EMSOF Funding Priorities [32 Pa.B. 5479] Under 28 Pa. Code §§ 1001.22 and 1001.23 (relating to criteria for funding; and allocation of funds), the Department of Health (Department) hereby gives notice of priorities for the distribution by the regional emergency medical services (EMS) councils of funding from the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund (EMSOF) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2002, and ending June 30, 2003.
EMSOF is to be used to provide funding to maintain, improve and develop the quality of the EMS system within this Commonwealth. The Department finds that EMSOF is not sufficient to fully fund the EMS system. Therefore, the Department gives notice, under 28 Pa. Code § 1001.22(d), that recipients of EMSOF funding from regional EMS councils may be required to contribute funds toward all purchases, acquisitions and funding for projects the Department permits, in part, with EMSOF funding.
Each regional EMS council shall prioritize the distribution of its EMSOF allocation based upon the Statewide EMS Development Plan and its regional EMS development plan, subject to the funding priorities set forth in this notice. The regional EMS council shall notify the providers and other appropriate entities of the established funding priorities, the application process, acquisition documentation requirements and processing deadlines. Funding must be distributed consistent with the regional and Statewide EMS development plans. Each regional EMS council must complete all documents required for the distribution of EMSOF funding by June 30, 2003.
Although funding is authorized for other initiatives and equipment, the following are priorities that must be considered and funded first:
Funding Priorities:
* Capnography Equipment (especially wave-form end-tidal CO2 monitor).
* AEDs for Department recognized QRSs and licensed BLS ambulance services if other funding sources for AEDs do not exist.
* Recruitment and retention programs in areas with high prehospital personnel vacancy rates as determined by the regional EMS council.
* Training equipment required to teach the EMT-Paramedic National Standard Curriculum.
* Testing equipment required to support Commonwealth certification testing for EMTs and paramedics.
* An ambulance for ambulance services that operate a single ambulance older than 10 years.
* Communication equipment and capabilities for areas with poor to no communication capability with medical command.
* Quality Assurance/Improvement initiatives.
* Continuous positive airway pressure devices approved by the regional medical advisory and State medical advisory committees.
* Identification vests for mass casualty response and incident command roles.
* EMS personnel protective respiratory equipment approved by the Commonwealth Emergency Medical Director and the regional EMS and State medical advisory committees to protect the EMS practitioner from communicable diseases transmitted from person to person through airborne mechanisms.
* Replacement of unserviceable equipment required to meet BLS and ALS ambulance service licensure and new equipment requirements for licensure.
These priorities are not ranked. The priorities must be considered before there is any regional distribution of EMSOF for initiatives that are not listed. Purchases by providers are not limited to equipment. This has been a point of misunderstanding in past years. The distribution of EMSOF to providers is permitted for the priorities published in this notice. If the priorities have been funded and additional funding is available, the request for funding must support the regional and State EMS development plans. If an EMS provider requests EMSOF moneys to purchase equipment, the list that follows identifies equipment eligible for EMSOF funding.
Provider Equipment:
The Department has established a list of equipment for which EMSOF funds will be made available to purchase. This list identifies the types of providers of EMS eligible for equipment purchases supported by EMSOF funding and the maximum allowable cost upon which the EMSOF contribution will be calculated. EMSOF will fund 60% of the maximum allowable cost of an equipment item for rural providers and will fund 50% of the maximum allowable cost of an equipment item for nonrural providers. An eligible provider is responsible for the balance of the purchase price. An eligible provider may purchase an item for an amount that exceeds the maximum allowable cost, but the provider will be responsible for any amount exceeding that figure. Funds for purchases and acquisitions, and funding for projects for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2002, and ending June 30, 2003, must be expended by June 30, 2003, unless a written request for an extension of time, not to exceed 90 calendar days, is submitted by the regional EMS council and approved by the Department prior to June 30, 2003.
The Department may increase the amount of the initial payment or reimbursement from EMSOF based upon the EMS development plans (State and regional) or documented financial hardship of a provider of EMS. A provider of EMS that seeks additional funds due to financial hardship shall be required to submit a financial disclosure statement and other documentation deemed necessary by the Department.
