PHOTO: Rural communities across Idaho continue to struggle with emergency medical care services, according to the Idaho Office of Performance Evaluation (OPE). Idaho law does not designate EMS as an essential service so they do not receive a lot of funding through the state.
Later this week, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's Health Quality Planning Commission (HQPC) will meet to discuss ways to help fill the EMS gaps and plan for the future.
While state leaders look to create solutions for EMS across the state, local schools are doing the work too. Idaho Medical Academy, based in Boise, trains about 500 emergency medical technicians (EMT) each year. The school also offers classes in CPR, advanced EMT, phlebotomy technicians and more. Each year, the school see about 3,000 students.