Honoring the commitment to health in rural communities.

Please visit Oregon Rural Health Excellence Award to learn more.

To best facilitate quick, ongoing group communication and resource sharing, ORH has created a SharePoint site dedicated to all aspects of Oregon rural EMS workforce recruitment and retention. Whether your responsibilities include leadership, human resources, billing, equipment acquisition or all of these, the Oregon Rural EMS SharePoint site is designed as an online meeting space to find resources, share ideas, post questions and chat with your peers to collaborate. 

Have you ever wished you could put out a question or request to many other rural EMS agencies to see how others addressed or solved it? Through this site, you can! As a closed group, it's available only to you and your peers. This is an efficient way to stay connected with new ORH rural EMS programs. Register for site access here.

We encourage multiple members of your agency to register so they can stay up to date on their EMS interests or agency responsibilities. You can choose one or all of the following topics: 

• Leadership;
• Billing and coding; 
• Human resources;
• Equipment acquisition;
• EMS education in Oregon schools; and 
• Mobile integrated health/community paramedicine (MIH/CP).

Completing the form will ensure you have access to the Oregon Rural EMS SharePoint site, be connected to the specific cohorts, find all the resources listed above and more. 

Please note that this is a private ORH website and members must be invited.

You will receive the site access link by email shortly after form submission.

Please visit our HERO page for more information.

Rural EMS Scholarships reopen 

ORH is now accepting applications for FY26 of the rural EMS provider education assistance.  Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis as received and are considered until the funding limit is reached.

Please preview the application questions here to gather the required information. When you’re ready, access the application here.  

• This scholarship is open to students seeking EMR, EMT, AEMT, EMT-Intermediate, and paramedic education and licensure. 
• Applicant address (or their affiliated EMS agency) must be located in a designated rural area, based on the following standardized Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer tool, in order to be considered for funding assistance.   

Scholarship Information and Requirements:

ORH provides education scholarships and student barrier removal assistance to rural and remote EMS agencies and individuals through the Medicare Rural Hospital Flex EMS Supplement Grant from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. 

These programs offer education assistance to those who are or plan to actively serve in an EMS provider role (i.e., EMR, EMT, AEMT, EMT-Intermediate or paramedic) in rural and/or remote Oregon. The scholarship cannot be used to reimburse for completed courses taken prior to the application date and is not intended to fund prerequisite courses.

Either the affiliated EMS agency or the student must be located in a designated rural area, as determined by the following standardized Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer tool.

Scholarship applications are considered when submitted on a rolling basis until the funding limit is reached. The award cap is $6,000. 

Student Barrier Removal (SBR) Assistance

Students receiving scholarship assistance from ORH may apply for limited funds to help remove barriers that would prevent successful completion of the EMS course. The assistance cap is $1,000, and not all requests are awarded. These funds can help with a variety of class-related expenses, such as:

•    Mileage and lodging to attend course testing;
•    Test fees;
•    Required course textbooks; and
•    Computer for remote course classwork.

The student barrier removal assistance will reopen on September 2026 for the FY26 program cycle. Once open, the SBR application link will be posted here. 

Thank you to the agencies and students who participate and help us serve rural Oregon communities!

ORH has funds to assist with the training and certification fees for students who want to enroll in an online accelerated community paramedic program. Students must be affiliated with an EMS agency. Mobile integrated health and community paramedicine are growing fields in the healthcare industry. As a certified community paramedic (CP-C), you can assist your local community in this exciting and important work.

To apply for these funds and learn more, please visit the ORH MIH page. 

For questions about community paramedicine and mobile integrated healthcare, please contact Melissa Varnum | varnum@ohsu.edu. 

Workforce recruitment and retention are ongoing challenges for EMS leadership in remote and rural areas. ORH is dedicated to supporting your rural EMS agency's leadership team in several ways, including through training opportunities focused on challenges relevant to you and your team and via an online meeting space to strategize with your peers. 

SUPPORT:

Join the Oregon Rural EMS SharePoint site and the rural EMS leadership cohort by completing this form to receive early announcements of webinar training sessions and access to the private meeting space. You must request access to this closed site, and you will receive an access email within a few days. Complete this form and select “leadership” as an interest.

EDUCATION:

You can also find previous recordings by scrolling down to the EMS Webinars section below. New and upcoming webinars are announced first on the Oregon Rural EMS SharePoint site, and also in ORH newsletters and on ORH social media sites. To be sure you will receive all leadership webinar invites, complete this form and select “leadership” as an interest. 

