Tag: grants

AAA Comments on Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA)

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Legislative.

March 28, 2023

The Honorable Bernie Sanders
Chair
Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Bob Casey
Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Bill Cassidy
Ranking Member
Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Mitt Romney
Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chair Sanders, Ranking Member Cassidy, Senator Casey, and Senate Romney,

I am writing on behalf of the American Ambulance Association (AAA) to provide comments on policies the Committee should consider during the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All- Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA).

The members of the AAA provide mobile health care services to more than 75 percent of Americans. These essential mobile health care services include the local operation of the 9-1- 1 emergency medical services (EMS) system, as well as both emergent and non-emergency interfacility care transition ambulance services and transportation. Often ground ambulance service organizations are the first medical professionals to interact with individuals in need of a health care encounter. These organizations also serve as the health care safety net for many small communities, especially those located in rural areas where other providers and suppliers have reduced their hours of operation or left the community altogether. As such, these organizations play a critical and unique role in the country’s health care infrastructure.

Ground ambulance services are essential to our nation’s emergency medical response system, whether they are needed for a pandemic, natural disaster, or terrorist attack. The country’s EMS system requires federal support to ensure the availability of a well-trained workforce to provide these ground ambulance services. Ground ambulance services are also essential to protecting patient access to the right level of facility-based treatment options.

I.                    Support for Jurisdictional Preparedness and Response Capacity: Hospital Preparedness Program / ASPR activities financed through the general HHP budget

The AAA supports continued funding for the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP). Our members have been working closely with the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPR) to find ways to direct some of the currently allocated HPP dollars to support ground ambulance services, particularly to address the workforce crisis and support expanded recruitment and training for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. During these discussions, it has become clear that more direct language authorizing the use of a specified portion of the HPP funds to support non-governmental and governmental ground ambulance services would allow ASPR to tackle this issue in a timelier manner.

Ground ambulance service organizations are facing crippling staffing challenges that threaten the provision of crucial emergency healthcare services at a time of maximum need. As we face a pandemic that waxes and wanes but does not end, our 9-1-1 infrastructure remains at risk due to these severe workforce shortages. The 2022 Ambulance Employee Workforce Turnover Study by the American Ambulance Association (AAA) and Newton 360 – the most sweeping survey of its kind involving nearly 20,000 employees working at 258 EMS organizations — found that overall turnover among paramedics and EMTs ranges from 20 to 30 percent annually with organizations on average having 30% of their paramedic positions open and 29% of their EMT positions.

The Congress and the President recognized the crisis and the FY23 Consolidated Appropriations called on ASRP to address this shortage by implementing a grant program to support non- governmental and governmental ground ambulance suppliers and providers through the HPP to address emergency medical services preparedness and response in light of the workforce shortage. While this language is helpful, the AAA recognizes that authorizing authority would provide a more sustainable approach to support an EMS workforce grant program.

Such a program would be consistent with the goals of ASRP. The FY24 HHS Budget in Brief highlights to goal of making “transformative investments in pandemic preparedness and biodefense across HHS public health agencies to enable an agile, coordinated, and comprehensive public health response to future threats and protect American lives, families, and the economy.” (HHS Budget in Brief 142). Ground ambulance medical services are an essential part of this preparedness and response goal.

Our nation’s ground ambulance service organizations, EMTs, and paramedics need Congress to address the EMS workforce challenges facing these front-line health care workers by including direct authority to use $50 million of the HPP funding to establish an EMS workforce grant program to address the crippling EMS workforce shortage, including in underserved, rural, and tribal areas and/or address health disparities related to accessing prehospital ground ambulance healthcare services, including critical care transport. The grants would be available to governmental and non-governmental EMS organizations to support the recruitment and training of emergency medical technicians and paramedics. The program would emphasize ensuring a well-trained and adequate ground ambulance services workforce in underserved, rural, and tribal areas and/or addressing health disparities related to accessing prehospital ground ambulance health care services.

This program is critically important to supporting the non-governmental and governmental ground ambulance service organizations that are the backbone of the country’s first emergency medical response system. The dollars would be used to provide grants directly to non- governmental and governmental ground ambulance service organizations to support training and retention programs, such as paying for initial training; providing tuition for community colleges EMT/ paramedic training courses; paying for required continuing education courses; supporting costs related to licensure and certification; and supporting individuals in underserved areas with transportation, child care, or similar services to promote accessing training.

