Regional EMS Study Identifies Paths Toward Sustainability, Causer Says

With challenges continuing to mount for emergency medical services (EMS) in rural Pennsylvania, area officials and EMS providers gathered Tuesday to hear the results of a comprehensive study of the EMS delivery system and staffing challenges in the region.

“Our ambulance services go above and beyond every day to meet the needs of our communities, but the demands are increasing while the number of EMS providers is declining,” said Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter), who also heads the local EMS Task Force. “In addition, costs are going up while revenues are down.

“The bottom line is that, despite the progress we have made over the years, the current system is not sustainable, and I am hopeful the information gathered in the study and the recommendations to address these issues will put us on a path toward sustainability for the future.”

The study found most EMS agencies in the region are operating in a deficit, so identifying more reliable funding sources is a top priority. Recommendations to achieve that goal include boosting local municipal funding and subscription/membership programs; pursuing grants from state and federal funding programs; and optimizing billing by improving collection, billing for non-transport services, and pursuing shared or collaborative billing.

With the average number of personnel per agency averaging fewer than 15 people, the study also focuses on ways to optimize current staffing by considering shared staffing that would reduce overtime, spread workload and improve coverage reliability; moving away from reactive mutual aid to planned regional resource sharing; and consolidating administrative tasks, such as billing, grant writing, training coordination and business support functions.

Recruitment and retention are also a focus of the study as they are vital to preserving the current workforce and building upon it. Recommendations include building structured training pipelines by removing financial barriers, creating early interest in EMS careers and building college partnerships; offering competitive compensation and benefits; investing in leadership, mentoring and recognition; seeking funding from the Commonwealth for tuition assistance, scholarships and dual enrollment funding; boosting staff incentives; and better marketing for the opportunities offered in EMS careers.

Finally, the study points to the need for improved coordination between EMS agencies and hospitals to ensure faster handoffs of patients in order to get the ambulance back in service; improved communication to reduce delays; and pursing alternative models, such as nurse triage, community paramedicine and telehealth, to divert low-acuity demand and preserve capacity for true emergencies.

“We have long known there are no quick or easy solutions to the challenges we are facing in EMS, but we have a lot of people who are passionate about this work and are committed to serving our communities,” Causer said. “The data assessments, specific recommendations and timelines outlined in the study offer us a path forward, and we will be taking a closer look at them in the weeks ahead to determine our next steps.”

Causer said he hopes to build on the progress made in recent years, which includes increased Medicaid reimbursement rates and support for more affordable and accessible training opportunities. He is also advocating for legislation that would modify staffing requirements, require direct payment by insurance companies to ambulance service providers, ensure Medicaid reimbursement is provided for treatment that does not include transport and create an Office of EMS Commissioner to elevate the voices of ambulance services across the state.

Causer thanked the EMS providers and local officials who took the time to participate in the study, as well as Workforce Solutions for North Central PA, which funded the initiative. The study was conducted by MCM Consulting Group Inc. and focused on the six-county area covered by Workforce Solutions: Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties.

The 675-page report was assembled with input from EMS agencies, fire company quick response services and municipal officials through surveys and interviews. It includes data from calendar years 2023, 2024 and 2025.

It is available for viewing under the “resources” tab at www.RepCauser.com.