Introduction
This module describes some of the most prevalent challenges for recruitment and retention of the rural emergency medical services (EMS) workforce in the U.S. and provides strategies to support CAHs and rural EMS agencies in addressing issues specific to the EMS workforce. The module begins with background information on EMS agencies in rural communities and discusses challenges and examples of strategies for both paid and volunteer EMS positions. The next section of the module discusses resources related to training and education of the EMS workforce, including scholarship and grant opportunities available for EMS personnel. The module then moves into a discussion of mental health in EMS and how agencies can bolster resiliency and address burnout to facilitate retention. The module concludes with examples and resources on community engagement and career exploration opportunities to assist with EMS recruitment. At the end of this module in the appendix, other related resources are provided for reference and as supplemental information.
Challenges Faced by EMS Agencies
Organization of EMS Agencies
Rural EMS agencies are organized differently depending on the individual needs of the community and what resources are available. EMS agencies can be freestanding for-profit or not-for-profit entities, government-owned, or hospital-owned. Government-owned EMS agencies can be based in local fire departments, public safety departments, or other agencies.1 There are a variety of revenue sources for EMS agencies, including federal and state grant funding, local levy funding, and reimbursement through payers for services rendered. Similarly, there are a plethora of arrangements used by EMS agencies across the country to compensate EMS personnel, ranging from completely volunteer positions to full-time, paid EMS staff.1 Some agencies utilize paid on-call EMS workers who are compensated on a case basis, as well as those whose compensation varies greatly from monthly stipends to payment for a fixed number of call responses each month with the expectation of volunteering past that fixed number.1
EMS agencies include staff with varying professional backgrounds and training. Through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), there are four levels of national certification for EMS professionals2:
- Emergency medical responders (EMRs) are often the first on the scene and are trained to provide basic lifesaving measures while the patient awaits a response from additional EMS personnel. EMRs are generally permitted to assist with patient care during medical transportation as long as they are accompanied by providers with higher certification levels.2
- Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) primarily evaluate and triage both urgent and non-urgent medical situations and provide basic life support to facilitate transportation to or from a health care facility. Depending on the location of practice, the patient’s needs, and other factors, EMTs may also care for patients in the hospital setting in accordance with their education and certifications.2
- Advanced emergency medical technicians (AEMTs) serve in the same capacity as EMTs, but are trained further in utilizing medical equipment, as well as administering drugs and fluids.2
- Paramedics are certified to provide more advanced medical care and administer a wider variety of drugs than EMTs or AEMTs.2
Reimbursement
EMS reimbursement is typically based on call volume, and since rural areas tend to have smaller populations, rural EMS agencies may see fewer transports and thus generate less revenue. As a result, some rural EMS agencies with lower volume and less revenue may struggle to afford their operating costs, including employee wages, benefits, continuing education, and certifications.3,4 Further, it has historically been the case that if an agency responds to a call but ends up not transporting a patient, EMS often cannot bill for any transport services or mileage. These types of calls often amount to a large missed sum of revenue for EMS agencies.5
Rising Costs
Another challenge for rural EMS agencies includes a rise in the cost of operations, which has been a problem for EMS agencies nationwide, but can be especially challenging in rural areas, where agencies may have fewer resources at their disposal.4,6 Results from the 2023 National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians survey indicated that overall operational costs for EMS agencies nationwide increased by an average of 8% from 2019 to 2022. Over the same period, the highest categories of increases were equipment and supplies, both rising by 12%, while wages and benefits increased by 10% and 6%, respectively. While overall operational costs increased in recent years, the majority of EMS agencies across the U.S. have seen no change in the fee-for-service revenue per transport. EMS agencies’ rising costs are not being offset by increased revenue, and this contributes to difficulties in compensating and retaining paid staff.6
Strategies Used by EMS Agencies
General Resources
Challenges in recruiting and retaining EMS workforce—both paid and volunteer—include personnel shortages, lack of access to training and accreditation programs, maintaining streams of revenue to support paid EMS positions, and difficulty retaining volunteer EMS personnel.4,7
There are many key partners in supporting EMS agencies. First, through the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program, State Flex Programs (SFPs) who participate in the optional program area for Rural EMS Improvement are able to provide support for rural EMS operational and quality improvement. SFP activities working with rural EMS agencies can include support for education and collaborative learning activities, assistance with community-level and statewide EMS needs assessments and action planning, and help with other EMS improvement initiatives. More information about SFP activities related to EMS can be found in the following Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) publications: Emergency Medical Services Outcome Measurement Strategies for State Flex Programs and Year Three Evaluation Report: Evaluation of the EMS Supplemental Funding Grants.
