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[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 76 (Thursday, April 20, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19753-19755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-9756]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration

Grants To Improve Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Care in 
Rural Areas

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration.

 [[Page 19754]] ACTION: Notice of availability of grant funds.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration announces 
that approximately $310,000 is available in fiscal year 1995 for grants 
to public and private nonprofit entities for the purpose of carrying 
out research and demonstration projects with respect to improving the 
availability and quality of emergency medical services and trauma care 
in rural areas. These grants are authorized by Section 1204 of the 
Public Health Service Act, as amended. Funds are appropriated under 
Public Law 103-333.

DATES: To receive consideration, grant applications must be received by 
the close of business June 19, 1995. Applications will meet 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 submission to the review committee. A legibly dated receipt 
from a commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service will be accepted in 
lieu of a postmark. Private metered postmarks will not be accepted as 
proof of timely mailing. Hand delivered applications must be received 
by 5:00 pm on June 19, 1995. Applications received after the deadline 
will be returned.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information relating to 
technical or program issues may be obtained from Diane McMenamin, 
Deputy Director, or Mirtha Beadle, Emergency Medical Systems Analyst, 
Division of Trauma and Emergency Medical Systems, Bureau of Health 
Resources Development, Parklawn Building, Room 7-16, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857; 301-443-3401. Grant applications and 
additional information regarding business, administrative, or fiscal 
issues related to the awarding of grants under this Notice may be 
requested from the Grants Management Officer (GMO), Ms. Glenna Wilcom, 
Parklawn Building, Room 7-15, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 
20857; 301-443-2280. Applicants for grants will use Form PHS 5161-1 
(revised 7/92, approved under OMB No. 0937-0189). Completed 
applications should be sent to the GMO.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Objectives

    The program provides assistance to public and private nonprofit 
organizations for the purpose of carrying out research and 
demonstration projects to improve the availability and quality of 
emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma care in rural areas. As 
mandated by legislation, applications must address one or more of the 
following five topics:
    1. Developing innovative uses of communications technologies and 
the use of new communication technologies;
    2. Developing model curricula for training EMS personnel, including 
first responders, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, emergency 
nurses, and physicians in the:
    a. Assessment, stabilization, treatment, preparation for transport, 
and resuscitation of seriously injured patients, with special attention 
to problems that arise during long transports and methods of minimizing 
delays in transport to the appropriate facility; and
    b. Management of the operation of an EMS system;
    3. Making training for original certification, and continuing 
education, in the provision and management of EMS more accessible to 
emergency medical personnel in rural areas;
    4. Developing innovative protocols and agreements to increase 
access to prehospital care and equipment necessary for the 
transportation of seriously injured patients to the appropriate 
facilities; and
    5. Evaluating the effectiveness of protocols with respect to EMS 
and systems.
    The program is not intended to purchase capital equipment or 
provide access to health resources. As such, a proposal should not be 
oriented towards the acquisition of new EMS or trauma care equipment, 
personnel, or other resources. Rather, as a research and demonstration 
program, proposed projects are intended to advance the science of rural 
EMS and trauma care through evaluation of a rural issue and statistical 
analysis of the project findings.
    The Public Health Service urges applicants to submit workplans that 
address specific objectives of Healthy People 2000. Potential 
applicants may obtain a copy of Healthy People 2000 (Full Report: Stock 
No. 017-001-00474-0) or Healthy People 2000 (Summary Report: Stock No. 
017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government 
Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402-9325; 202 783-3238.

Program Priorities

    The legislation requires that special consideration be given to 
applicants providing services in any rural area identified by a State 
for which:
    1. There is no system of access to EMS through the telephone number 
9-1-1; or
    2. There is no basic life-support system; or
    3. There is no advanced life-support system.
    In order to receive special consideration under this legislative 
provision, the State EMS Office must certify that the proposed study 
will be conducted in a rural area(s) meeting one or more of the above 
listed program priorities. Special consideration means that approved 
applications providing services in the rural areas identified above 
will have funding priority over other approved applications.
    The definition of basic or advanced life-support systems must be 
consistent with the definition recognized by the State.

Availability of Funds

    Approximately $310,000 is available to fund 1-4 grants. Project 
periods may be requested for one or two years. Grants to support 
projects beyond the first budget year will be contingent upon the 
availability of funds and satisfactory progress in meeting the 
project's objectives. Applicants are required to submit budgets for 
each proposed project year in the initial application.