A provider of EMS applying for EMSOF funding must be in compliance, or aggressively pursuing full compliance, with all requirements applicable to the regional EMS system in which the provider of EMS operates.
Following is the Eligible Provider Equipment List that lists the equipment eligible for EMSOF support. The last two columns of the chart identify the percentage of EMSOF contribution towards the purchase price, up to the maximum allowable cost of the item, based upon whether the provider operates in a rural or nonrural area.
Questions regarding this list should be directed to Margaret Trimble, Director, Emergency Medical Services Office, Department of Health, P. O. Box 90, Harrisburg, PA 17108-0090, (717) 787-8740 or VTT (717) 783-6514 for speech and/or hearing impaired persons or the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Services at (800) 654-5984.
Eligible Provider Equipment List Equipment Description Life Eligible Purchase for Allowable Urban Rural Expectancy ALS ALS/SQ BLS QRS Costs1 (50%) (60%) EKG Monitor/Defibrillator with
Pacer5 years Y Y N N 10,000 5,000 6,000 12 Lead EKG2 5 years Y Y N N 16,000 8,000 9,600 Automated External Defibrillator
(AED)5 years N N Y3 Y3 3,500 1,750 2,100 Oxygen Equipment
(any combination)
Cylinder
Demand Valve w/Hose and Mask
Regulator (combination or
constant flow)
Case5 years Y Y Y Y 500 250 300 Capnography Equipment 3 years Y Y N N 3,000 1,500 1,800 CPAP Ventilation Portable
Equipment5 years Y Y N N 600 300 360 Pulse Oximeter 5 years Y Y N N 700 350 420 Nitrous Oxide Delivery System 5 years Y Y N N 2,000 1,000 1,200 Intravenous Infusion Pumps 5 years Y Y N N 1,500 750 900 Adult/Pediatric Intubation Kits 5 years Y8 Y8 N N 400 200 240 Transtracheal Jet Insufflators (TTJ) 5 years Y Y N N 200 100 120 Splinting/Immobilization Devices
(any combination)
Backboard
Cervical Immobilization Device
Splints (rigid, traction
and the like)3 years Y Y Y Y 500 250 300 Stairchair 5 years Y N Y N 600 300 360 Stretcher--Primary 5 years Y N Y N 3,000 1,500 1,800 Stretcher/Chair Combination 5 years Y N Y N 700 350 420 Suction (portable, battery operated) 3 years Y Y Y Y 500 250 300 Ventilator, Automatic
(per Department guidelines)5 years Y4 Y4 Y5 Y5 1,400 700 840 Ambulance -- Y N Y N -- 15,000 20,000 Squad/Response Vehicle -- N Y N Y -- 7,500 9,000 Data Collection Software6 -- Y Y Y Y 1,700 1,700 1,700 Triage Vest Set 5 years Y Y Y Y 150 75 90 Data Collection Hardware7 3 years Y Y Y Y 1,500 750 900 Radio, Mobile (one per vehicle) 5 years Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 2,500 1,250 1,500 Radio, Portable (one per vehicle) 3 years Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 1,000 500 600 Alerting Equipment (5 per service
@ $400 each)5 years Y9 Y9 Y9 Y9 2,000 1,000 1,200 1 All figures are dollar amounts for each item of equipment.
2 Amount includes $1,000 for communications package. Receiving facility must have appropriate communications capabilities.
3 Must be an approved AED service or part of regional planning and medical director required.
4 Completion of approved training program required.
5 Completion of approved training program required; BLS service medical director approval required.
6 Must be a Department approved software program, version and vendor.
7 Data collection hardware may include computer, modem, printer, backup device and battery system.
8 Must be durable equipment, not disposable equipment.
9 Must be compatible with approved communications network.
ROBERT S. ZIMMERMAN, Jr.,
Secretary[Pa.B. Doc. No. 02-1960. Filed for public inspection November 1, 2002, 9:00 a.m.]
