NCDHHS awards $10 million to strengthen EMS workforce in rural communities

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will provide $10 million to 39 local EMS agencies through the NC Rural Health Transformation Program, the department announced Monday.

The grants, awarded through the NCDHHS Office of Emergency Medical Services for Mobile Integrated Health, are intended to strengthen the EMS workforce and expand access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment in rural communities.

The department said the funding will support EMS-led mobile integrated health programs that help residents with substance use disorders beyond the initial 911 call. Supported services include medication for opioid use disorder, rapid follow-up care after overdose events and connections to treatment and recovery services.

NCDHHS said rural North Carolinians experienced higher rates of fatal drug overdoses and overdose-related emergency department visits than urban residents in 2021. The department said the grants are designed to help EMS agencies address those trends through locally led programs.

“Improving access to care starts with investing in our health care providers, including our frontline EMS workforce,” N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai said in the release.

Grant recipients include EMS agencies in Alamance, Alleghany, Anson, Avery, Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Camden, Caswell, Catawba, Cherokee and Columbus counties, among others. Cape Fear Valley Mobile Integrated Health also was listed among the recipients.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is a statewide initiative intended to improve rural access to care, strengthen the health care workforce and support services for communities that face barriers to treatment.

The announcement comes as state officials continue to emphasize rural health access, behavioral health services and overdose prevention as public health priorities. NCDHHS said EMS providers are positioned to connect emergency response with longer-term care, particularly in communities with fewer nearby treatment options.

Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.