II.                  Gaps in Current Activities and Capabilities: Gaps in HHS’ capabilities and what activities or authorities needed to fulfill intent of PAHPA and related laws

The most significant gap in PAHPA and HHS on preparedness and readiness activities is the exclusion of non-governmental entities from many of the federal programs targeted to first responders and EMS. This oversight results in more than one-third of local communities and their citizens not being able to access or benefit from the programs and funding that Congress intended be provided to support them. The AAA requests that the Committee recognize the decision-making authority to rely on non-governmental ground ambulance service organizations and provide access to programs that are currently available to governmental organizations.

During the pandemic, non-governmental local community ground ambulance organizations were not permitted to apply for or participant in many of the federal grant programs in place during the pandemic. As a result, these programs fell short of the goal of supporting preparedness and response activities at the local level.

The distinction between governmental and non-governmental appears to be based on outdated assumptions that first responders are only governmental or not-for-profit entities. This assumption ignores the decisions of state and local governments to contract with private ground ambulance service providers and suppliers to provide 911 or equivalent services. The federal government should respect these local decisions and support all ground ambulance services as first-responders and EMS.

One example of this problem is the FEMA public assistance grant program that reimbursed “first responders” for PPE and other expenses related to the response to COVID-19. When non- governmental (including not-for-profit) emergency ambulance service organizations sought direct reimbursement under the program, they were turned away. This differential treatment impacts communities across the United States, including those in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin, among others.

Appendix A includes list of some of the program the AAA has identified that should reviewed and updated to include non-governmental entities.

The solution to this problem is to use the more inclusive language that the Congress adopted in the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. § 101) on non-governmental and governmental entities within the definition of “emergency response providers.” This language provides access to all ground ambulance services and the communities they serve to funding when available to support preparedness and response activities.

 

III.               Conclusion

On behalf of ground ambulance service organizations of the AAA, I want to thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the PAHPA. We look forward to working with your team as you continue develop these policies.

 

Sincerely,

Randy Strozyk President

Appendix A: Grant Program for Review

ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT (AFG)

http://www.firegrantsupport.com/afg/faq/08/faq_emer.aspx#q1

The grant program prohibits “for-profit” organizations from applying for grant funding.

STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (SAFER)

Retrieved from http://www.firegrantsupport.com/safer/faq/08/faq_elig.aspx#q1

Only fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations are eligible for SAFER grants.

FEDERAL DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS

$45B to reimburse activities such as medical response, procurement of PPE National Guard deployment, coordination of logistics, implementation of safety measures, and provision of community services. According to FEMA, these funds will cover overtime and backfill costs; the costs of supplies, such as disinfectants, medical supplies and PPE; and apparatus usage. (The federal government will cover 75% of these costs.) NAEMT recommends FEMA’s new sheet on FEMA’s Simplified Public Assistance Application. In addition, you should consult with their state emergency managers to begin the process of being reimbursed. Eligible to apply: Public and some non-profit services.

Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant Program

The Emergency Management Baseline Assessment Grant (EMBAG) program provides non- disaster funding to support developing, maintaining, and revising voluntary national-level standards and peer-review assessment processes for emergency management and using these standards and processes to assess state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management programs and professionals.

Nonprofit Security Grant Program

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist attack.

SIREN ACT

The Siren Act supports public and non-profit rural EMS agencies through grants to train and recruit staff, fund continuing education, and purchase equipment and supplies from naloxone and first aid kits to power stretchers or new ambulances.

ASPR – NATIONAL BIOTERRORISM HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM

Eligibility requirements exclude for-profit private EMS.

PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS’ DEATH BENEFIT

Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Improvements Act of 2011 (S. 1696).

Added non-profits (but still excluded for profits) in the Public Safety Officers’ Benefit (PSOB) program. This legislation extended the federal death benefit coverage to paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who work for a private non-profit emergency medical

services (EMS) agency and die in the line of duty and thank you for including the language of the Dale Long Emergency Medical Service Providers Protection Act (S. 385) in this new bill. Congress established the Public Safety Officer Benefit program to provide assistance to the survivors of police officers, firefighters and paramedics and emergency medical technicians in the event of their death in the line of duty. The benefit, however, currently only applies to those public safety officers employed by a federal, state, or local government entity and non-profits.