States are a crucial source of support for EMS agencies, and many have created resources to support EMS agencies in addressing workforce shortages. The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health operates a Rural EMS Outreach Program that provides one-on-one technical support and workforce recruitment strategy sessions for agencies in the state. In Minnesota, the Department of Health has compiled an EMS Toolkit specifically geared toward rural EMS agencies that offers resources and strategies related to EMS funding, leadership and management, and recruitment and retention. The Virginia Department of Health offers an EMS Workforce Retention Toolkit, which provides a series of four workbooks relating to EMS retention principles, problems, maximizing retention efforts, and retaining advanced life support providers.
National organizations like the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) also offer support for EMS agencies seeking to address workforce challenges. NAEMT has created a guidebook, Innovative Recruitment Strategies for EMS Agencies, which provides examples of best practices in EMS recruitment. The National Rural Health Resource Center also has an EMS Workforce Resource page that includes links to a variety of toolkits and best practice guides for building the EMS workforce and a resilient culture.
Training and Education
Rural EMS personnel may have limited access to training and educational opportunities in their community, and if such programs exist locally, they can have prohibitively high costs associated with course registration, materials, and time commitment. Increasing access and decreasing educational barriers is imperative to ensuring that the EMS workforce continues to meet the needs of their communities.8
The Arkansas Rural Health Partnership is launching an initiative through funding from the Delta Regional Authority to focus on a two-year program to offer entry-level EMT and advanced paramedic and community paramedic training programs to students in underserved regions. The Arkansas Rural Health Partnership website also includes a webpage that summarizes their health care workforce initiatives, including those related to EMS, more broadly.
The EMS Corps Workforce Development Program is a five-month training program that provides EMT training for young adults in California, New Mexico, New Jersey, and the City of New Orleans. The program provides participants with a monthly stipend, mentorship opportunities, and career counseling. Upon graduation from the program, participants also receive job placement support. The program is publicly funded and utilizes a braided funding strategy that integrates multiple funding streams and collaborations with local workforce development initiatives, child-serving systems, public health departments, and philanthropists.
The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) was awarded a Flex grant to create promotional videos to assist rural agencies in recruitment of EMS personnel and to create a mobile application featuring EMS training resources. The mobile application, titled Medrills, offers webinars and training exercises that EMS personnel in Illinois can utilize and apply towards continuing education credits. Courses include basic EMT training, Advanced Life Support and Pediatric Life Support, and Advanced Trauma Life Support.
Additionally, we have compiled a list of additional example activities to expand access to training opportunities for rural EMS personnel.
- Humboldt General Hospital EMS Rescue in Humboldt, Nevada has partnered with a local community college to offer EMT certification courses, which are hosted in the Rescue’s facility to be most accessible to students living in the community.
- Providence Health Training is a free and low-cost online and in-person training program for EMS workers and other first responders in the northwestern U.S.. This includes the ability to request that a specific course or training program be brought to an in-person location. Course offerings include EMT, paramedic, AEMT, and Nurse Assessment Coordinator (NAC) certification courses as well as continuing education opportunities including advanced life support.
- The EMS Live@Nite Program offers free monthly training sessions on topics recommended by participants, such as trauma, fatigue in EMS, documentation, and legal liability.
