Little Rock, Arkansas October 2025 The Arkansas Department of Health has reached a major milestone: the Arkansas EMS Program is now LIVE with the State Health Alliance for Records Exchange (SHARE), the state’s Health Information Exchange (HIE). More than 200 EMS agencies and facilities are now sending data to SHARE, marking a pivotal step in advancing emergency care and health information sharing across Arkansas.
Advancing Emergency Medical Services
The Arkansas EMS Program has long prioritized timely, informed care during emergencies. With the integration now live, EMS teams statewide are securely transmitting electronic patient care reports (ePCRs) through their ePCR system to SHARE HIE. These reports include vital signs, treatments provided, scene observations, and other clinical details, helping build a more complete patient history.
This advancement enhances coordination between pre-hospital and hospital care teams by ensuring that critical EMS data is available to hospitals, primary care providers, specialists, and care coordinators statewide through SHARE HIE. While not all EMS agencies are currently accessing clinical data from SHARE HIE, they are contributing essential patient information into the system laying the foundation for expanded data access in the future.
How It Works: Real-Time Data to SHARE HIE
EMS personnel input patient data into their electronic systems, which is then securely routed to SHARE HIE via the state-managed Arkansas EMS Program. Hospitals and other care providers connected to SHARE can view this EMS data through an electronic medical record (EMR) query to SHARE HIE or the Virtual Health Record (VHR), enabling better-informed care upon patient arrival.
This real-time contribution from EMS ensures that emergency departments and community providers receive key information before the patient arrives supporting faster, more accurate triage and treatment decisions.
Collaborative Statewide Implementation
This initiative represents the collaboration of the Arkansas Department of Health, EMS leadership, technology vendors, and local EMS agencies. From technical integration and system testing to user training and feedback, the implementation was shaped by stakeholders who understand the real-world needs of emergency responders.
Benefits of EMS Data Integration
- Improved Hospital Readiness: Emergency departments gain early visibility into incoming patient conditions, enabling faster care for trauma, stroke, or cardiac events.
- Reduced Redundancy: EMS data sent to SHARE reduces duplicative efforts in documentation, helping streamline care transitions.
- Enhancing SHARE HIE and Public Health Intelligence: The influx of real-time EMS data into SHARE HIE strengthens its role as Arkansas’ central health data utility. This rich, timely dataset allows public health officials to monitor statewide trends, detect emerging health threats, and respond rapidly to crises such as overdoses, injury patterns, or natural disasters enabling more proactive, data-driven public health strategies.
A Model for Other States
Arkansas is among a growing number of states integrating EMS data with their HIE. By contributing EMS reports into SHARE, Arkansas is setting a new benchmark for interoperability, cross-sector collaboration, and public health readiness.
Looking Ahead
The Arkansas EMS Program continues to expand its role in data-sharing. While the current focus is on sending ePCR data to SHARE, future phases may include broader access to patient histories and care plans for EMS providers, further strengthening point-of-care decision-making. The integration of EMS data into SHARE HIE is a significant leap forward in Arkansas’ healthcare landscape. By enabling real-time data exchange, the Arkansas EMS Program is enhancing care coordination, improving outcomes, and laying the groundwork for a more connected, informed, and responsive emergency care system statewide.