URBAN AREA SECURITY INITIATIVE (UASI) & METROPOLITAN MEDICAL RESPONSE SYSTEM (MMRS)

Retrieved from http://www.iowahomelandsecurity.org/Portals/0/CountyCoordinators/Grants/FFY09HSGPguida nce.pdf

Inclusion of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Providers

DHS requires State and local governments to include emergency medical services (EMS) providers in their State and Urban Area homeland security plans. In accordance with this requirement, and as States, territories, localities, and tribes complete their application materials for the FY 2009 HSGP, DHS reminds our homeland security partners of the importance for proactive inclusion of various State, regional, and local response disciplines who have important roles and responsibilities in prevention, deterrence, protection, and response activities. Inclusion should take place with respect to planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercise efforts. Response disciplines include, but are not limited to: governmental and nongovernmental emergency medical, firefighting, and law enforcement services; public health; hospitals; emergency management; hazardous materials; public safety communications; public works; and governmental leadership and administration personnel.

INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS GRANTS

Retrieved from http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/iecgp/index.shtm

Eligibility and Funding

The Governor of each State and territory has designated a State Administrative Agency (SAA), which can apply for and administer the funds under IECGP. The SAA is the only agency eligible to apply for IECGP funds.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM (CEDAP)

Retrieved from http://ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/cedap_factsheet_2008.pdf

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include law enforcement agencies, fire, and other emergency responders who demonstrate that the equipment will be used to improve their ability and capacity to respond to a major critical incident or work with other first responders. Awardees must not have received technology funding under the Urban Areas Security Initiative, or the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program since Oct. 1, 2006. Organizations must submit applications through the Responder Knowledge Base (RKB) website at www.rkb.us.

EMS.Gov | NOFO 2023 Rural EMS Training Grant Program

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Regulatory.

Notice Of Funding Opportunity for 2023 Rural EMS Training Grant Program

Applications due May 1, 2023
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has announced a Notice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2023 Rural EMS Training Grant Program. There have been important revisions to the amount of funding available and the anticipated number of awards that will be granted.

SAMHSA encourages rural EMS agencies (both fire-based and non-fire based) operated by a local or tribal government, as well as rural non-profit EMS agencies, to apply.

Review the NOFO announcement for a full description of the training program, eligibility information and award details. All applications are due May 1, 2023.

Apply Here

The goal of this SAMHSA program is to recruit and train EMS personnel in rural areas with a particular focus on addressing substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring disorders (COD) substance use and mental disorders. Grant recipients will be expected to train EMS personnel on SUD and COD, trauma-informed, recovery-based care for people with such disorders in emergency situations and, as appropriate, to maintain licenses and certifications relevant to serve in an EMS agency.

Application Period Extended for FY 2021 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program

Written by Meghan Winesett on . Posted in Executive, News, Uncategorized.

Please see the below notice from FEMA on the extension of the Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) Program:

“FEMA has been working with the General Services Administration to resolve interface issues related to SAM.gov that were affecting some applicants’ ability to begin inputting their federal fiscal year (FY) 2021 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program applications into the FEMA GO System. Specifically, this issue included applicants that received error messages stating their organizations were not found and that their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)/Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) combination did not exist despite the applicants’ SAM.gov accounts being fully active.

As this issue is ongoing, the FY 2021 AFG Program application period will remain open until January 21, 2022 5:00 p.m. ET. All applicants will automatically be granted this extension. This ensures that applicants affected by the UEI/EFT issue will have sufficient time to complete the online application. The extension to the application period will not affect the award timeline. In the meantime, FEMA continues to strongly encourage applicants to review the FY 2021 AFG Program Notice of Funding Opportunity and the associated tools posted on the FEMA website here: FY 2021 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Application Guidance Materials | FEMA.gov. In preparation for application submission, applicants may also draft their narratives separately and cut and paste them into the appropriate areas of FEMA GO once the SAM.gov interface issue is resolved. The questions that are asked in the narrative section may be found in the FY 2021 AFG Program Narrative Get Ready Guide.

