Rural EMS
Overview
The provision of emergency medical services in the rural environment poses many challenges. The remoteness and inaccessibility of some rural and wilderness areas significantly reduces the capacity of EMS agencies to respond to a patient in need. Other challenges include poor provider reimbursement, recruitment and retention difficulties, a dwindling pool of volunteer personnel, aging infrastructure, communication technology problems, lack of access to qualified medical direction, and continuing education. NASEMSO recognizes the need for a continued focus on the needs facing the EMS systems in rural and frontier areas.
Rural EMS Committee Purpose:
- Engage NASEMSO on topics relevant to rural and frontier EMS.
- Provide rural input and expertise to the NASEMSO organization and executive committee.
- Promote interaction and collaboration with other rural EMS partners.
Rural EMS Committee Documents:
- 2008 Annual Report and 2009 Work Plan (01/12/09)
- Memorandum of Understanding between NOSORH and NASEMSO (01/12/09)
- Summary of the 2nd Annual National Rural Emergency Preparedness
Summit, Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC), Oct. 7-8, 2008, San Antonio, TX (01/12/09) - SORH and EMS Learning Session, May 20, 2008 (01/12/09)
- Strategic Plan (04/14/08)This plan is a living document which reflects short and long term projects and strategies of the committee. This plan also lists other organizations that the committee maintains partnerships with. Strategic Plan (04/14/08)
- Committee Meeting Minutes (03/23/08)
Past Rural EMS Committee Projects
Rural Emergency Medical Services Technical Assistance Center
NASEMSO supported the establishment of a Rural EMS Technical Assistance Center to guide system and policy development and support improved decision-making at the national level. While REMSTTAC is currently unfunded, the web presence of the center is maintained within the Critical Illness and Trauma Foundation. The committee continues to support refunding this center.
Wildland Fires
NASEMSO supports the development of an organized approach for granting legal recognition to out-of-state personnel fighting wildland fires. Work with this project has been renewed in 2008 and federal partners, NASEMO and others are working towards standardization of medical components of wildland fire fighting.
Rural/Frontier EMS Agenda for the Future
The Rural/Frontier EMS Agenda for the Future was a joint project of NASEMSO and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, funded by the NRHA and ORHP/HRSA. NASEMSD members on the steering committee included: Fergus Laughridge, Jim Derrick, Jim Prince, Dean Cole, David Lake, and Greg Mears.
You can download a PDF copy of the final report, order print copies, and read about the project here.
2004 State EMS Rural Needs Survey
In April 2004, NASEMSO released the State EMS Rural Needs Survey. This survey was conducted as part of the development of the national Rural/Frontier EMS Agenda for the Future. It replicates part of Challenges of Rural Emergency Medical Services - An Opinion Survey of State EMS Directors, a report published by Bob Bailey, Inc. for the Office of Rural Health Policy in 2000. The portions replicated include the identification of needs and issues important to the provision of rural EMS, and the perceived need for capital budget items for the provision of rural EMS.
Personnel recruitment/retention remains the single most significant issue or need in the provision of rural EMS, according to both the 2000 and 2004 surveys. Financing remained a prominently identified need through both surveys, while 24/7 coverage, communications and response time emerged as far greater concerns in the 2004 survey than in 2000.
Communications equipment was the most often cited capital equipment/facility need in both surveys by slight margins. Training equipment, medical equipment and ambulances were also strong finishers in 2004.
The survey results are available here.