Stender Calls for Accountability After Audit Uncovers Mismanagement of EMS Funding

November 21, 2025

HARRISBURG – Following the release of the auditor general’s fifth consecutive performance audit of the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s (DOH) administration of the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund (EMSOF), Rep. Michael Stender (R-Northumberland/Montour) is calling for immediate accountability and reform. Stender, a career volunteer firefighter and still an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), emphasized the importance of proper oversight to ensure emergency medical services can continue operating in local communities across the Commonwealth.

According to the audit, the Department of Health could not confirm whether EMSOF funds were used for allowable purposes in 68% of cases. Over a four-year period, DOH distributed nearly $38 million, with $29.3 million specifically designated to support the statewide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system. Auditors issued 18 recommendations, many of which have been repeated over the past 15 years due to continued noncompliance.

 “As someone who had a career in EMS, I know how hard these providers work and how tight their budgets already are,” said Stender. “When every dollar matters, we cannot afford to waste funds that are meant to support emergency medical services. I am appalled at the lack of internal controls, and this audit makes it clear the Department of Health failed to do its job.”

Stender expressed strong support for adopting the audit’s recommendations and reiterated the importance of ensuring that all EMSOF funds are used transparently, responsibly and in direct support of frontline emergency medical services.  

Stender expressed his support for House Bill 1492, introduced by Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter), that would create an independent Office of EMS Commissioner within the Department of Health. The proposal would elevate EMS within the state’s administrative structure, provide it with a dedicated line in the state budget, and establish a new statewide EMS advisory board modeled after the Commonwealth’s fire and 911 boards. Stender said this kind of structural reform is needed to make sure EMS voices are heard and funding is managed responsibly. The bill currently is in the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

“Local EMS providers are being asked to do more with less,” said Stender. “The Department of Health needs to be held accountable. These dollars are supposed to support training, staffing, equipment and patient care. They need to track the funds to guarantee they are being allocated properly.”



Representative Michael Stender
108th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Will Patterson
267-688-2590
wpatterson@pahousegop.com
RepStender.com / Facebook.com/RepStender