PART I: COVER PAGE/OVERVIEW
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration
Maternal and Child Health Bureau
Emergency Medical Services for Children Program
National Emergency Medical Services for Children Data Analysis Resource Center
Announcement Type: Competing Continuation
Announcement Number: HRSA-11-060
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No. 93.127
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT
Fiscal Year 2011
Application Due Date: January 24, 2011
Release Date: December 8, 2010
Date of Issuance: December 8, 2010
Christina Turgel, RN, BSN
Senior Nurse Consultant
Emergency Medical Services for Children Program
Email:
Telephone: (301) 443-5599
Fax: (301) 443-1296
Legislative Authority: Public Health Service Act, Title XIX, Section 1910 (as amended by P.L. 111-148, Section 5603) (42 U.S.C. 300w-9
HRSA-XX-XXX 2
Table of Contents
I. Funding Opportunity Description 1
1. Purpose 1
2. Background 1
II. Award Information 1
1. Type of Award 2
2. Summary of Funding 4
III. Eligibility Information 5
1. Eligible Applicants 5
2. Cost Sharing/Matching 5
3. Other 5
IV. Application and Submission Information 5
1. Address to Request Application Package 5
2. Content and Form of Application Submission 6
i. Application Face Page 10
ii. Table of Contents 10
iii. Application Checklist 10
iv. Budget 10
v. Budget Justification 10
vi. Staffing Plan and Personnel Requirements 12
vii. Assurances 12
viii. Certifications 12
ix. Project Abstract 12
x. Program Narrative 13
xi. Program Specific Forms 14
xii. Attachments 15
3. Submission Dates and Times 16
4. Intergovernmental Review 16
5. Funding Restrictions 16
6. Other Submission Requirements 16
V. Application Review Information 17
1. Review Criteria 17
2. Review and Selection Process 19
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates 19
VI. Award Administration Information 19
1. Award Notices 19
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 20
3. Reporting 21
VII. Agency Contacts 23
VIII. Other Information 24
ix. Tips for Writing a Strong Application 24
Appendix A: MCHB Administrative Forms and Performance Measures 25
HRSA-11-060 i
I. Funding Opportunity Description
1. Purpose
The mission of Health Resources and Services Administration/Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HRSA/MCHB) is to provide national leadership and to work, in partnership with States, communities, public-private partners, and families to strengthen the maternal and child health (MCH) infrastructure, assure the availability and use of medical homes, and build the knowledge and human resources, in order to assure continued improvement in the health, safety and well-being of the MCH population. The MCH population includes all America's women, infants, children, adolescents and their families, including fathers and children with special health care needs (CSHCN).
The Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program assists States in expanding and improving State and local capability for reducing and ameliorating pediatric emergencies in the State, taking special care to include children with special health needs, culturally distinct populations and historically underrepresented groups, including Native American/Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians; uses existing research-based knowledge, state-of-the-art systems development approaches, and the experience and products of previous EMSC awardees in meeting program goals; and generates support from local public and private sources for sustainability of funded EMSC projects after Federal support terminates, through State legislative, regulatory, or policy changes or other means.
In order for EMSC awardees and State Emergency Medical Services (EMS) offices to accomplish the above activities effectively, they need to have access to system data and have the ability to analyze and link data sets. In addition, they need to be able to use data in quality improvement efforts. The purpose of the National EMSC Data Analysis Resource Center (NEDARC) Demonstration Award is to:
· Enhance management information and quality improvement (QI) capabilities of EMSC awardees and State EMS offices.
· Assist EMSC awardees and State EMS Offices in the area of data collection, data analysis, data communication, quality improvement, grant writing, and research design.
· Assist in the application of data to QI and in collaborative efforts to collect and analyze State-level data.
· Analyze the basic epidemiology of pediatric EMS calls to better understand patterns of EMS care for children and identify differences between pediatric and adult care.
· Develop national reports on relevant pediatric EMS data
2. Background
The Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The program is authorized by the Public Health Service Act, Section 1910.
