 2016. Includes data on MCIs by age, race, gender, rural versus urban areas, provider first impression, and more. Compares response time benchmarks for rural and urban incidents. Offers data describing rural EMS staffing challenges.
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health Statewide Trauma System
view details
State Flex Program Rural Emergency Medical Services Assessment Strategies
Policy brief describing the emergency medical service (EMS) assessment projects and tools implemented by five State Flex Programs in Arizona, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin to improve the integration of EMS into rural systems of care. Identifies differences in EMS focused State Flex activities and collaborations to improve local and regional EMS capacity and performance.
Author(s): Karen Pearson, John Gale, Sara Kahn-Troster, Andrew Coburn
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Policy brief describing the emergency medical service (EMS) assessment projects and tools implemented by five State Flex Programs in Arizona, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin to improve the integration of EMS into rural systems of care. Identifies differences in EMS focused State Flex activities and collaborations to improve local and regional EMS capacity and performance.
Author(s): Karen Pearson, John Gale, Sara Kahn-Troster, Andrew Coburn
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Emergency Medical Services Response Times in Rural, Suburban, and Urban Areas
Analyzes 2015 emergency medical services (EMS) data from 485 EMS agencies across the U.S. to describe the time period between a 9-1-1 call and EMS arrival, or response time. Includes EMS response time data for rural, suburban, and urban zip codes.
Author(s): Howard K. Mell, Shannon N. Mumma, Brian Hiestand, et al.
Citation: JAMA Surgery, 152(10), 983-984
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
view details
Analyzes 2015 emergency medical services (EMS) data from 485 EMS agencies across the U.S. to describe the time period between a 9-1-1 call and EMS arrival, or response time. Includes EMS response time data for rural, suburban, and urban zip codes.
Author(s): Howard K. Mell, Shannon N. Mumma, Brian Hiestand, et al.
Citation: JAMA Surgery, 152(10), 983-984
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
view details
FirstNet: Efforts to Establish the Public-Safety Broadband Network
Testimony describing the First Responder Network Authority's (FirstNet) efforts as it works to establish a reliable, secure, and interoperable national public-safety broadband network. Includes a discussion on the challenges associated with providing coverage in rural areas, and addresses concerns about inadequate communication with tribal stakeholders.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Testimony describing the First Responder Network Authority's (FirstNet) efforts as it works to establish a reliable, secure, and interoperable national public-safety broadband network. Includes a discussion on the challenges associated with providing coverage in rural areas, and addresses concerns about inadequate communication with tribal stakeholders.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details