HJAR May/Jun 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAY / JUN 2026 45 and public support together — and treat EMS like the essential service it is,” said Scott Gann, vice president of clinical and allied health programs at Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP) and a seasoned EMS professional whose career spans roles such as a firefighter, EMT, EMT-Intermedi- ate, paramedic, and emergency manager, as well as serving as an EMS specialist with the Arkansas Department of Health. In addition to the wage issue, EMS agencies operate within a financial model that has not kept pace with rising costs. Ambulance services are businesses, and advancing workforce conditions, pay, and equipment requires sustainable revenue. However, reimbursement rates have not kept up with rising costs — placing increasing financial pressure on services across the state. Many agencies are now balancing operational survival with the need to invest in their workforce. LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE FUTURE Arkansas has not stood still. The state and stakeholders within it are making efforts to support the profession. In March 2025, the state joined the EMS Compact as the 25th member, improving interstate workforce mobility while maintaining licensure oversight. During the same legislative session, Act 863 restructured EMS governance, creating a new advisory committee under theArkansas Department of Health. By 2026, that work reflects a system actively organizing around modernization. Priorities now include treat-in-place models, expanded clinical protocols, reduced lights-and-sirens use, and stronger protections for EMS quality improvement. At the operational level, the state has also introduced performance-based initiatives such as stroke-care scorecards and expanded community paramedicine efforts, signaling a shift toward a more data-driven, clinically integrated EMS system. The work underway at the state level is being reinforced by implementation efforts across Arkansas. ARHP has been working to strengthen the EMS workforce pipeline through targeted training and scholarship support. Leveraging funding from the Delta Regional Authority and the U.S. Department of Labor, ARHP has supported scholarships for EMTs, paramedics, and community paramedics across rural communities. These efforts have expanded access to education, reduced financial barriers to entry, and created more sustainable workforce pathways — particularly in regions where recruitment and retention challenges are most acute. To date, this funding has enabled ARHP to fully support more than 500 individuals in EMS training programs through partnerships with community colleges through shared program oversight. As EMS continues to evolve into a cornerstone of prehospital care, initiatives like these demonstrate how coordinated investment in workforce development can translate policy into practice and strengthen the system at the local level. Still, significant challenges remain. Scheduling continues to strain both providers and agencies, with many personnel relying on extended shifts and overtime to maintain a livable income — raising concerns for safety, fatigue, and long-term workforce sustainability. At the same time, a persistent gap in public understanding complicates funding efforts. While communities expect rapid emergency response, there is often limited awareness of the resources required to sustain it. The future of EMS inArkansas will depend on whether the system can fully embrace its evolving role in prehospital care. This includes aligning reimbursement with the true cost of readiness, investing in workforce development and retention, modernizing infrastructure, and strengthening public and policy-level support. Without these changes, EMS will remain on the brink — continuing to answer every call, but without the foundation needed to sustain the system itself. With them, Arkansas has the opportunity to move beyond survival and build an innovative model of care — one that fully recognizes EMS as the backbone of prehospital healthcare and secures its strength for the communities that depend on it. The call will always come — the real question is whether anyone will still be there to answer it. n REFERENCES Arkansas Department of Commerce Division of Workforce Policy and Innovation, “Arkansas Oc- cupational Employment and Wage Survey 2024,” Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, June 2024, https://www.discover.arkansas.gov/_docs/ Publications/OES-Wages/OESPub2024.pdf. Dan Zabinski, “Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Data Ambulance Collection System,” Medicare Payment Advisory Commis- sion, April 9, 2026, https://www.medpac.gov/wp- content/uploads/2025/08/Tab-D-Ambulance- April-2026.pdf. Camille Watson is the senior data and evaluation specialist and executive assistant at Arkansas Ru- ral Health Partnership. Watson graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a degree in political science and philosophy and later received a master’s degree in public service from the Clin- ton School of Public Service. She is currently in the Master of Health Administration program at UAMS. Camille Watson Senior Data and Evaluation Specialist and Executive Assistant Arkansas Rural Health Partnership