8666 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 15, 1995 / Notices

*(Priority consideration will be given to

Registered Nurses employed by the

Indian Health Service; in a program

assisted under a contract entered into

under the Indian Self-Determination

Act; or in a program assisted under title

V of the Indian Health Care

Improvement Act.)

Q. Optometry.

R. Para-Optometric.

S. Pharmacy: B.S.

T. Physician Assistant: B.S.

U. Physical Therapy.

V. Podiatry: D.P.M.

W. Public Health: M.P.H. only.

(Applicants must be enrolled or

accepted in a school of public

health in specialty areas such as

Dietetics and Community

Development in health).

X. Public Health Nutrition: Masters

level only.

Y. Radiologic Technology: Associate

and B.S.

Z. Respiratory Therapy: Associate.

AA. Sonography.

Interested individuals are reminded

that the list of eligible health and allied

health professions is effective for the

applicants for the 2 academic years

covered by this standing announcement.

These priorities will remain in effect

until superseded.

Dated: February 7, 1995.

Michael H. Trujillo,

Assistant Surgeon General, Director.

[FR Doc. 95–3740 Filed 2–14–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–16–M

Health Resources and Services

Administration

Federal Financial Assistance for Rural

Regional Trauma and Emergency

Medical Services System

Demonstration Project in South

Central Florida

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services

Administration, PHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

SUMMARY: The Office of Rural Health

Policy, Health Resources and Services

Administration (HRSA), Public Health

Service, Department of Health and

Human Services, announces the

availability of funds in Fiscal Year (FY)

1995 for a grant to support the

development of a rural regional Trauma

and Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

System in South Central Florida for a

one year project period. The successful

applicant will develop a plan to

integrate existing rural emergency

services (EMS), local community

hospitals, a metropolitan tertiary care

center/level I trauma center and its

medical helicopter to develop a

regionalized system of care. This project

is intended to serve as a model for other

rural, underserved areas of the United

States.

Authority

The award will be made from funds

appropriated under Pub. L. 103–333

(HHS Appropriation Act for FY 1995).

The Senate Committee on

Appropriations Report 103–318,

included a set-aside to support the Rural

Regional Trauma and EMS System

Demonstration Project under the FY

1995 appropriations to support

Outreach grants. Grants for these

projects are authorized under Section

301 of the Public Health Service Act.

Eligible Applicants

Justification for Other Than Full and

Open Competition

In the Senate Committee on

Appropriations Report 103–318, the

Senate directed this demonstration

project grant award to be made only to

an entity located in South Central

Florida. Specifically, the eligible

applicant must be located either in an

urban-based, level I trauma hospital in

Florida, or in one of the Florida counties

comprising the demonstration grant

service area (Okeechobee, Highlands,

Hendry, DeSoto, Glades, or Hardee

County). The applicant can be a public

or private, not-for profit entity. The

Department agrees that this set-aside

will further program objectives.

Funds Available

An estimated total award of up to

$600,000 will be available to support a

single grant project for a one-year grant

period.

Cost Participation

Cost participation serves as an

indicator of community and

institutional support for the project and

the likelihood that the project will

continue after Federal grant support has

ended. The successful applicant must

share in the project costs by providing

equipment, personnel, building space,

indirect costs, other in-kind

contributions, or cash.

DATES: Applications for the program

must be received by the close of

business on April 25, 1995. Completed

applications must be sent to the Bureau

of Primary Health Care at the address

shown below. Applications shall be

considered as meeting the deadline if

they are either (1) received on or before

the deadline date; or (2) postmarked on

or before the deadline date and received

in time for orderly processing.

Applicants must obtain a legible dated

receipt from a commercial carrier or the

U.S. Postal Service in lieu of a

postmark. Private metered postmarks

will not be acceptable as proof of timely

mailing. Late applications will be

returned to the sender.

ADDRESSES: Requests for grant

application kits should be directed to Lt.

Colleen Hennessy, Program

Management, Office of Rural Health

Policy, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9–05,

Rockville, Maryland, 20857, telephone:

301/443–0835. Completed applications

and requests for additional information

regarding business or fiscal issues

should be directed to Ms. Opal

McCarthy, Grants Management, at the

Bureau of Primary Health Care, East

West Building, 11th Floor, 4350 East

West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland

20857, telephone: (301) 594–4260. The

standard application form and general

instructions for completing applications

(Form PHS 5161–1, OMB 0937–0189)

have been approved by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests of a programmatic nature

should be directed to Lt. Colleen

Hennessy, at the Office of Rural Health

Policy, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9–05,

Rockville, Maryland, 20857, telephone:

301/443–0835.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Objectives

The purpose of the Rural Regional

Trauma and EMS System Demonstration

Project is to support the development of

a regional trauma and EMS system to

serve rural communities. The successful

applicant will integrate existing rural

prehospital providers (EMS), local

community hospitals, and rural

community providers, with a

metropolitan tertiary care center/level I

trauma center and its aeromedical

transport services, into a services

network that is capable of improving

emergency services to rural populations.

Specifically, these rural populations are

located in the Florida counties of

Okeechobee, Highlands, Hendry,

DeSoto, Glades, and Hardee; and are

comprised of medically underserved

populations, such as migrant laborers

and Native Americans. Currently these

populations do not receive timely,

comprehensive trauma care.

Consistent with the requirements of

the Rural Health Outreach Program,

under which this demonstration project

is funded, all qualified applicants must

develop consortia of three or more

participatory entities, each of which

must play an active contributory role in
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 15, 1995 / Notices 8667

the project. All of these entities, with

the exception of the level I trauma

center, must be located in rural areas

within the proposed grant service area.

