GRAPHICS & PHOTOS

Click images for more detail.
About the statewide issue
In Alabama, eight counties have no hospital. In addition to traveling further to get a patient to the hospital, ambulance agencies often lose insurance payments when they cross county lines due to policies and exemptions.
Because of national underfunding for emergency medical services (EMS) and limited funding in Alabama's rural counties, EMS agencies are struggling to keep up with the cost. In Greene and Pickens counties of West Alabama, each EMS agency loses over $20,000 per month. But sometimes, they are residents' only option for medical care.
Click through the images and graphics above to see more information about the statewide issue. More research is located at the top of the page in Wakelet. Or, read about the details in the written story below. You can also find more data about Greene and Pickens counties, and the national issue, using the buttons below.