- The Critical Access Integrated Paramedics program facilitated by the Jackson Community Health Center allows practicing paramedics to participate in online courses and in-person lab sessions to strengthen skills such as ultrasounds, splinting, and wound care.
Scholarships and Grants
Since the costs associated with certification and licensure may be a barrier for some EMS personnel—especially volunteers—one way to improve recruitment and retention is by providing scholarships or grants for those in EMS. Below are some examples of such funding opportunities available for individuals:
- Sanford Health sponsors scholarships for tuition and fees for residents interested in pursuing EMT training in areas where Sanford Health has a presence, namely most of North Dakota and western Minnesota. The grant page (linked above) provides more information on this program, including a list of qualifying eligibility areas.
- The Texas Department of State Health Services offers scholarships to be applied toward EMT, AEMT, and paramedic courses, with a focus on residents of rural and underserved areas across the state. Scholarships are tied to service commitments dependent on the type of courses funded.
- The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services offers EMS-specific workforce grants for agencies in their state. The purpose of these grants is to increase access to EMS education through tuition support and reimbursement, with an emphasis on paramedic training in underserved areas.
- The Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services facilitates a grant program to support rural ambulance services with training, certification, and recruitment of EMS personnel.
Cross-Certification
One opportunity to alleviate workforce shortages in CAHs and EMS agencies is to cross-certify staff so they may fulfill other roles within a hospital when not needed for EMS calls. The FMT spoke with staff at Forks Community Hospital, a CAH in Forks, Washington, who provided one example of such an initiative. In this case, the hospital owns and operates their own ambulance service and has established a program that allows EMTs to work in the emergency department through a nursing assistant certification program. The program was established because the agency was having trouble retaining volunteer personnel, who could not devote enough time to their positions in a volunteer capacity. To fill gaps and recruit staff, the hospital decided to hire full-time EMTs who could be utilized as CNAs or technicians in the emergency department when not needed for emergency calls. Hospital staff told the FMT that this program has lessened staffing fluctuations and has allowed for greater continuity of care for emergency department patients, where EMTs in the field are able to continue caring for patients when they arrive in the hospital.
Working with Volunteers
Volunteers are an integral part of the EMS workforce, especially in rural communities, where they comprise a majority of the EMS workforce and help ensure that rural residents have access to emergency responders.4 However, rural communities are experiencing volunteer shortages as a result of a general, nationwide decline in volunteer participation, long commuting distances for volunteer EMS roles, concerns about EMS job safety, and time commitment concerns.4,9
The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health offers a Volunteer Ambulance Toolkit that provides strategies on how to serve rural communities in the face of volunteer EMS shortages. The toolkit provides strategies for maintaining EMS care in the community while recruiting, as well as guidelines on cross-credentialing EMS providers in neighboring communities during recruitment periods. This resource also provides guidance on best practices for converting to partial or fully paid EMS services. Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Health EMS Toolkit contains a page dedicated to recruitment and retention within volunteer EMS forces. This page includes guidance for crafting volunteer position descriptions and for recruiting daytime EMS volunteers.
Some states are taking action to provide financial incentives to compensate EMS volunteers for their time. The Oregon Office of Rural Health offers the Oregon Rural Volunteer EMS Provider Tax Credit, which provides volunteer EMS professionals with up to $250 in state income tax credits. The Jeb Stuart Volunteer Rescue Squad in Stuart, Virginia is offering stipends to compensate volunteers for each call they respond to, up to 32 calls per month. While volunteer stipends may not be as much compensation as full-time staff would receive, they may be useful in increasing both recruitment of new volunteers and participation among existing volunteers.
Supporting Mental Health
EMS personnel are often exposed to traumatic and challenging events while on the job and are at risk of experiencing burnout, compassion fatigue, and PTSD, as well as other negative impacts to their mental health.10,11 Additionally, research suggests there is still some stigma associated with mental health topics among the EMS workforce, and that some EMS personnel may be hesitant to seek support.12 As such, EMS agencies must make efforts to support their staff’s mental health to ensure a resilient and effective workforce. Below is a list of resources that may be helpful in supporting mental health among the EMS workforce:
- Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC): The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) operates the DTAC, which offers stress management tools for first responders.
