Carmilo Vannucci
TRAUMA SYSTEMS
Rural Trauma and Emergency
Medical Service Challenges in a
Sample of Western States
Jolene R. Whitney, MPA;
Susan Werner, MAS;
Susan Wilson, BSN;
Neis Sanddal, PhD;
Vicki Conditt, RN;
Peggy Sale, MSN;
Clay Mann, PhD;
Jennie Nemec, RN;
Johnathan J. Jones, BSN;
Grace Sandeno, MPH;
Diane Hartford, MS
of providing emergency medical services to largely rural states include geographic barriers of vast expanses of unpopulated landmass, provision of services across mountain ranges, volcanoes, and extreme weather conditions, communication challenges due to lack of cell or radio coverage in some areas, and difficulty recruiting and retaining trained personnel.
• KEY WORDS
Challenges of western states. Rural EMS, Rural trauma
• INTRODUCTION
Several years ago, state trauma system managers from the western region (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado,
Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,
Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) began meeting annually to identify and address health care issues, particularly those related to trauma care access and deliv• ABSTRACT
State trauma system managers from the western region ery. The majority of the discussions focus on the chalmeet annually to identify and address health care issues, lenges in trauma care delivery specific to the rural and particularly those related to trauma care access and deliv- frontier areas of the states.
In each of these states, policy makers face a host of conery. In each of these states, policy makers face a host of convergent problems: declining populations, rapid vergent problems: declining populations, rapid growth, growth, low incomes, and high poverty rates. Challenges low incomes, and high poverty rates. This article defines some of the challenges faced in Montana, Wyoming,
Author Affiliations: Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake
Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, and Hawaii, and proCity, Utah (Mss Whitney and Hartford); Oregon Department
vides
Rural Trauma and Emergency
Medical Service Challenges in a
Sample of Western States
Jolene R. Whitney, MPA;
Susan Werner, MAS;
Susan Wilson, BSN;
Neis Sanddal, PhD;
Vicki Conditt, RN;
Peggy Sale, MSN;
Clay Mann, PhD;
Jennie Nemec, RN;
Johnathan J. Jones, BSN;
Grace Sandeno, MPH;
Diane Hartford, MS
of providing emergency medical services to largely rural states include geographic barriers of vast expanses of unpopulated landmass, provision of services across mountain ranges, volcanoes, and extreme weather conditions, communication challenges due to lack of cell or radio coverage in some areas, and difficulty recruiting and retaining trained personnel.
• KEY WORDS
Challenges of western states. Rural EMS, Rural trauma
• INTRODUCTION
Several years ago, state trauma system managers from the western region (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado,
Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico,
Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) began meeting annually to identify and address health care issues, particularly those related to trauma care access and deliv• ABSTRACT
State trauma system managers from the western region ery. The majority of the discussions focus on the chalmeet annually to identify and address health care issues, lenges in trauma care delivery specific to the rural and particularly those related to trauma care access and deliv- frontier areas of the states.
In each of these states, policy makers face a host of conery. In each of these states, policy makers face a host of convergent problems: declining populations, rapid vergent problems: declining populations, rapid growth, growth, low incomes, and high poverty rates. Challenges low incomes, and high poverty rates. This article defines some of the challenges faced in Montana, Wyoming,
Author Affiliations: Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake
Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, and Hawaii, and proCity, Utah (Mss Whitney and Hartford); Oregon Department
vides
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