05/07/2026
PEHSC President, Dr. Alvin Wang, provided testimony today before the Center for Rural Pennsylvania regarding Pennsylvania’s Rural Health Transformation Plan. The testimony emphasized the critical role rural EMS agencies and providers play in sustaining access to healthcare across the Commonwealth’s underserved communities and highlighted the ongoing struggles facing the rural EMS community.
Dr. Wang highlighted the significant operational and financial challenges confronting rural EMS systems. The testimony underscored that many rural EMS agencies operate under extreme financial pressure while continuing to provide essential lifesaving services to their communities.
The testimony further emphasized that rural EMS agencies are often the first—and sometimes only—point of healthcare access for rural residents and must be recognized as essential partners in healthcare transformation efforts. Dr. Wang stressed the importance of investing in sustainable EMS funding, workforce recruitment and retention initiatives, modernization of equipment and communications infrastructure, and support for innovative community-based care models such as Mobile Integrated Health and community paramedicine programs.
PEHSC emphasized that meaningful rural healthcare transformation cannot occur without strengthening and sustaining the rural EMS system that supports it.