- PTSD and Mental Health Toolkit: The League of Minnesota Cities developed this toolkit, which is specifically geared toward supporting public safety personnel. It provides information on seeking treatment for mental health concerns, resources for human resources personnel, and strategies for support and intervention from peers in the workplace.
- Vicarious Trauma Toolkit: The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime has developed this toolkit, which covers staff health and wellness, professional development, work environment, management, and leadership.
- National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP): This webpage offers a variety of tools and resources EMS agencies may utilize to support mental health among their staff.
- National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT): NAEMT has compiled a list of resources on mental health and wellness among EMS professionals.
Career Exploration and Community Engagement
To help with recruitment, EMS agencies can focus on community engagement and exposure activities to educate the public, especially younger individuals and students, about EMS as a career path. As one example, the FMT spoke with a representative at the Maine Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, which has created the Maine EMS Explorer Program. This program seeks to give students ages 16-18 greater opportunity to explore EMS as a potential career path with low barriers and minimal costs. The Explorer Program works with schools across Maine to facilitate experiences that can be tailored for each local EMS agency and the surrounding community. Activities organized through this program have included demonstrations of EMS vehicles, shadowing EMTs on calls, and participation in community events with local EMS agencies.
Rescue Divas is a five-day EMS summer camp for girls grades 6-8 in rural northwest Wisconsin. This program allows students to participate in activities related to both volunteer and paid EMS positions. Throughout the week, participants can become certified in CPR and first aid, while learning from a variety of experts and participating in hands-on activities such as canine search and rescue and tours of local EMS agencies.
Michigan State University offers EMS Continuing Education Events and Workshops for EMS professionals that are currently practicing. These events, which are free to attend, are hosted in webinar and workshop format by experts in the EMS field on a variety of topics. The University also offers an EMS Leadership Academy over the summer in addition to the EMS Quality Improvement and Data Summit. Registration costs vary for these additional programming events.
Conclusion
Overall, there are many solutions being implemented in rural communities across the U.S. to creatively address EMS recruitment and retention challenges. EMS is an incredibly diverse and dynamic field with various agency models to accommodate paid and volunteer workforce availability. To further support and grow the EMS workforce in rural communities, it may be helpful for federal and other agencies to provide additional funding support and to consider alternative EMS reimbursement models. The needs of rural communities across the U.S. are hard to meet with a one-size-fits all solution, and there are a variety of tools and resources that can be adapted to local EMS workforce challenges.
Appendix
This appendix lists all resources referenced in the above module, organized according to the module headings. This appendix also features additional resources that were not included in the module. Each of the listed resources includes a description and link to the corresponding resource.
