North Arkansas Regional Medical Center seeks funding to aid in the recruitment and training of EMS personnel with a focus on substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring disorders (COD). - North Arkansas Regional Medical Center (NARMC) is seeking funding from the SAMHSA Rural EMS Training program. The goal of the NARMC EMS Training program is to increase the number of paid and volunteer EMS staff in Boone and Newton Counties and the surrounding area by providing all levels of EMS training as appropriate to maintain licenses and certifications relevant to serve in an EMS agency. The objectives are to increase Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) instruction within the next two years. Generally, NARMC trains approximately 25 EMS personnel and three paramedics per year. EMR classes would train 40 people in 2024-25 with 20 projected for 2025-26. EMT classes would train 15 in 2025-26 for a total of 75 people. In addition, four paramedics will be trained in 2025-26. For the purposes of this proposal, the population of focus will be Boone and Newton Counties where NARMC's emergency medical services are concentrated. A major distinguishing feature of the Medical Center's community is the age breakdown of this population. According to U.S. Census Quick Facts, about 24% of the community’s population is over age 65, which is much higher than in Arkansas (17%) or the United States (16%) as a whole. This age group uses more health services than any other and is the focus or target population of this proposal. Most of the population is white, making it much more racially homogenous than either the State of Arkansas or the U.S. Most of the remaining population is Hispanic or Latino, and about a third of this group has limited English proficiency. The average household income in the Medical Center’s community is $56,915, compared to $66,557 for the State of Arkansas and $88,607 for the U.S. Lower-than-average household income suggests that many members of the community may have difficulty obtaining healthcare, especially preventative care. Additionally, in some of the counties in the community, the levels of poverty are significantly higher than the rates in the State of Arkansas and the U.S. Increasing the number of EMS workers in the catchment area will reduce the number of volunteer hours necessary for each EMS worker to provide 24/7 service. With the high rates of unemployment and low median income in the rural service area, the program will provide educational opportunities for individuals who might not otherwise be able to afford the classes, as well as paid career prospects. Looking toward the future, this program will enhance NARMC’s Community Paramedicine (CP) program, where paramedics and emergency medical technicians operate in expanded roles and resources are deployed in a more efficient and effective manner. This program can continue to grow in the region with the goal of ensuring continued access to emergency medical services in rural communities, particularly with the increased number of EMS workers in Newton and Boone Counties through the EMS Training program.
