HHS
Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced the availability
of $140 million in grants for health-related costs incurred
by organizations from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The
terrorists struck New York and Washington and the plane downed
in Pennsylvania, but their target was America, Secretary
Thompson said. Organizations
that suffered losses as a result of an attack on us all deserve
to be made whole.
The
emergency grants are intended to provide relief to health care
providers in the District of Columbia and certain counties in
New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania that
participated in disaster response efforts and suffered serious
financial problems because of the attacks.
Losses caused by increased expenses and lost revenues
related to the provision of patient care between Sept. 11 and
Dec. 31, 2001, will be considered for funding.
Funds
will go to applicants in eligible geographic areas that by
virtue of their proximity to an attack zone, the number of patients
served, or the provision of specialized services such as trauma
care, participated most directly in disaster response efforts,
according to the conference report for the appropriations that
established the new program.
Eligible
applicants are public and not-for-profit entities and Medicare-
and Medicaid-enrolled suppliers and institutional providers
that incurred health care-related costs as a direct result of
the public health emergency caused by the terrorist attacks.
Grantees are expected to include hospitals, clinics,
faculty practices, mental health providers, home health agencies,
blood centers and ambulance companies.
HHS Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) will administer the grants. Information on applying for grants and the criteria that will
be used for review purposes was published in the March 29 Federal
Register. Applications
must be postmarked by May 13, 2002.
HRSAs contact person for the grant program is Mr.
Eulas Dortch, 301-443-8007; fax: 301-443-0619; e-mail: edortch@hrsa.gov.
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