[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 13, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6738-6739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-2365]


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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: [email protected]. 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