Fire Grants Help Desk: If you have questions about the NOFO or application process, call or email the Fire Grants Help Desk. The toll-free number is 1-866-274-0960; the e-mail address for questions is firegrants@fema.dhs.gov.The Fire Grants Help Desk is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET. “

 

Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program- Non Affiliated EMS Organizations Are Eligible

Written by Meghan Winesett on . Posted in Government Affairs, News.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) applications are open. The goal of the grant program is to assist fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations in meeting their needs to serve their communities. The grant assists these organizations in obtaining equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources. Non-affiliated EMS organizations including non-hospital based (private or public) nonprofit, or governmental organizations are eligible to apply. Applications close on Friday, December 17, 2021 at 5pm ET.

Eligible organizations can review the help documents linked below:

If you need assistance in completing your grant application or have any questions you can call or email the Fire Grants Help Desk at 1-866-274-0960 or firegrants@fema.dhs.gov Monday-Friday from 8am-4:30pm ET.

HHS | $103mm for Healthcare Workforce Resiliency and to Address Burnout

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Employee Wellness, Professional Standards.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: HHS Press Office
202-690-6343
media@hhs.gov

HHS Announces $103 Million from American Rescue Plan to Strengthen Resiliency and Address Burnout in the Health Workforce

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the availability of an estimated $103 million in American Rescue Plan funding over a three-year period to reduce burnout and promote mental health among the health workforce. These investments, which take into particular consideration the needs of rural and medically underserved communities, will help health care organizations establish a culture of wellness  among the health and public safety workforce and will support training efforts that build resiliency for those at the beginning of their health careers.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring our frontline health care workers have access to the services they need to limit and prevent burnout, fatigue and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “It is essential that we provide behavioral health resources for our health care providers – from paraprofessionals to public safety officers – so that they can continue to deliver quality care to our most vulnerable communities.”

Health care providers face many challenges and stresses due to high patient volumes, long work hours and workplace demands. These challenges were amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, and have had a disproportionate impact on communities of color and in rural communities. The programs announced today will support the implementation of evidence-informed strategies to help organizations and providers respond to stressful situations, endure hardships, avoid burnout and foster healthy workplace environments that promote mental health and resiliency.

“This funding will help advance HRSA’s mission of developing a health care workforce capable of meeting the critical needs of underserved populations,” said Acting HRSA Administrator Diana Espinosa. “These programs will help to combat occupational stress and depression among our health care workers as they continue their heroic work to defeat the pandemic.”

There are three funding opportunities that are now accepting applications:

  • Promoting Resilience and Mental Health Among Health Professional Workforce – Approximately 10 awards will be made totaling approximately $29 million over three years to health care organizations to support members of their workforce. This includes establishing, enhancing, or expanding evidence-informed programs or protocols to adopt, promote and implement an organizational culture of wellness that includes resilience and mental health among their employees.
  • Health and Public Safety Workforce Resiliency Training Program – Approximately 30 awards will be made totaling  approximately $68 million over three years for educational institutions and other appropriate state, local, Tribal, public or private nonprofit entities training those early in their health careers. This includes providing evidence-informed planning, development and training in health profession activities in order to reduce burnout, suicide and promote resiliency among the workforce.
  • Health and Public Safety Workforce Resiliency Technical Assistance Center – One award will be made for approximately $6 million over three years to provide tailored training and technical assistance to HRSA’s workforce resiliency programs.

To apply for the Provider Resiliency Workforce Training Notice of Funding Opportunities, visit Grants.gov. Applications are due August 30, 2021.

Learn more about HRSA’s funding opportunities.

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CMS Addresses Substance Use, Mental Health Crisis Care for Those with Medicaid

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Executive, Finance.

CMS Addresses Substance Use, Mental Health Crisis Care for Those with Medicaid

$15 Million Funding Opportunity for State Planning Grants to Bolster Mobile Crisis Intervention Services

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a funding opportunity made possible by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to help states strengthen system capacity to provide community-based mobile crisis intervention services for those with Medicaid. The $15 million funding opportunity is available to state Medicaid agencies for planning grants to support developing these programs.