General Resources | ||
|---|---|---|
| Resource | Description | Link |
| 2019 Rural Emergency Care Integration Summit Report – The National Rural Health Resource Center | This resource summarizes the 2019 Rural Emergency Care Integration Summit, which sought to address the need for rural EMS to transition to value-based care models. The report provides insights and strategies for rural EMS agencies, hospitals, and State Flex Programs to collaborate effectively, improve care quality, and integrate new payment and care models while navigating challenges related to workforce, technology, and financial sustainability. | https://www.ruralcenter.org/sites/default/files/2019 Rural Emergency Care Integration Summit Summary 508.pdf |
| Emergency Medical Services Outcome Measurement Strategies for State Flex Programs – Flex Monitoring Team | This brief outlines strategies for measuring the outcomes of EMS interventions funded by the Flex Program. It provides a framework for State Flex Programs to assess EMS needs, implement educational programs, create learning collaboratives, develop interventions, and utilize outcome measures to track the impact of these initiatives. | https://www.flexmonitoring.org/publication/emergency-medical-services-outcome-measurement-strategies-state-flex-programs |
| EMS Toolkit – Minnesota Department of Health | This toolkit is specifically geared toward rural EMS agencies, offering resources and strategies related to EMS funding, leadership and management, and recruitment and retention. | https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/emskit/index.html |
| EMS Workforce Retention Toolkit – Virginia Department of Health | This toolkit contains guides and worksheets to support EMS agencies with recruitment and retention of their general workforce, plus two resources specifically focused on retention of Advanced Life Support (ALS) providers. | https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/emergency-medical-services/ems-workforce-retention-tool-kit/ |
| EMS Workforce Webpage – The National Rural Health Resource Center | This webpage summarizes the Rural Community Ambulance Agency Transformation Readiness Assessment and provides associated resources which can be used by rural EMS agencies to address workforce shortages. | https://www.ruralcenter.org/resources/ems-workforce |
| Innovative Recruitment Strategies for EMS Agencies – National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians | This resource provides strategies to address EMS workforce challenges, including engagement of high school and college students, outreach to diverse communities, leveraging social media marketing, and strategic planning. | https://naemt.org/docs/default-source/2017-publication-docs/recruitment-strategies-02-04-2022-1.pdf?sfvrsn=2bade893_2 |
| Rural EMS Outreach Program – Wisconsin Office of Rural Health | This program provides technical support and workforce recruitment strategy sessions for rural EMS agencies in Wisconsin. | https://worh.org/resources/health-care/ems/support/ |
| Year Three Evaluation Report: Evaluation of the EMS Supplemental Funding Grants – Flex Monitoring Team | This report reviews the progress and lessons learned from eight states who received Flex Program funding to develop sustainable EMS models or improve EMS data reporting and quality in rural areas. | https://www.flexmonitoring.org/publication/year-three-evaluation-report-evaluation-ems-supplemental-funding-grants |
Training and Education | ||
|---|---|---|
| Resource | Description | Link |
| Local EMT Certification Courses – Humboldt General Hospital EMS Rescue | This article discusses a partnership with a local community college to offer EMT certification courses hosted in the Rescue’s facility to be accessible to students living in the community. | https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/rural-monitor/ems-recruitment-retention |
| Arkansas Delta Advance: Emergency Medical Services Training Initiative | This article describes a training initiative funded through the Delta Regional Authority. The initiative focuses on a two-year program offering entry-level EMT, advanced paramedic, and community paramedic training programs to students in underserved regions. | https://talkbusiness.net/2024/04/rural-health-initiative-to-focus-450000-for-emt-training/ |
| Education Incentive Grant Program – Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services | This is a grant program to support rural ambulance services with training, certification, and recruitment of EMS personnel in Kansas. | https://ksbems.org/ems/index.php?s=education+incentive+grant |
| EMS Corps Workforce Development Program | This is a five-month training program that provides EMT training for young adults in California, New Mexico, New Jersey, and New Orleans. The program provides participants with a monthly stipend, mentorship opportunities, and career counseling. | https://emscorps.org/ |
