Response times for emergency medical services in rural areas can take nearly 20 minutes longer than the national average — and patients in these regions are more likely to experience severe medical emergencies, according to a new analysis of national EMS data by the American College of Surgeons .

Researchers presented their findings in early October at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2025 in Chicago. The study analyzed data from the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) covering more than 69 million EMS calls between January 2023 and January 2025.

Longer call times and higher patient acuity

“EMS response times in rural areas are considerably longer than what you would see in an urban or suburban setting,” said Isabella Turcinovic, l

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