This funding opportunity provides financial resources for state Medicaid agencies to assess community needs and develop programs to bring crisis intervention services directly to individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use related crisis outside a hospital or facility setting. These services may include screening and assessment, stabilization and de-escalation, and coordination of referrals after the initial treatment.

“Investing in crisis intervention services ensures Americans experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis get the care and treatment they need,” said Secretary Becerra. “These grants will help states build these critical services to help communities send a responder who is trained and ready to assist people in crisis.”

“It is vital that we can meet people where they are, especially when those individuals are in crisis,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “This funding will help state Medicaid agencies plan innovative ways to provide and better mobilize these essential intervention services to their communities.”

The planning grants provide funding to develop, prepare for, and implement qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services under the Medicaid program. Grant funds can be used to support states’ assessments of their current services, strengthen capacity and information systems, ensure that services can be accessed 24 hours a day/365 days a year, provide behavioral health care training for multi-disciplinary teams, or to seek technical assistance to develop State Plan Amendment (SPAs), demonstration applications, and waiver program requests under the Medicaid program.

Letters of Intent to apply from states and territories are due July 23, 2021. Final applications must be submitted by August 13, 2021, 3:00 pm ET. The period of performance for this grant will be from September 30, 2021, through September 29, 2022. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides additional details regarding eligibility and program requirements, as well as key deadline and application submission information.

To view the NOFO, visit Grants.gov and search for the announcement by CFDA# 93.639.

ET3 | Model Medical Triage Line Notice of Funding Opportunity

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Regulatory.

From CMS on March 12, 2021

Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport (ET3) Model Medical Triage Line – Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Available

 

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) is releasing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport (ET3) Model. Through the NOFO, CMS will fund state and local governments, their designees, or other entities that operate or have authority over a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) to establish or expand Medical Triage Lines aimed at reducing inappropriate use of emergency ambulance services and increasing efficiency in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems.

The NOFO complements the ambulance payment component of the ET3 Model, which began implementation on January 1, 2021 and for which the final list of Participants was posted today. Applicants to the NOFO must share at least one ZIP Code with the ambulance providers and suppliers that are participants in the model. Under the ET3 Model, CMS provides greater flexibility to ambulance care teams to address emergency health care needs of Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) beneficiaries following a 911 call, by paying ambulances to transport beneficiaries to Alternative Destinations or to facilitate Treatment in Place with a Qualified Health Care Partner, either in-person or through telehealth.

The NOFO is available at grants.gov under Opportunity Number CMS-2F2-21-001.

For more information, please see the ET3 Model’s webpage. Stay up to date on the latest ET3 Model news and updates by subscribing to the ET3 Model listserv or contact us at ET3Model@cms.hhs.gov.

EMS.gov | Rural EMS training and recruiting grants

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in News, Press, Regulatory.

From NHTSA’s Office of EMS

DEADLINE REMINDER: Apply now for rural EMS training and recruiting grants
Eligible applicants from rural EMS agencies are encouraged to submit applications before March 18, 2021

EMS organizations planning on applying for a Rural EMS Training Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment must submit applications by March 18. SAMHSA plans on awarding up to $5.5 million in awards to help eligible agencies recruit and train personnel. More information is available on SAMHSA’s website.

In recognition of the great need for emergency services in rural areas and the critical role EMS personnel serve across the country, SAMHSA plans on funding up to 27 projects, with a maximum of $200,000 per grant awardee. Eligible applicants include rural EMS agencies operated by a local or tribal government (fire-based and non-fire based) and non-profit EMS agencies.

Learn More or Apply Now

EMS1 & FirstWatch Webinar | Public Sector EMS Grants

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Webinars.

Grant me the Money!

Finding, completing, and winning grant funding in the public sector
Thursday, February 25th, 2021 | 10:30am PT
Followed by a 30 minute session on practical tools for FirstWatch customers and interested Public Safety agencies

More than $600 billion in nationwide grants is available to public safety agencies and local government each year—
but it can be difficult to navigate through the grant process. Few agencies have grants experts on staff, or the time to research opportunities and develop grant applications.

February’s “Conversations That Matter” will consult the professionals on where grant sources are, the methodology for completing applications, the key elements and evidence needed to write a successful grant, and the timetable for grant production.