| EMS Workforce Programs – North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council | The Texas Department of State Health Services offers scholarships to be applied toward EMT, AEMT, and paramedic courses, with a focus on residents of rural and underserved areas across the state. Scholarships are tied to service commitments dependent on the type of courses funded. | https://ncttrac.org/committees/ems-workforce/ |
| EMS Workforce Training Grants – Michigan Department of Health and Human Services | This press release details several EMS-specific workforce grants available through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of these grants is to increase access to EMS education through tuition support and reimbursement, with an emphasis on paramedic training in underserved areas. | https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/newsroom/2023/05/19/ems-workforce-training-grants |
| Health Workforce: Equip & Educate – Arkansas Rural Health Partnerships (ARHP) | This webpage summarizes ARHP’s health care workforce initiatives and resources available, including those related to EMS. | https://www.arruralhealth.org/arhp-initiatives/health-workforce-equip-educate |
| EMS Training and Promotional Videos – Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) | This article describes ICAHN’s utilization of a Flex grant to create promotional videos to assist rural agencies in recruitment of EMS personnel and to create a mobile application featuring EMS training resources. | https://icahn.org/news/icahn-video-encourages-ems-participation-in-rural-areas/ |
| Maine Critical Access Integrated Paramedics | This program provides opportunities for practicing paramedics to enhance their skills through remote courses and labs at the local community college and clinical rotations in a local emergency department. | https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/project-examples/1101 |
| Providence Health Training | This is a free and low cost online and in-person training program for EMS workers and other first responders in the northwestern U.S. Course offerings include EMT, paramedic, AEMT, and Nurse Assessment Coordinator (NAC) certification courses as well as continuing education opportunities including advanced life support. | https://www.providence.org/locations/wa/health-training |
| Sanford Health EMS Education | Sanford Health sponsors scholarships for tuition and fees for community residents interested in pursuing EMT training in areas where Sanford Health has a presence, namely most of North Dakota and western Minnesota. This web page provides information on this program, including a list of qualifying eligibility areas. | https://www.sanfordhealthemseducation.org/ruralemt |
Working with Volunteers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Resource | Description | Link |
| Volunteer Stipends – Jeb Stuart Volunteer Rescue Squad | This article describes efforts by this rescue squad in Stuart, Virginia, which offers stipends to compensate volunteers for each call they respond to, up to 32 calls per month. | https://martinsvillebulletin.com/news/answering-the-call-after-hospital-s-closing-rescue-squad-looks/article_b48f98db-d3f3-5f5a-ad11-de9a2fa7b30a.html |
| Oregon Rural Volunteer EMS Provider Tax Credit | The State of Oregon offers a $250 personal income tax credit to any individual who volunteers with an EMS agency in an eligible region of the state. | https://www.ohsu.edu/oregon-office-of-rural-health/oregon-rural-volunteer-ems-provider-tax-credit |
| Volunteer Ambulance Toolkit – Wisconsin Office of Rural Health | This toolkit offers recommendations to support EMS agencies that rely on volunteer personnel. Topics covered include transitioning away from volunteer-based models, cross-credentialing with neighboring services, sharing resources, and potential consolidation with other agencies. | https://worh.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Volunteer-Ambulance-Tool-Kit_0.pdf |
| Volunteer Recruitment and Retention | This webpage provides recommendations to support recruitment and retention of volunteer EMS staff. | https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/emskit/index.html |
Supporting Mental Health | ||
|---|---|---|
| Resource | Description | Link |
| EMS Mental Health Webpage – National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) | NAEMT has compiled a list of resources on mental health and wellness among EMS professionals. | https://www.naemt.org/resources/wellness/ems-mental-health |
| First Responders and Disaster Responders Resource Portal | The Disaster Technical Assistance Center, operated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), hosts this webpage with several resources to help with stress management among first responders. | https://www.samhsa.gov/dtac/disaster-responders?utm_source=SAMHSA&utm_campaign=5673ff5524-DTAC_Bulletin_2021_07_14_1600138&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ee1c4b138c-5673ff5524-168845713 |
| PTSD and Mental Health Toolkit – League of Minnesota Cities | This toolkit is specifically geared toward supporting public safety personnel. It provides information on seeking treatment for mental health concerns, resources for human resources personnel, and strategies for support and intervention from peers in the workplace. | https://www.lmc.org/ptsd-mental-health-toolkit/ |
