Governor Kelly Ayotte Announces Over $11 Million to Strengthen Rural EMS and Expand Mobile Integrated Health Across Rural New Hampshire

CONCORD, NH - Governor Kelly Ayotte today announced over $11 million in GO-NORTH Rural Health Transformation awards to New Hampshire municipalities, emergency medical services (EMS) agencies, and rural health systems. The investments will support the stabilization and strengthening of rural EMS and establishing or expanding Mobile Integrated Health programs across rural New Hampshire.

"I'm proud to announce more than $11 million in grants through GO-NORTH to strengthen emergency medical services and expand access to Mobile Integrated Health programs across our state," said Governor Ayotte. "With this funding, we will ensure our rural EMS system is strong, reliable, and sustainable while developing new ways to reach patients through Mobile Integrated Health. Through our efforts with GO-NORTH, the largest rural health transformation award in New England, we will continue pushing to make healthcare and critical services like our EMS system more innovative, affordable, and accessible for all of New Hampshire."

This historic investment in NH's EMS system was made possible through New Hampshire's Rural Health Transformation Program, a five-year cooperative agreement between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), with more than $204 Million in funding for the program's first year. The program is overseen by the Governor's Office of New Opportunities & Rural Transformational Health (GO-NORTH), which Governor Ayotte established to lead the State's rural health transformation work.

The Foundation for Healthy Communities administered the competitive award process on GO-NORTH's behalf and is notifying recipients this week.

Rural EMS agencies face rising call volumes, workforce shortages, and financial pressure. These awards are intended to help agencies meet those pressures while expanding access to care in rural communities, including investments to:

• Establish a North Country Mobile Integrated Health program serving from Berlin to Pittsburg in partnership with Milan and Dummer ambulance.
• Create and expand additional Mobile Integrated Health program to service New Hampshire citizens living in the Littleton-Lisbon region, Upper Valley, Lakes Region, Monadnock and Keene Region, and Capital Area.
• Partner municipalities, EMS agencies, and rural hospitals from Berlin to Keene to invest in the long-term sustainability of New Hampshire rural EMS system.