Hosts Mike Taigman and Rob Lawrence will be joined by grants experts from Lexipol, the company behind EMS1, FireRescue1 and Police1. They have been helping public safety find and secure grants for more than 20 years.

In true CTM style, we’re sure our attendees will have tips to contribute as well.

Register Free on Prodigy

LODD Grants | Brave of Heart Fund

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Emergency Preparedness, Employee Wellness.

The Brave of Heart Fund provides monetary grants to eligible family members of frontline healthcare workers, healthcare volunteers and healthcare support staff who have lost their lives because of COVID-19. A spouse or domestic partner, a dependent child, or dependent parent are eligible. The Fund also offers behavioral and emotional support services from Cigna and grief coping resources from New York Life.

Established by the Foundations of New York Life and Cigna, the Brave of Heart Fund is owned and administered by E4E Relief, a disaster relief-focused subsidiary of Foundation For The Carolinas, a Section 501(c)(3) public charity.

Learn More & Apply

Eligible Healthcare Workers

For the purpose of the Brave of Heart Fund, an eligible healthcare worker is a person who lived in the U.S. at time of death and who worked or volunteered in or for a:

  • Licensed hospital
  • Medical center or clinic
  • Nursing home
  • Medical transport vehicle
  • Triage center
  • Other licensed medical facility, provider or setting

Also those who worked or volunteered as an emergency medical technician, ambulance technician or paramedic and who died from COVID-19-related causes any time through May 15, 2021.

Grants Description

There are two phases of grants available. Eligible expenses vary based upon which grant phase the eligible family member is applying . You may be eligible for both a Phase 1 and Phase 2 grant.

Phase 1

Phase 1 assistance is intended to cover expenses related to funeral and burial costs.

The family member who is eligible for a Phase 1 grant is the family member who is responsible for the funeral/burial expenses. Only one family member is eligible for a Phase 1 grant.

Phase 1 grants are $15,000. Only one Phase 1 grant is available in connection with each eligible healthcare worker or healthcare volunteer.

Phase 2

Phase 2 assistance is intended to cover long-term expenses such as food, clothing, housing, basic essential utilities, daycare/ childcare expenses, educational expenses, counseling, medical expenses for deceased healthcare worker, and transportation.

The family member(s) who is eligible for a Phase 2 grant is the family member(s) who was dependent on the deceased healthcare worker’s income for those expenses.

Phase 2 grants range up to $60,000 per eligible healthcare worker.
The exact amount will depend on a variety of factors including the applicant’s demonstration of financial need and the number of
eligible beneficiaries.

Learn More & Apply

For answers to frequently asked questions, including questions about eligibility, visit braveofheartfund.com/FAOs. Grant awards are discretionary and e final determination of grant eligibility and amounts will be made by E4E Relief, which is the public charity that owns and administers the Fund.

Questions about the Fund: (855) 334-7932 or email: questions@replyemail.braveofheartfund.com
Learn More & Apply

CHART Model Community Transformation Track App Deadline Extended

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Finance, Operations, Patient Care, Regulatory.

From CMS on December 29, 2020

CHART Model Community Transformation Track Application Deadline Extension

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will extend the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model Community Transformation Track application deadline by one month to March 16, 2021.

This extension is in response to feedback received from stakeholders, including comments about the challenges of preparing an application during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. Extending the application deadline will allow interested applicants additional time to prepare their applications.

The Community Transformation Track will provide up-front funding to up to 15 rural communities across the country. The rural communities will be awarded seed money to work with health care providers and payers across the community to design systems of care that improve access to high quality care that is sustainable and value-based.

Rural Healthcare Grants from HRSA FORH

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Executive, Finance, News, Press, Reimbursement.

From the HRSA Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy has released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program (Outreach) (HRSA-21-027).  HRSA plans to award 60 grants to rural communities as part of this funding opportunity.

Review the Funding Opportunity

The Outreach Program administered by HRSA’s FORHP focuses on expanding the delivery of health care services to include new and enhanced services exclusively in rural communities. Applicants are required to deliver health care services through a consortium of at least three health care provider organizations, use an evidence-based or promising practice model to inform their approach, and demonstrate health outcomes and sustainability by the end of the four-year performance period.

