Rural EMS departments like the one found in the Lisbon-Mount Vernon area are facing tough decisions about how best to continue service in the face of increased call volumes, stagnating insurance reimbursements and lagging volunteerism.
A new station coming in 2026 will give EMTs at Center Point Regional Ambulance Service some needed breathing room.
In Iowa, and across the country, ambulance services have been struggling to attract and retain staff. Data from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services shows that the number of certified EMTs in the state has decreased every year since 2018. But ambulance service professionals have been working to reverse that trend, and changes made to state law in 2021 may have been the first step in the right direction.
Cedar, Benton, Ida and Shelby voters OK tax for improved ambulance service.
Area Ambulance donated the vehicle to larger program that has sent almost 20 ambulances to Ukraine this year with five from Iowa.
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