This Federal initiative evolved out of a growing recognition that children have unique needs in emergency situations––needs that often vary from those of adults due to physiological, developmental and psychological differences.
Legislation passed by Congress in 1984 authorized the use of Federal funds to expand and improve emergency medical services for children in each State. Since 1984, 56 States, territories and the District of Columbia, have received grants. Academic medical centers within the 56 States, territories, and the District of Columbia have also received grants.
The goal of the EMSC program is to reduce child and youth morbidity and mortality resulting from severe illness or trauma by supporting injury prevention programs and improvements in the quality of medical care children receive. The EMSC program does not intend to promote the development of a separate EMS system for children, but rather to enhance the pediatric capability of EMS systems originally designed primarily for adults. “EMS” is here understood broadly to include the following components: prevention, prehospital EMS care, hospital based care, rehabilitation and reentry of the child into the community.
II. Award Information
1. Type of Award
Funding will be provided in the form of a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement, as opposed to a grant, is an award instrument of financial assistance where substantial involvement is anticipated between HRSA and the recipient during performance of the contemplated project.
In addition to the usual monitoring and technical assistance provided under the cooperative agreement, Program responsibilities shall include the following:
1) Making available the services of experienced HRSA/MCHB personnel as participants in the planning and development of all phases of the project.
2) As appropriate, participation in, including the planning of, any conferences and meetings conducted during the period of the cooperative agreement.
3) Review procedures to be established for accomplishing the scope of work.
4) Assistance and referral in the establishment of Federal interagency contacts that may be necessary in carrying out the project and assisting MCHB in dissemination and program communication goals.
5) Assistance in identifying other awardees and organizations with whom the awardee will be asked to develop cooperative and collaborative relationships.
6) Participation in the dissemination of project activities and products.
7) Facilitation of effective communication and accountability to HRSA/MCHB regarding the project with special attention to new program initiatives and policy development in the public health field relating to maternal and child health.
Requirements and obligations of the Cooperative Agreement recipient include:
1) The recipient will collaborate with HRSA/MCHB in assisting States to improve their data and QI capabilities through the provision of consultative assistance to States and EMSC awardees in the field of statistical analysis of EMS and other health care data sets. These areas include but are not limited to:
For EMSC Targeted Issues awardees:
· Assist with statistical analysis and sample size and power calculations;
· Assist with the design of research projects; and
· Assist with database design and creation including hardware and software consultation.
For State Partnership awardees:
· Develop template surveys for data collection and sampling strategies for data collection;
· Analyze data from the state performance measures under the direction of the Federal Project Officer;
· Under the direction of the Federal Project Officer, conduct site visits to EMSC awardees and State EMS Offices in order to facilitate state EMS data system evaluation and improvement planning sessions with identified stakeholders;
· Assess information gathered from state site visits to monitor trends and needs in EMS data system development; and
· Continue in the development and improvement of a systematic process of assessing and tracking the strength of state EMS data systems, including the review and refinement of key indicators that demonstrate state capacity to collect, analyze, and utilize EMS data.
For all EMSC Program awardees:
· Provide expertise in probabilistic and deterministic linkage of EMS and other health care data sets;
· Provide expertise in areas of data design, program evaluation, data communication, and development of on-line analytical processing system capability.
2) Provide support to those applying for EMSC grants by:
· Provide assistance with the statistical methodology, evaluation plan, clarity, and completeness of the proposal
· Provide assistance with sample size and power calculations
· Provide technical assistance in the understanding and interpretation of Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) especially as they apply to research and data collection within the EMS system
3) Offer technical assistance to state EMS data managers and EMSC program managers regarding how to query for the pediatric population on the publicly available National Emergency Medical Services Information Systems (NEMSIS) dataset.
4) Develop and maintain on-line information and educational material in the fields of data analysis and linkage, quality improvement and program evaluation, grant writing, patient confidentiality, HIPAA, survey design, and EMS data querying; continue to maintain and upgrade a web-based infrastructure for the sharing of information and files between designated sites in separate locations.
