The RUPRI Health Panel has released a new policy brief that explores Emergency Medical Services (EMS) regionalization across rural states. The report highlights how regionalized systems can reduce the effect of resource constraints in rural communities through coordination within and across regions to share resources, standardized protocols, and dispatch functions. Using a 50-state analysis and a Minnesota case study, the brief explores the variation in EMS regionalization across the U.S., highlights successful regionalization models, and identifies policy barriers. It concludes with recommendations for flexible regulatory frameworks, sustainable funding, and strong medical direction.
Principal Authors: Eli Steenhoek, MPH; and Lauren Lavin, BS (Guest authors)
Contributing Author: Keith Mueller, PhD, Chair
Prepared by the RUPRI Health Panel: Alva O. Ferdinand, DrPh, JD; Alana D. Knudson, PhD; Jennifer P. Lundblad, PhD, MBA; A. Clinton MacKinney, MD, MS; and Timothy D. McBride, PhD