Emergency Medical Services
Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies in North Dakota face significant challenges. Over 90 percent of EMS staff are volunteer, with continually dwindling numbers. Many ambulance services and quick response units do not have reliable and sustainable funding sources. To support North Dakota rural EMS agencies, the North Dakota Flex Program at the Center for Rural Health:
- Assists in conducting research on rural emergency infrastructure.
- Facilitates and encourages the ongoing collaboration between rural EMS agencies, Critical Access Hospitals, and rural communities in developing collaborative regional or local systems of care, addressing community needs, and integrating EMS throughout North Dakota.
- Partners with the North Dakota EMS Association to provide quality improvement initiatives for EMS units.
- Works with North Dakota Health & Human Services, Division of EMS and Trauma and other stakeholders.
For more information, see the Rural Emergency Medical Services page on the Center for Rural Health's Rural Health Information Hub website.
Key Contact
Jody Ward, MS, RN,
APHN
Program Director