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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency medical services

Volunteer Ambulance Service Sustainability: A Self-Assessment Tool
Assists volunteer ambulance services across the United States in recruiting and retaining volunteers. Includes self-assessment questions covering strengths, weaknesses, and long-term survivability. A product of the North Dakota Rural EMS Improvement Project.
Date: 2011
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: North Dakota Department of Health, SafeTech Solutions
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Preparedness and Response to a Rural Mass Casualty Incident: Workshop Summary
Discusses problems in contacting emergency medical services when incidents occur in rural areas, such as delayed assistance, limited or no cell phone service, limited access to land lines, no 911 service, transportation, lack of hospital resources, and distances between hospitals and incident sites.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Kristin Viswanathan, Theresa Wizemann, Bruce Altevogt
Date: 2011
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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A Novel Emergency Medical Services-Based Program to Identify and Assist Older Adults in a Rural Community
Describes a program using EMS providers to screen older adults for common geriatric syndromes and provide referrals to case managers and community resources.
Author(s): Manish N. Shah, Thomas V. Caprio, Peter Swanson, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 58(11), 2205-2211
Date: 11/2010
Type: Document
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Rural Volunteer EMS: Reports from the Field
Explores the state of rural emergency medical services (EMS) by interviewing 49 local directors from all-volunteer rural services in 23 states. Addresses rural volunteers, recruitment and retention of EMTs, funding rural EMS agencies, billing, and more.
Author(s): Victoria A. Freeman, Stephen Rutledge, Michael Hamon, Rebecca T. Slifkin
Date: 08/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Improving Access to EMS and Health Care in Rural Communities: A Strategic Plan
Summarizes challenges emergency medical services (EMS) face in rural areas and offers recommendations and strategies to improve access to EMS in rural communities.
Date: 07/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Joint Committee of Rural Emergency Care, National Association of State EMS Officials, National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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State Flex Program EMS/Trauma Activities and Integration of Critical Access Hospitals into Trauma Systems
Examines State Flex Program trauma-related and emergency medical system (EMS) activities and the designation of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) as trauma centers. Includes data by state on CAH trauma center designation.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Walter Gregg, Nicholas Jennings, Christopher Dickerson
Date: 03/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Experiences of Critical Access Hospitals in the Provision of Emergency Medical Services
Examines the experiences of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in operating an emergency medical services (EMS) unit. Findings are based on a rural ambulance service literature review and interviews with administrators and ambulance staff from five CAHs. Discusses the benefits and challenges that CAH providers face in operating EMS services.
Author(s): Janet P. Sutton, June Eichner
Date: 10/2008
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Challenges for Rural Emergency Medical Services: Medical Oversight
Examines the challenges faced by rural emergency medical service agencies in recruiting a medical director and providing medical direction for EMS personnel.
Author(s): Victoria Freeman, Rebecca Slifkin, Daniel Patterson
Date: 05/2008
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Rural-Urban Differences in Characteristics of Local EMS Agencies
Describes the characteristics of local rural EMS agencies and important ways that they differ from the characteristics of agencies located in urban areas.
Author(s): Victoria Freeman, Rebecca Slifkin, Daniel Patterson
Date: 05/2008
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Issues in Staffing Emergency Medical Services: A National Survey of Local Rural and Urban EMS Directors
Explores rural-urban differences in medical oversight and the recruitment and retention of emergency medical technicians and paramedics as reported by a survey of 1,425 local EMS directors.
Author(s): Victoria Freeman
Date: 05/2008
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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