In addition to funding Outreach programs through the regular Outreach track, in FY 21, FORHP will also afford applicants a unique opportunity to take part in a national effort that targets rural health disparities through a second track called the “Healthy Rural Hometown Initiative.” This initiative was created through the HHS Rural Task Force and driven by findings from a report published by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that noted that the number of preventable death from the five leading cause of death in rural areas was higher than those in urban areas. Unfortunately, these findings echo earlier CDC research on the rural disparities in avoidable or excess death in 2017.

The Healthy Rural Hometown Initiative (HRHI) is an effort that seeks to address the underlying factors that are driving growing rural health disparities related to the five leading causes of avoidable death (heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury/substance use, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke). The goal of the HRHI track is to demonstrate the collective impact of projects that better manage conditions, address risk factors and focus on prevention that relate to the leading causes of death in rural communities. This track should be a good fit for applicants who want to identify and bridge the gap between the social determinants of health and other systemic issues that contribute to achieving health equity with regards to excess death in rural communities. Furthermore, this is a rural-specific and community-based approach to addressing these disparities and represents a new and more targeted strategy given the enduring health gaps between rural and urban populations.

Of the successful 60 award recipients, HRSA aims to award approximately 45 to regular Outreach track applicants and at least 15 to HRHI applicants for a ceiling amount of up to $200,000 (Regular Outreach) or $250,000 (HRHI) total cost (includes both direct and indirect, facilities and administrative costs) per year (and final numbers will be subject to how applicants score). 

The HRHI is part of an ongoing multi-year effort by FORHP to highlight how rural community health efforts can improve health at the local level. We are encouraging rural health stakeholders to join us in this broader effort while also taking on the challenge of addressing these long-standing rural health disparities related to the five leading causes of death.    

NOTE: The eligibility criteria for this program has changed and now includes all domestic public and private, nonprofit and for-profit entities with demonstrated experience serving, or the capacity to serve, rural underserved populations. Urban-based organizations applying as the lead applicant should ensure there is a high degree of rural control in the project. The applicant organization must represent a network that includes at least three or more health care provider organizations and, at least 66% (or two-thirds) of consortium members must be located in a HRSA-designated rural area.

Please review the guidance in its entirety for more information about eligibility criteria and specific program requirements. Visit www.grants.gov to review the Outreach NOFO and apply. Learn about the Outreach Program.

A webinar for applicants is scheduled on Tuesday October 13, from 3-4:30 p.m., EST. A recording will be made available for those who cannot attend.

For more information about this funding opportunity, contact the Program Coordinator, Alexa Ofori, at RuralOutreachProgram@hrsa.gov.

Colorado Natural Hazards Center Grants

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Finance, Professional Standards.

The Colorado Natural Hazards Center is offering three grants of $4000 for original research.

  • 1) Communications, the Pandemic, and Local Transportation Resources: What strategies are being implemented, and how effective are they? What are best practices in communicating and messaging by transportation organizations?
  • 2) Transportation, Vulnerable Populations, and COVID-19: What are best practices in providing useful and safe transportation for various socially and economically vulnerable population groups that are traditionally heavily reliant on public transit such as low-income people and racial and ethnic minorities? What about newly vulnerable populations, such as seniors, transportation workers, bus drivers, and so forth? How can the needs of all be met while assuring health and safety among particularly medically fragile or economically marginalized people?
  • 3) Transportation and Emergency Management Policy: How should transportation leaders and emergency managers work together to deliver community services? Including but also beyond ESF-1, what are innovative ways and best practices within and among communities and transportation services to accomplish community objectives during the pandemic? For example: transit agencies have launched food delivery services for vulnerable populations using their idled vehicles and drivers; state DOT facilities have been used a COVID-19 testing sites; Wi-Fi equipped vehicles have been used as local community hot spots.

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Seeking EMS Grantwriters!

Written by Amanda Riordan on . Posted in AAA HQ.

The American  Ambulance Association seeks member organization employees and consultants with grant-writing expertise who may be interested in writing or presenting to ambulance services. Ideally, we would like to develop a one-hour webinar for members that includes tips for finding and winning grants of all kinds ( Assistance to Firefighter Grants, SAMHSA/ SIREN Act, local, non-profit, etc). If you may be interested, please contact ariordan@ambulance.org! Thank you for your support and participation.

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