As part of the Virginia Department of Health's (VDH) Office of Emergency Medical Services’ (OEMS) ongoing work to enhance Virginia’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System, we are announcing the recent transition to seven EMS Regions, effective January 1, 2026. This transition is designed to improve the efficiency of EMS operations, reduce administrative costs and improve funding distribution.  

The EMS Region contracts were initiated through a competitive request for applications (RFA) for the development and implementation of an efficient and effective statewide regional EMS delivery system for VDH, per the Code of Virginia §32.1-111.4:2. These contracts went into effect, with a contract period of January 1, 2026 - June 2028.  

The seven OEMS Regions will function as collaborative partners with the VDH OEMS to perform bodies of work on behalf of OEMS and will be identified as “OEMS Region 1-7."  The Regional Council System is overseen by the OEMS EMS Operations Branch, which is led by Deputy Director Wayne Perry and Regional Coordinators Greg Woods, PhD, and Mary Kathryn Allen. These new service areas were designated in alignment with VDH’s Local Health Districts and Virginia’s Healthcare Coalition. 

• OEMS Region 1, Executive Director Bryan Kimberlin Serving the following defined service areas: Counties of: Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe and the Cities of Bristol, Galax, and Norton  

• OEMS Region 2,  Executive Director Debbie Akers Serving the following defined service areas: Counties of : Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Botetourt, Campbell, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Henry, Montgomery, Roanoke, Patrick, Pittsylvania, and Pulaski; and the Cities of : Bedford, Covington, Danville, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Radford, Roanoke, and Salem  

• OEMS Region 3, Executive Director Kristin Nickerson Serving the following defined service areas: Counties of: Bath, Highland, Augusta, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah, Frederick, Warren, and Clarke; and the Cities of: Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Winchester  

• OEMS Region 4, Executive Director Kristin Nickerson Serving the following defined service areas: Counties of: Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William; and the Cities of: Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park  

• OEMS Region 5, Executive Director Kristin Nickerson Serving the following defined service areas: Counties of: Albemarle, Caroline, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Greene, King George, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, and Stafford; and the Cities of: Fredericksburg, and Charlottesville  

• OEMS Region 6,  Executive Director Heidi Hooker Serving the following defined service areas: Counties of: Amelia, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Goochland, Greensville, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, New Kent, Nottoway, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Surry, and Sussex; and the Cities of: Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond   

• OEMS Region 7,  Executive Director David Long Serving the following defined service areas: Counties of: Accomack, Essex, Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northampton, Northumberland, Richmond, Southampton, Westmoreland, and York ; and the Cities of: Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Poquoson, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg  

The transformation to Virginia's new EMS Regions would not have been possible without the support, coordination and partnership of many EMS stakeholders, including Virginia’s Regional EMS Councils’ Board of Directors, along with VDH and OEMS leadership, who remained committed to transparency and innovative thinking throughout this process. 

As we continue to advance opportunities for all people in Virginia, we will prioritize the promotion of a more efficient, equitable and regionally responsive EMS system. Through these newly designated OEMS Regions, we will enhance accountability and performance standards, helping to improve health outcomes for all communities, with a focus on underserved and rural areas. 

In the coming months, we will share regular updates about the progress of the OEMS Region transition through our website, email, social media and in the EMS community. For more information, visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/emergency-medical-services/.