REMSA Health Continues Decades-Long Legacy of Service with Washoe County Agreement Renewal
The non-profit organization will remain the sole provider of emergency and non-emergency medical transportation in Washoe County, safeguarding crucial access to healthcare in the region.
REMSA Health has renewed its franchise agreement with Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH). About one out of every six Nevadans lives in the Reno metro area, and through this renewal, Washoe County’s growing population continues to have a quality emergency medical services (EMS) provider equipped to grow, adapt and serve.
For more than 40 years, REMSA Health, a private, nonprofit organization, has provided ambulance and EMS services through an exclusive franchise agreement with NNPH, formerly Washoe County District Board of Health. This proven model has been successful, with REMSA Health answering nearly 92,000 calls for service every year at no cost to taxpayers. The organization’s revenue is reinvested back into the community it serves, providing for its 600 employees who live and work in Washoe County.
“Our patients aren’t just people who call 9-1-1 for help—they are friends, family, neighbors and community members,” said Barry Duplantis, president and CEO of REMSA Health. “Being entrusted with this community’s health in times of need is our greatest privilege. With decades of experience delivering strong clinical outcomes, REMSA Health is an EMS provider worth preserving and extending and we are proud that the District Board of Health members recognized that.”
As the sole provider of EMS for Washoe County, REMSA Health maintains rigorous quality assurance and accountability measures, with the interlocally established EMS Oversight Program performing clinical and quality reviews of ground ambulance responses and dispatch calls. The organization is the only 9-1-1 provider serving the region that is held to response time expectations set by the EMS Oversight Program, and the only provider required to have third-party oversight to maintain performance standards. For priority medical emergency calls such as cardiac arrest, choking and uncontrolled bleeding, REMSA Health maintains an average response time of 6 minutes, 1 second within Washoe County, which outperforms the historical and newly-adopted response time requirements included in the franchise agreement.
In addition to standards set by the EMS Oversight Program, REMSA Health is accredited through professional oversight organizations, earning the Emergency Medical Dispatch Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) designation from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) for 22 consecutive years, and earning the distinction as Washoe County’s first Emergency Fire Dispatch ACE from the IAED.
“REMSA Health’s integrated, nonprofit franchise model is designed to support consistent care, operational efficiency and long-term financial stability across the communities we serve,” said Duplantis. “The reporting, accountability and transparency the franchise agreement requires provides us with the opportunity to double-down on the best practices that enable us to be a high-performing EMS partner for Washoe County now and into the future.”
The agreement also supports REMSA Health’s community engagement and professional education efforts, enabling the organization to coordinate public health and safety programs such as CPR training, healthcare workforce development, free car seat safety inspections and no-cost vaccine clinics that work to address the needs of the county’s underserved populations. The renewal is the result of more than 20 months of collaboration between Washoe County stakeholders, including elected officials, community leaders, emergency response providers and NNPH. REMSA Health will continue its dialogue with NNPH, ensuring that any future franchise updates align with the needs of the patients and communities the organization serves.
