Air vs. Ground: What Interfacility Transports Reveal About EMS Systems Nationwide

Webinar Description

Interfacility transports (IFTs) are a vital but often under‑recognized part of the emergency care chain, ensuring patients have access to higher levels of specialty care when local resources are limited. Air medical teams, in particular, play a critical role in connecting high‑acuity and rural patients to trauma, NICU, cardiovascular, neurological, and other advanced services not available at the sending facility. In the face of increased rural service closures, a population increasing in age, and increasing severity of existing IFTs, understanding the dynamics of these transports becomes increasingly important for EMS stakeholders preparing for the future.

This session discusses the current state of the literature and presents findings from ImageTrend’s preliminary multi‑state analysis of more than 460,000 hospital‑to‑hospital transports across ten U.S. states, comparing air and ground utilization through the lens of patient acuity, geography, and system capacity. Led by ImageTrend’s Research Director Morgan Anderson and Epidemiologist Dr. Jonathan Powell, the session highlights national patterns in clinical presentation, rural compared to urban transport needs, and emerging gaps in pediatric and specialty care access.

Attendees will gain actionable insights into how IFT trends can inform resource deployment, enhance coordination, support equitable access to care, and strengthen the overall critical care transport ecosystem.

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