EMS Workforce Shortage in New Hampshire

PRS Briefs
2223-09
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Anne
Guidera
Taejun
Seo
Zanna
Stutz
Nathan
Thompson
2223-09_ems_shortage_final.pdf

New Hampshire is facing a shortage of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) workers. This shortage is impacting residents statewide, compromising the system's ability to adequately respond to health care emergencies. Based on stakeholder interviews and a comprehensive literature review, we detail the impact of the EMS personnel shortages on the New Hampshire healthcare system and explore possible legislative solutions to address it. We recommend that New Hampshire implement a variety of financial and non-financial measures to respond to personnel shortages. Our recommendations are based on (1) a comprehensive literature review of the current state of EMS in New Hampshire, (2) a comparative analysis of EMS systems in Maryland and Maine to understand potential solutions and their projected efficacy, and (3) stakeholder interviews that shed light on the potential for implementing EMS training, recruitment, and retention solutions.