02/27/2026
This week's Rural Health Vitals report highlights the difference in emergency medical assistance (EMS) response times for rural versus urban areas in the United States. Lower budget, decreasing volunteer numbers and longer distances all contribute to increased wait times when an emergency requires medical attention. For our rural communities, we must maintain EMS networks for the vital role they play in providing timely care for the best health outcomes.
Our sources for this report were the National Library of Medicine, the National Rural Health Association and the University of Southern Maine.
View past vitals reports by visiting https://www.hillsdalehospital.com/about/ruralhealthstrong/.