| Supporting EMS Mental Health Webpage – National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) | This webpage offers a variety of tools and resources EMS agencies may utilize to support mental health among their staff. | https://naemsp.org/general_resource/supporting-ems-mental-health/ |
| Vicarious Trauma Toolkit | The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime has developed this toolkit, which covers staff health and wellness, professional development, work environment, management, and leadership. | https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/vtt/tools-ems |
Career Exploration and Community Engagement | ||
|---|---|---|
| Resource | Description | Link |
| Maine EMS Explorer Program | This program, created by the Maine Bureau of Emergency Medical Services seeks to give Maine students ages 16-18 greater opportunity to explore EMS as a potential career path with low barriers and minimal costs. They work with schools across the state to facilitate experiences that can be tailored for each local EMS agency and the surrounding community. | https://www.penbaypilot.com/article/north-haven-island-ems-explorers-teach-cpr-school/182944 |
| Michigan Center for Rural Health EMS Events & Workshops | Michigan State University offers EMS Continuing Education Events and Workshops for current EMS professionals. These free events are hosted in webinar and workshop format by experts in the EMS field on a variety of topics. | https://mcrh.msu.edu/education/ems-continuing-ed/ems-events-workshops |
| Rescue Divas | This program is a five-day EMS summer camp for girls grades 6-8 in rural northwest Wisconsin. It allows students to participate in activities related to both volunteer and paid EMS positions. Throughout the week, participants can become certified in CPR and first aid, while learning from a variety of experts and participating in hands-on activities such as canine search and rescue and tours of local EMS agencies. | https://rescuedivas.org/ |
References
1. McLaughlin C, Riutta O, Busko J. Rural EMS Workforce: A Call to Action. National Rural Health Association Policy Brief. Published online 2021. https://www.ruralhealth.us/getmedia/bbbb4334-99cb-4c35-b2c5-f7eca8e3ceda/NRHA-Policy-Brief-Rural-EMS-Workforce.pdf
2. National Association of State EMS Officials. National EMS Scope of Practice Model 2019: Including Change Notices 1.0 and 2.0. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2021.
3. Mueller LR, Donnelly JP, Jacobson KE, Carlson JN, Mann NC, Wang HE. National Characteristics of Emergency Medical Services in Frontier and Remote Areas. Prehospital Emergency Care. 2016;20(2):191-199. doi:10.3109/10903127.2015.1086846
4. A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller, Andrew F. Coburn, Alana Knudson, Jennifer P. Lundblad, Timothy D. McBride. Characteristics and Challenges of Rural Ambulance Agencies – A Brief Review and Policy Considerations. Published online January 2021. https://rupri.org/wp-content/uploads/Characteristics-and-Challenges-of-Rural-Ambulance-Agencies-January-2021.pdf
5. Munjal KG, Margolis GS, Kellermann AL. Realignment of EMS Reimbursement Policy: New Hope for Patient-Centered Out-of-Hospital Care. JAMA. 2019;322(4):303-304. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.7488
6. National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. 2023 National Survey: EMS Economic and Operational Models Executive Summary.; 2023. https://naemt.org/docs/default-source/ems-data/ems-economic-and-operational-models-survey-02-20-2023-final.pdf?sfvrsn=1fb9f493_2
7. Oregon Office of Rural Health. 2019 Oregon Rural & Frontier Emergency Medical Services Listening Tour.; 2019. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.oregon.gov/omb/board/Documents/ORH_ListenTour_2019_Web.pdf
8. Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Trauma. Rural Health Information Hub. June 5, 2024. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/emergency-medical-services
9. Lukens J. Recruitment and Retention: Overcoming the Rural EMS Dilemma. The Rural Monitor. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/rural-monitor/ems-recruitment-retention. February 7, 2018. Accessed April 28, 2024.
10. Hruska B, Barduhn MS. Dynamic Psychosocial Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Mental Health in Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Personnel. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2021;282:9-17. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.130
11. Renkiewicz GK, Hubble MW. Secondary Traumatic Stress in Emergency Services Systems (STRESS) Project: Quantifying and Predicting Compassion Fatigue in Emergency Medical Services Personnel. Prehospital Emergency Care. 2022;26(5):652-663. doi:10.1080/10903127.2021.1943578
12. Hutchinson J, Zanskas S. Anxiety, Burnout, Depression, and Suicidality among EMS Professionals: Perceptions of Counseling Services. Journal of Military and Government Counseling. 2021;9(2):71-83.