For additional information, contact Joan Field, Rural EMS Program Coordinator | fieldj@ohsu.edu

ORH supports those who perform ambulance billing for their agency in several ways. This includes focused educational EMS billing webinars and activities of the EMS Billing/Coding cohort. The cohort provides guidance on the most helpful training and resources, and we bring subject matter experts to you for focused, relevant training. Information shared within a peer support network can be invaluable as participants assist one another with best practices and everyday challenges, big or small.

SUPPORT:

Join the Oregon Rural EMS SharePoint site and the rural EMS Billing/Coding cohort by completing this form to receive early announcements of webinar training sessions and access to the private meeting space. You must request access to this closed site, and you will receive an access email within a few days. Complete this form and select “billing/coding” as an interest.

EDUCATION:

You can find previous recordings by scrolling down to the EMS Webinars section below. New and upcoming webinars are announced first on the Oregon Rural EMS SharePoint site, and also in ORH newsletters and on ORH social media sites. To be sure you will receive all billing and coding webinar invites, complete this form and select “billing/coding” as an interest.

For for any additional information, contact Joan Field, Rural EMS Program Coordinator |  fieldj@ohsu.edu

ORH is pleased to announce that we will once again support rural Oregon EMS agency staff with scholarships to attend Responder Life's 2027 NW Peer Support Conference. The conference will be held January 27 and 28, 2027, in Salem, Oregon.   

From Responder Life: “The Northwest Peer Support Conference is a premier annual event dedicated to strengthening mental health and wellness support for first responders. Bringing together firefighters, law enforcement, dispatchers, EMS personnel, chaplains, and mental health professionals, the conference provides cutting-edge training on peer support, trauma resilience, and crisis intervention.

Participants gain valuable tools to support their peers through critical incidents, cumulative stress, and personal challenges. Expert-led workshops cover topics such as suicide prevention, PTSD, and emotional survival in high-stress professions and a variety of other topics. The event also fosters networking and collaboration, ensuring agencies have access to the best resources to build and sustain effective peer support programs.” 

SCHOLARSHIPS:

As the event approaches, we will open the application for the ORH 2027 conference scholarships. The link to apply will be posted on the Oregon Rural EMS SharePoint site (complete this form to join) and will also be posted here. Please submit one application per agency; priority will be given to agencies that have never attended this conference before. 

ORH looks forward to providing additional peer support to rural EMS agencies through additional EMS programs. Please keep an eye on this space for more information.

Thank you! If you have any questions, please contact Joan Field | fieldj@ohsu.edu
 

In collaboration with Oregon Health Authority EMS and Trauma Systems (OHA EMS/TS) and Healthcare Services Solutions (formerly the Idaho Simulation Network), ORH sponsors simulated trauma events for Critical Access Hospitals and their EMS partners. Two to three events are awarded each year to a rotating list of hospitals/partner EMS agencies.

The following documents provide details about what simulation-based training events entail and explain anticipated planning and staff involvement required by facilities that participate: 

• Overview of Simulation-Based Team Training 
• Suggested Composition of Simulated Event Planning Team 
• Simulation Event Planning and Logistics Guide

Please note: Small Hospital Improvement Program-eligible hospitals may also select a simulation as part of their annual SHIP award. Contact Stephanie Sayegh | sayegh@ohsu.edu for more information.

Please visit our tax credit page for more information about the current annual $250 personal income tax credit that is available for eligible rural EMS Providers who volunteer their services within eligible Oregon communities. Please note that House Bill 3380 increased this support and beginning with the 2026 tax year, the credit increases to $1,000. Find the forms and instructions by visiting the Oregon Rural Volunteer EMS Provider Tax Credit webpage.
 

In 2019, ORH conducted listening sessions with rural and remote EMS agencies. Access the full report here. 

Sept. 17 | Rural EMS Leadership Development Series #4 Accountability and Influence | Presented by Aarron Reinert, MA, NRP, SafeTech Solutions

Slides | Recording

Sept. 11 | The EMS Buprenorphine Roadmap and Rural EMS Agencies | Presented by Dre Cantwell-Frank, NRP Bridge Center and Emily Henke, MPH, Oregon Public Health Institute (OPHI)

Slides | Recording

Sept. 10 | Rural EMS Billing & Coding Webinar #6: "Medicare Rules: Signatures, ABN Use & Billing" | Presented by Ryan Stark, Esq. EMS | MC.

Slides | Recording

Sept. 1 | Rural EMS Billing & Coding Webinar #5: "Federal and Oregon EMS Billing Laws" | Presented by Ryan Stark, Esq. EMS | MC.

Slides | Recording

Aug. 27 | Rural EMS Billing & Coding Webinar #4: "Anti-Kickback Statute Waivers, Discounting & Rate Setting for Rural EMS" | Presented by Ryan Stark, Esq. EMS | MC.

