FEDERAL AGENCY:

HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

AUTHORIZATION:

Public Health Service Act, Section 1910, as amended, Public Law 102-410.

To support demonstration projects for the expansion and improvement of emergency medical services for children who need treatment for trauma or critical care. It is expected that maximum distribution of projects among the States will be made and that priority will be given to projects targeted toward populations with special needs, including Native Americans, minorities, and the disabled.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   State governments and schools of medicine.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   All children will benefit from the project grants administered by this program, including children from minority groups.

Credentials/Documentation:   The basis for determining the allowance and allocability of costs charged to Public Health Service (PHS) grants is set forth in DHHS Regulations 45 CFR Part 74, Subpart Q, and 45 CFR Part 92, Subpart C. The cost principles prescribed for recipients are in: OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments, OMB Circular No. A-21 for institutions of higher education, 45 CFR Part 74, Appendix E for hospitals, OMB Circular No. 122 for nonprofit organizations, and 48 CFR Subpart 31.2 for-profit (commercial) organizations.

Pre-application Coordination:   This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in the State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. Informal inquiries regarding the program and indication of intent to submit an application may be addressed to the Central Office.

Application Procedure:   Application is made by the submission of the standard PHS application form, PHS-5161-l. The standard application forms, as furnished by PHS and required by 45 CFR, 92 and 45 CFR 74 must be used for this program. Application kits are obtained by writing to the Grants Management Officer (see address below under "Information Contacts"). This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR 92 for State and local governments and 45 CFR 74 for nonprofit organizations.

Award Procedure:   Applications are reviewed by a review committee of experts who are generally nongovernmental. Applications are reviewed based on their merit, are recommended for approval or disapproval, and are ranked according to a point score. Final decisions are made by the Associate Administrator for Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

Deadlines:   Contact Headquarters Office for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   Final decisions are made about 4 months after receipt of applications.

Appeals:   Applicants may reapply for support by submitting a revised application.

Renewals:   Renewal applications will be accepted.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   This program has no statutory formula or matching requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Awards are made annually, in accordance with the project period method of awarding grants. Payments are made through a Letter of Credit or Cash Demand System. Project periods are generally for 2 or 3 years.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Annual program reports, financial status reports, program service reports, and special reports must be submitted as required.

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In addition, grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspection and audits by DHHS and other Federal officials.

Records:   Financial records must be kept available for 3 years after the submission of expenditure reports and 3 years after the final disposition of non-expendable property. If questions remain, such as those raised as a result of an audit, records must be retained until the problem is resolved.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   75-0350-0-1-550.

Obligations:   (Grants) FY 01 $12,582,327; FY 02 est $15,168,818; and FY 03 est $13,618,500.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:   From $100,000 to $1,000,000; Average: $178,000.

In fiscal year 2001, 66 total projects were funded. For fiscal year 2002, it is estimated that 82 projects will be funded and for fiscal year 2003 it is estimated that between 70 and 80 projects will be funded.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

Pertinent information may be obtained by contacting the Headquarters Office listed below. PHS Grants Policy Statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 94-50,000, (Rev.) April 1, 1994.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   Not applicable.

Headquarters Office:   Central Office Contacts: Program Contact: EMSC Program Director, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 18A-38, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Telephone: (301) 443-3888 or Office of Traffic Injury Control Programs, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NTS-14, 400 7th Street, SW., Washington DC 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-4299. Grants Management Contact: Grants Management Branch, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 18-12, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Telephone: (301) 443-1440. Use the same numbers for FTS.

Web Site Address:   http://www.hrsa.gov

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

1) The Emergency Medical Services for Children Network Development Demonstration Projects are cooperative agreements that demonstrate a system of regional applied pediatric emergency medical services centers designed to expand and improve emergency services for children who need treatment for trauma or critical care. Awardees are linked together in a network to demonstrate a capacity to conduct multi-site studies on issued relating to the management of pediatric events that occur in hospitals as well as in transport. 2) Targeted Issues grants are intended to address specific needs or concerns in the field of pediatric emergency care that transcend state boundaries. Typically the projects result in a new product or resource or the demonstration of the effectiveness of a model system component or service of value to the nation. Types of projects that have been funded within this category include developing model pediatric components for state disaster plans, screening and secondary prevention for psychological sequelae of pediatric injury, basic emergency lifesaving skills in schools, and emergency preparedness for infants with significant heart disease. 3) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Emergency Care grants are intended to promote the development of further strategies to improve the quality of care for children who need emergency care through developing and pilot-testing emergency care practice guidelines for pediatric conditions for which evidenced-based guidelines do not exist and development of a model for implementation and assessment of effectiveness for existing evidenced-based pediatric emergency practice guidelines. 4) Enhancing Pediatric Patient Safety demonstration projects support the assessment and implementation of an existing strategy with the potential for improving patient safety in pediatric emergency care delivery in multiple pre-hospital and hospital emergency department settings. 5) State Partnership grants are intended to solidify the integration of a pediatric focus within the State EMS system. The only eligible applicant is the State EMS agency, unless the State specifically requests and designates another State entity or a school of medicine. Funded projects have included providing rural hospitals with training materials for EMSC teaching and developing a method of ongoing EMSC education and training in rural areas, developing evidenced-based injury prevention programs, develop continuing education for pre-hospital providers that focuses on children with special health care needs, development of a model suicide prevention pilot program, and assessing outcomes of children arriving at trauma centers by direct arrival versus secondary transfer.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

Grant applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a panel of reviewers experienced in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of emergency medical services and pediatric care. The reviewers will recommend approval or disapproval of an application; recommend a priority score for approved applications; recommend any modifications or conditions to the grant if awarded; and recommend any changes to the proposed budget. Recommendations of the review panel are presented to the Director, MCHB. Panel recommendations are advisory only, and the Director, MCHB will be responsible for final decisions regarding awards. Reviewers will use the criteria and questions described in the section on Categories of Grants: Program Narrative and Review Criteria to evaluate proposals. Applicants are urged to address these criteria as directly as possible in the text of the program narrative.