Rapid Access to Emergency Medical Services Within Historically Redlined Areas

Are historically redlined areas less likely to have rapid access to emergency medical services (EMS) care?This cross-sectional study analyzed the geographic distribution of EMS centers across 236 US cities, identifying more than 41 million people residing in areas graded A to D by 1930s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation security maps. Among them, more than 2.2 million lacked rapid EMS access, with grade D (“hazardous”) areas having a significantly higher proportion of residents without rapid EMS access compared with grade A (“most desirable”) areas.In this study, the historical policy of redlining was associated with inequities in modern-day access to expeditious EMS care.

Corresponding Author: Cherisse Berry, MD, Department of Surgery, Rutgers Health, New Jersey Medical School, Department of Surgery, 185 S Orange Ave, Medical Science Building, Room G-508, Newark, NJ 07103 (cherisse.berry@rutgers.edu).

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