Senator Takes Issue of Rural EMS to D.C.

DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota lawmakers in Washington last week, drew attention to improving Emergency Medical Services across the state.

Meeting with White House officials and congressional delegations, a task force of state politicians worked to get federal funding to address lapses in the state’s EMS. For one member of the group, Minnesota’s 3rd District State Senator Grant Hauschild, representing a largely rural area means access to basic lifesaving resources like ambulances, is not always a guarantee.

“The further out you live, the further distance there are, the less economical it is to really provide those services,” said Senator Hauschild. He hopes securing federal funding will help his district incentivize EMT providers to serve the vast, less densely populated areas. “We need to figure out a way to reimburse and fund our EMT providers so that they go into the workforce and do these really, really important jobs.”