[Federal Register: February 13, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 29)]
[Notices]
[Page 6738-6739]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13fe07-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Poison Control Centers Stabilization and Enhancement Program
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Notice; request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is
seeking comments from the public on its plan to institute a permanent
deviation from a policy in the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), Grants Policy Directive (GPD) 3.01 governing indirect cost
recovery for one of its grant programs. The GPD states ``HHS considers
activities conducted by grantees that result in indirect charges a
necessary and appropriate part of HHS grants, and HHS awarding offices
must reimburse their share of these costs.'' Although HRSA typically
reimburses grantees for their full share of administrative overhead
represented in approved indirect cost rates (which can be up to 50
percent), the agency believes, in the case of its Poison Control
Program, that full recovery of overhead expenditures would be
detrimental to the poison control centers (PCCs) funded under the
program because of the financial instability of PCCs. The purpose of
the HRSA Poison Control Centers Stabilization and Enhancement Grant
Program is to assist PCCs in achieving financial stability, preventing
poisonings and providing treatment recommendations for poisonings.
Limiting indirect costs is necessary because many PCCs are located
within institutions such as universities and hospitals that have
established indirect cost rates in the range of 30 to 50 percent. It is
in the best interest of PCCs to limit the indirect cost recovery to 10
percent, leaving 90 percent of the grant funds to achieve the
objectives of the grant program. This limitation would be applicable to
all awardees of the Poison Control Center Stabilization and Enhancement
Grant Programs.
DATES: If you wish to comment on any portion of this notice, HRSA must
receive comments by March 15, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
E-mail: lroche@hrsa.gov. Include ``Poison Control
Stabilization and Enhancement Program'' in the subject line of the
message.
Mail: Lori Roche, Division of Healthcare Preparedness,
Healthcare Systems Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA), 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 13-103, Rockville, MD 20857.
Hand Delivery/Courier: Lori Roche, Division of Healthcare
Preparedness, Healthcare Systems Bureau, Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA), 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 13-103, Rockville, MD
20857.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to the Division of Healthcare Preparedness,
Healthcare Systems Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA), 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 13-103, Rockville, Maryland, 20857,
weekdays between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. To schedule an
appointment to view public comments, phone (301) 443-0652.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori Roche, at the above address,
telephone number 301-443-0652.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Health Resources and Services
Administration's (HRSA) Poison Control Program (PCP) was established in
February 2000 under the Poison Center Enhancement and Awareness Act,
Pub. L. 106-174. The program was reauthorized in 2003 under the Poison
Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act, Amendments of 2003, Pub.
L. 108-194. This Act authorizes funding to maintain the national toll-
free number; establish a nationwide media campaign to promote poison
control center (PCC) utilization; maintain the PCC grant program;
develop standardized poison prevention and poison control promotion
programs; develop standard patient management guidelines for commonly
encountered toxic exposures; improve and expand the poison control data
collection activities; improve national toxic exposure surveillance by
enhancing activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
[[Page 6739]]
Registry; expand the toxicologic expertise within PCCs; and improve the
capacity of PCCs to answer high volumes of calls during times of
national crisis.
The grant program that was established, in response to the
legislation, provides funding for the financial stabilization,
certification and incentive grants. Financial stabilization grants
provide assistance to PCCs that are certified by the American
Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC). The intent of the
financial stabilization program is to assist PCCs in poison prevention
and to help stabilize their funding structure. Certification grants
have previously been awarded to poison centers that do not meet the
AAPCC's certification standards and thereby do not qualify for
assistance under the financial stabilization grant category. These
grants were designed to assist uncertified centers in achieving
certification by the AAPCC. The incentive grants have previously been
awarded to PCCs that are working collaboratively and innovatively with
one another and other public health agencies to improve, enhance and
expand poison control systems and services. Assistance under the three
grant categories is in the form of grant funds and technical
assistance.
PCCs provide poison services and prevention education to combat
deaths and injuries due to poisonings. PCCs also serve as part of the
Nation's surveillance and first response system, providing a continuum
of emergency services, which is needed to confront the threat of
bioterrorism. While PCCs provide a benefit to the public health
community, their funding structures are unstable and are derived from a
variety of sources, including Federal, State, and local government, as
well as corporate and foundation donations.
Since inception, the Federal Poison Control Program has helped PCCs
meet the needs of the public and poison community. According to the
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Poison Control Centers Grant
Program, a study conducted by Battelle Centers for Public Health
Research and Evaluation (a research service organization), the Federal
program represents a lifeline for poison centers. During the first two
grant years alone, PCCs made remarkable strides in accomplishing the
objectives outlined in their grant proposals. The program finds this to
still be true after four years of the grant program.
The PCC grant guidance has limited indirect costs to 10 percent of
allowable total direct costs since 2001. However, for the 2005 grant
funding opportunity guidance, a request to deviate from the Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Grants Policy Directive (GPD) 3.01,
Indirect Costs and Other Cost Policies was required; it was submitted
and approved by the DHHS, Office of Grants Management Policy, Assistant
Secretary for Administration and Management on March 23, 2005. The
grant program initiated this limitation on the recoverable indirect
costs because many PCCs are located within universities and hospitals
that have established indirect cost rate agreements in the range of 30
to 50 percent. In adhering to the existing GPD policy, as much as 50
percent of grants funds could be consumed for administrative purposes
by the host institution, which significantly reduces the amount of
funds available to carry out the objectives of the authorizing
legislation and grant program.
Continuation of this indirect cost limitation will greatly enhance
the awardees' ability to become financially stable, which is the intent
of the grant program. However, reduced funding would reverse the
success of the grant program to date in helping to stabilize PCCs
funding structure and meet the objectives of the grant program.
Historically, reduced and insufficient funding has forced many PCCs to
decrease center operations and terminate critical staff that provides
free poison prevention and expert poison treatment services to the
public. Termination of critical operational staff can result in the
loss of PCC certification status, which will disqualify centers from
receiving Federal Poison Control Program funding. For many centers,
this can lead to closure, which can also weaken our Nation's first
response system to poisoning emergencies, biological, chemical and
nuclear terrorism.
Public Comment
HRSA invites public comment on its plan to indefinitely limit
indirect costs to 10 percent of the total allowable direct costs for
awardees of the Poison Control Center Stabilization and Enhancement
Grant Program.
Dated: February 6, 2007.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E7-2365 Filed 2-12-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P