The rural-urban partnership MUST have

a reciprocal relationship, a thorough

understanding of the needs of rural

populations, and a sustained dedication

to serving these needs. Consortia should

also include representation from the

special populations, such as tribal

organizations or migrant laborers, which

will also be expected to contribute an

active role in implementing the

demonstration project. The successful

application must also include a plan to

enhance the capability and resources of

rural communities to provide

emergency medical services. Suggested

approaches might include the provision

of on-site, emergency medical services

training and certification, first

responder and community education to

rural community members, rural

providers and emergency services

volunteers. The project must have the

support of the Florida State Office of

EMS and have been coordinated with

the state’s comprehensive trauma plan.

The goals of this program are as

follows: (1) Increase access to

aeromedical transport services by the

rural EMS providers; (2) improve

response times to the scenes of injuries

in remote areas of these counties; (3)

increase access to critical trauma

services to the medically underserved,

regardless of ability to pay; and (4)

improve transport times of critically ill

or injured citizens to tertiary care.

Review Consideration

All eligible applications will be

evaluated on the basis of the following

criteria:

(1) The extent to which the project

facilitates the development of a

comprehensive, integrated, regional

trauma and EMS system to all rural

populations within the specified grant

service area. The plan should conform

to guidelines presented in the Model

Trauma Care Systems Plan ordered by

Congress under Title XII of the Public

Health Service Act (Pub. L. 101–590), a

copy of which will be provided to all

potential applicants in the application

package.

(2) The strength of the relationships

among members of the consortium,

demonstrated by the degree of

reciprocity and commitment reflected in

contractual arrangements and letters of

support, and in the breadth and

selection of a consortium that fairly

represents the rural populations and

existing services located in the specified

grant service area.

(3) The level of local commitment and

involvement with the project, as

demonstrated by the extent to which

cost participation by the applicant and/

or other organizations is employed.

(4) A demonstrated capability,

experience, dedication, and knowledge

of the applicant, as well as others, who

will be responsible for the project.

(5) The extent to which the applicant

has developed measurable goals and

objectives for meeting the need(s).

(6) The reasonableness of the budget

proposed for the project, and the

feasibility for plans to sustain project

services after Federal grant support has

ended.

(7) The extent to which the proposed

project will be capable of replication in

rural areas with similar needs and

characteristics, particularly with regard

to its affordability by other

communities.

Other Information

The successful applicant will be

permitted to spend no more than 15

percent of the total amount awarded for

administrative costs. More than 50

percent of the funds awarded must be

spent in rural areas. Services provided

by the grant may not be restricted to

only those patients with the ability to

pay. Grant funds may not be used to

purchase or construct real property.

Equipment and renovation costs of up to

40 percent of the Federal share of the

project are allowable, if the costs are

supported with written justification and

are in accordance with the program

objectives of the demonstration grant.

The allowability of other costs will be

governed by applicable regulations.

Applicants are advised that the

narrative description of their program

and the budget justification may not

exceed 30 pages in length. All

applications must be typewritten and

clearly legible.

Public Health System Impact Statement

This program is subject to the Public

Health System Reporting Requirements.

Reporting requirements have been

approved by the Office of Management

and Budget—# 0937–0195. Under these

requirements, the community-based

nongovernmental applicant must

prepare and submit a Public Health

System Impact Statement (PHSIS). The

PHSIS is intended to provide

information to State and local health

officials to keep them apprised of

proposed health services grant

applications submitted by communitybased nongovernmental organizations

within their jurisdictions.

Community-based non-governmental

applicants are required to submit the

following information to the head of the

appropriate State and local health

agencies in the area(s) to be impacted no

later than the Federal application

receipt due date:

a. A copy of the face page of the

application (SF 424).

b. A summary of the project not to

exceed one page, which provides:

(1) A description of the population to

be served.

(2) A summary of the services to be

provided.

(3) A description of the coordination

planned with the appropriate State or

local health agencies.

Executive Order 12372

The Rural Health Outreach Grant

Program has been determined to be a

program which is subject to the

provisions of Executive Order 12372

concerning intergovernmental review of

Federal programs by appropriate health

planning agencies as implemented by 45

CFR part 100. Executive Order 12372

allows States the option of setting up a

system for reviewing applications from

within their States for assistance under

certain Federal programs. Applicants

(other than federally-recognized Indian

tribal governments) should contact their

State Single Point of Contact (SPOCs), a

list of which will be included in

application kit, as early as possible to

alert them to the prospective

applications and receive any necessary

instructions on the State process. For

proposed projects serving more then one

State, the applicant is advised to contact

the SPOC of each affected State. All

SPOC recommendations should be

submitted to Opal McCarthy, Office of

Grants Management, Bureau of Primary

Health Care, East West Building, 11th

Floor, 4350 East West Highway,

Rockville, Maryland 20857, (301) 594–

4260. The due date for State process

recommendations is 60 days after the

application deadline for new and

competing awards. The granting agency

does not guarantee to ‘‘accommodate or

explain’’ for State process

recommendations it receives after that

date. (See Part 148, Intergovernmental

Review of PHS Programs under

Executive Order 12372 and 45 CFR part

100 for a description of the review

process and requirements).

This is intended to be a one-time

program. Therefore, a Catalogue of

Federal Domestic Assistance number

has not been requested.

Dated: February 9, 1995.

Ciro V. Sumaya,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 95–3739 Filed 2–14–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160–15–P