5) Participate in national, regional, and professional meetings in which the content of such meetings relates to the goals and objectives of the EMSC Program including but not limited to the Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services for Children Research (ICER) and the EMSC Partnership for Children Stakeholders Group.
6) Participate as presenters and/or moderators at meetings with a focus on, but not limited to, sessions that disseminate knowledge and information on data collection, data analysis, data linkage, program evaluation, survey design and development, data communication principles, and state and national EMS data systems development status.
7) Conduct a minimum of three (3) data workshops per year directed toward EMSC Awardees and State EMS office personnel to improve their understanding and capabilities in areas such as quality improvement in EMSC, statistical analysis of EMS data, uses of data in EMSC injury prevention initiatives, program evaluation, data communication, and effective grant writing.
8) Consultant with the Federal Project Officer before scheduling any meetings/conferences that pertain to the scope of work at which the Federal Project Officer’s attendance may be appropriate.
9) Provide the Federal Project Officer with the opportunity to review, provide advisory input, and approve at the program level any publications, audiovisuals, and other materials produced, as well as meetings/conferences planned, under the auspices of this cooperative agreement. Such review should start as part of the concept development and include review of drafts and final products.
10) Develop various products for target audiences that may include, but are not limited to background papers and briefs, written issue analyses, technical assistance memoranda, organizational policy statements, fact sheets, and audiovisual and electronic presentations.
11) Collaborate with national groups, including Federal agencies, in providing expert opinion and consultation that informs national planning, program, and policy development around issues of pediatric emergency care data and that ensures inclusion of this topic in more general planning, program, and policy development efforts.
2. Summary of Funding
This program will provide funding for Federal fiscal years 2011-2014. Approximately $1,210,000 is expected to be available annually to fund one (1) grantee. Applicants may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $1,210,000 per year. The period of support is four (4) years with an optional fifth year based upon performance. Funding beyond the first year is dependent on the availability of appropriated funds for the EMSC Program in subsequent fiscal years, satisfactory awardee performance, and a decision that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal government.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Applications may be submitted by State governments and accredited schools of medicine. The term “school of medicine” for the purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is defined as having the same meaning as set forth in section 799B(1)(A) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 295p(1)(A)) which means an accredited public or nonprofit private school in a State that provides training leading, respectively, to a degree of doctor of medicine and including advanced training related to such training provided by any such school. “Accredited” in this context has the same meaning as set forth in section 799B(1)(E) of the PHS Act (42 U.S.C. 295p(1)(E)) which when applied to a school of medicine means a school or program that is accredited by a recognized body or bodies approved for such purpose by the Secretary of Education, except that a new school or program that, by reason of an insufficient period of operation, is not, at the time of application for a grant or contract under this subchapter, eligible for accreditation by such a recognized body or bodies, shall be deemed accredited for purposes of this subchapter, if the Secretary of Education finds, after consultation with appropriate accreditation body or bodies, that there is reasonable assurance that the school or program will meet the accreditation standards of such body or bodies prior to the beginning of the academic year following the normal graduation date of the first entering class in such school or program.
2. Cost Sharing/Matching
There is no cost sharing or matching is requirement for this program.
3. Other
Applications that exceed the ceiling amount will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered for funding under this announcement.
Any application that fails to satisfy the deadline requirements referenced in Section IV.3 will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered for funding under this announcement.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package
Application Materials and Required Electronic Submission Information
HRSA requires applicants for this funding opportunity announcement to apply electronically through Grants.gov. All applicants must submit in this manner unless they obtain a written exemption from this requirement in advance by the Director of HRSA’s Division of Grants Policy. Applicants must request an exemption in writing from , and provide details as to why they are technologically unable to submit electronically through the Grants.gov portal. Your email must include the HRSA announcement number for which you are seeking relief, the name, address, and telephone number of the organization and the name and telephone number of the Project Director as well as the Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXX) assigned to your submission along with a copy of the “Rejected with Errors” notification you received from Grants.gov. HRSA and its Grants Application Center (GAC) will only accept paper applications from applicants that received prior written approval. However, the application must still be submitted under the deadline.