Eligible Applicants

    Any public or private nonprofit entity may apply. Although the 
applicant is not required to be located in a rural area, the applicant 
must perform a research and demonstration activity in a rural area(s). 
In order to meet the rural requirement, an area must be located: (1) 
Outside a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as defined by the Office 
of Management and Budget; or (2) in a rural census tract within an MSA. 
If the city or county name does not appear on the MSA list, the area 
would meet the definition of rural under the first definition in this 
program. However, if the city or county name does appear on the MSA 
list, the applicant may contact the applicable regional Census Bureau 
office to determine the census tract for the area. If the census tract 
for the area appears on the list of approved rural census tracts, the 
applicant is eligible to apply under the second rural definition in 
this program. A list of the cities and counties that are designated as 
being within an MSA, rural census tracts for each county, and telephone 
numbers for regional offices of the Census Bureau will be included with 
the application. [[Page 19755]] 

Application Evaluation Criteria

    Grant applications will be evaluated by an objective review 
committee according to the following:
    1. Capability of the Applicant: applicant's demonstrated experience 
and qualifications to complete the project proposed and to perform a 
research or demonstration project.
    2. Impact of Study Objective: (1) impact of the study on the 
advancement of rural EMS and trauma care delivery; (2) contribution of 
the study to existing knowledge on EMS and trauma care such that 
further work on the issue is a high priority; and (3) development of 
new methods rather than a duplication of methods previously 
implemented.
    3. Selection of Rural Community: appropriateness of the rural 
area(s) where the project will be conducted and the adequacy of 
justification for inclusion of non-rural areas in the research or 
demonstration activity.
    4. Community Participation: extent to which an applicant that is 
not located in the rural community where the research or demonstration 
activity will be conducted has established an equal partnership and 
coordinated project development activities with the rural constituency 
under study, including: the prehospital, acute care, and rehabilitation 
sectors; local medical control; concerned advocates; the State EMS 
Office; and other interested parties.
    5. Study Design: appropriateness of study design to the stated 
hypothesis, and the likelihood that the proposed research activity will 
yield expected results and improve rural EMS and trauma care.
    6. Methodology: appropriateness and adequacy of the work plan for 
completion of project activities and project evaluation, and of the 
schedule for organizing and completing the project within the project 
period.

Allowable Costs

    The basis for determining the allowability and allocability of 
costs charged to PHS grants is set forth in 45 CFR Part 74, Subpart Q, 
and 45 CFR Part 92. The four separate sets of cost principles 
prescribed for recipients of grants for public and private nonprofit 
entities are: OMB Circular A-87 for State and local governments; OMB 
Circular A-21 for institutions of higher education; 45 CFR Part 74, 
Appendix E for hospitals; and OMB Circular A-122 for nonprofit 
organizations.

Reporting Requirements

    A successful applicant under this notice will submit quarterly 
reports in accordance with provisions of the general regulations which 
apply under 45 CFR Part 74, Subpart J, Monitoring and Reporting of 
Program Performance, with the exception of State and local governments 
to which 45 CFR Part 92, Subpart C reporting requirements will apply.

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 non-governmental 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 by community-
based non-governmental 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 PHSIS, 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.

PHS Smoke-free Policy

    Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking 
in certain facilities in which education, library, day care, regular 
and routine health care and early childhood development services are 
provided to children. Smoking must also be prohibited in indoor 
facilities that are constructed, operated or maintained with Federal 
funds.

Executive Order 12372

    Grants awarded under this notice are subject to the provisions of 
Executive Order 12372, which sets up a system for State and local 
government review of proposed Federal assistance applications. 
Applicants (other than federally recognized Indian tribes) should 
contact their State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) as early as possible 
to alert them to the prospective applications and receive any necessary 
instructions on the State process. For proposals serving more than one 
State, the applicant is advised to contact the SPOC of each affected 
State. A current list of SPOCS is included in the application kit. The 
SPOC has 60 days after the application deadline date to submit 
comments. The granting agency does not guarantee to ``accommodate or 
explain'' State recommendations received after that date.

    The OMB Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number for this 
program is 93.952.

    Dated: Arpil 14, 1995.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-9756 Filed 4-19-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P
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