ImageTrend Research Wins Third Place at NASEMSO 2026 Excellence Awards

ImageTrend is proud to share that our research team earned third place in the Abstract Competition & Excellence Awards at the 2026 NASEMSO Annual Meeting, held April 26–30 in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Hosted by the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO), the annual meeting brings together state EMS leaders, regulators, researchers, and national partners from across the country. The event focuses on collaboration, shared challenges, and forward-looking solutions that help shape the future of emergency medical services at the state and national level. Recognition at NASEMSO carries special weight, as it highlights work that directly informs policy, program development, and system-level decision-making. 

Recognized for Applied, State-Focused EMS Research 

The ImageTrend team’s abstract, State Support of the EMS Workforce Through Education: A 20-Year Evaluation of Kansas’ Educational Incentive Grant Program, placed third in the Abstract Competition, which recognizes innovative and impactful research conducted by or in partnership with state offices of EMS. 

The abstract was authored by Jonathan R. Powell, Chad E. Pore, Morgan K. Anderson, and Macall Leslie Salewon of ImageTrend, in collaboration with Joseph House of the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services. The work reflects a public–private research partnership focused on using long-term data to better understand EMS workforce development and sustainability. 

A 20-Year Evaluation of Workforce Investment 

The study examined two decades of data from Kansas’ Educational Incentive Grant (EIG) program, which was established in 2005 to support EMS education, strengthen rural and frontier workforce pipelines, and encourage long-term service in underserved communities. 

Using retrospective analysis from 2005 to 2025, the research team evaluated funds awarded, types of educational programs supported, student enrollment and completion, and regional distribution of funding. The analysis focused on core EMS education pathways, including EMT, advanced EMT, paramedic, instructor, and continuing education programs. 

Over its 20-year lifespan, the EIG program supported 4,677 students and distributed more than $5.6 million in educational funding. Completion rates for major certification programs were consistently high, with overall attrition falling below commonly cited EMS education benchmarks. Funding was also intentionally concentrated in rural and frontier regions, aligning with the program’s goal of stabilizing workforce availability where recruitment and retention are often most challenging. 

Why This Recognition Matters 

Workforce shortages continue to be one of the most pressing issues facing EMS agencies nationwide, especially in rural areas. While this challenge is widely known and acknowledged, fewer programs have been evaluated over a long enough period to measure their sustained impact. This research provides one of the rare longitudinal views into how state-supported education incentives can impact workforce development over time. 

That practical focus is exactly what the NASEMSO Abstract Competition is designed to highlight. The program recognizes research that goes beyond theory and delivers actionable insight for state EMS offices, policymakers, and system leaders. Earning third place among nationwide submissions reinforces the importance of data-driven evaluation in advancing EMS systems and supporting the clinicians who serve their communities. 

Looking Ahead 

The findings from this evaluation offer a framework that other states can examine as they explore education incentives, rural workforce strategies, and long-term program effectiveness. Future analysis will aim to connect educational outcomes to certification success and workforce placement to further expand the impact of this work. 

For ImageTrend, this recognition reflects our ongoing commitment to applied EMS research that supports informed decision-making at every level of the system, from state leadership to the agencies and clinicians on the ground. 

This is just one part of our ongoing research efforts across EMS, fire, and healthcare. Click here to explore more of ImageTrend’s award-winning research. award-winning research.