Slides | Recording

Aug. 27 | Rural EMS Leadership Development Series #3: Influencing Performance Through Conversations | Presented by Aarron Reinert, MA, NRP, SafeTech Solutions

Slides | Recording

Aug. 20 | Rural EMS Billing & Coding Webinar #3: "Oregon GEMT (for government and private agencies)" | Presented by Matt Zavadsky, MS-HSA, EMT | PWW|AG,EMS | MC.

Slides | Recording

Aug. 18 | Rural EMS Leadership Series #2: The Study of Leadership and Management | Presented by Aarron Reinert, MA, NRP, SafeTech Solutions.

Leadership vs management, are these words the same? Can we manage our way to better recruitment and retention? If so, why haven't we done it already? This session will explore the skills and talents of both terms and how we can use both to recruit and retain more of the right people. 

Slides | Recording

Aug. 13 | Rural EMS Billing & Coding, Series #2: Documentation Training for EMS Providers | Presented by Ryan Stark, Esq. EMS | MC.

The session covers documentation training for EMS Providers. 

Slides | Recording

Aug. 4 | Rural EMS Billing & Coding, Series #1: VA and Other Nuanced EMS Billing Situations | Presented by Steve Johnson, EMS/Mobile Healthcare Consultant, PWW Advisory Group. 

The session covers billing to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs and others and is designed specifically for rural EMS billing and coding staff. 

Slides & supporting materials | Recording

July 23 | Community Conversations: Strengthening Rural EMS Systems Through Mobile Integrated Health (MIH)

Highlighting innovative approaches to strengthening rural EMS systems through Mobile Integrated Health (MIH)/Community Paramedicine (CP). Presentations from Sabrina Ballew (Mercy Flights), Nina Kerr-Bryant (Scappoose Rural Fire Protection District) and Jessica Marcum (Umatilla County Fire District #1). 

Slides | Recording

July 6 | EMS Leadership Development series #1, with SafeTech Solutions | Aarron Reinert

EMS agency culture, engagement, and creating an amazing environment. Key ingredients of organizational success.

Slides | Recording

June 25 | Rural EMS Billing & Coding series Town Hall, with EMS|MC | Ryan Stark

To launch the learning series, EMS|MC holds a listening session to learn what challenges rural EMS agencies are currently facing. Ryan Stark covers relevant EMS Billing updates and introduces a broad range of topics for discussion and consideration. 

Slides | Recording

May 29 | Patient Care Report Documentation for EMS Billing | Krista Cuthbert

This webinar, presented by experienced billing educator Krista Cuthbert, Director of Revenue Cycles for the Metro West Family of Companies, will assist providers in understanding how to make their charting complete and detailed to improve billing reimbursement and compliance.

Slides | Recording

May 15 | Community Conversations: EMS Workforce Recruitment and Retention

Learn about ORH Rural EMS workforce recruitment and retention programs and also hear about the HERO Kids Registry program. 

Recording

• Oregon EMS Association — an association representing all levels of prehospital EMS care providers in Oregon
• Oregon Volunteer Firefighters Association — provides support and representation for volunteer emergency responders in Oregon
• OHA EMS and Trauma Systems — Oregon state agency that develops and regulates systems for quality emergency medical care in Oregon
• Legal Authority of the EMS & Trauma Program
• EMS Providers and EMS Supervising Physicians Scope of Practice: OAR 847-035 [0001]
• Regulation of Ambulance Services and Emergency Medical Services Providers: ORS 682

• OHA EMST Program Education and Training Resources

CARES is a web-based system to track information about OHCA where resuscitation is attempted by an emergency responder. The registry contains demographic, therapeutic and outcome measures, and data are used to help communities benchmark and improve their performance for OHCA. ORH provided support in 2018 for Oregon EMS agencies to continue reporting data to the registry.

Recent ORH-supported EMS-focus research and quality improvement work includes:

• A review of EMS agency protocols for Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA), ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) & Stroke in Oregon that assessed the inclusion of current evidence-based practices.
• Research on the development of standardization for Oregon Ambulance Service Area (ASA) plans and identification of an accessible online platform for submission of the plans.
• An investigation of EMS treatment disparities for trauma and pain, including a rural breakout.

• National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO)
• National EMS Information System (NEMSIS)
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of EMS
• National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
• Rural Health Information Hub

• Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Trauma
• Community Paramedicine

• Rural Trauma Care
• Disparities in Access to Trauma Care in the United States: A Population-Based Analysis
• The Evidence for Community Paramedicine in Rural Areas: State and Local Findings and the Role of the State Flex program
• Rural and Frontier Emergency Medical Services Agenda for the Future