NOTICES
Grant Payments to Qualifying Teaching Hospitals
[38 Pa.B. 2742]
[Saturday, June 7, 2008]The purpose of this notice is to provide prior public notice of the Department of Public Welfare's (Department) intent to provide grant payments to qualifying teaching hospitals that provide psychiatric services to Medical Assistance (MA) recipients. Across this Commonwealth there is a shortage of psychiatrists, notably those involved in the public health sector. The Department is working to recruit and retain psychiatrists to work in underserved rural and urban areas throughout this Commonwealth. These payments are intended to help offset the medical education costs of psychiatrists incurred by the hospitals providing psychiatric services to MA recipients and the uninsured.
Period of the Grant
The grant period will be the State Fiscal Year (SFY) in which the grant is awarded. Grants will be awarded every SFY, beginning in SFY 2008-2009.
Grant Limit
The grant funds will be distributed equally up to a maximum of $185,000 among the qualifying hospitals. Grants are limited to one per hospital per grant period.
Spending Cycle
All moneys awarded to a hospital under this grant program must be spent within a 12-month period beginning on the day that the hospital receives its grant payment. If a hospital is unable to spend all moneys within the 12-month period, the Department may issue an extension.
Hospital Eligibility
The Department will consider applications for the grant payment from accredited academic departments of psychiatry and freestanding Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or American Osteopathic Association accredited psychiatric training programs of acute care general hospitals. These programs must be committed to enhancing the development and practice of public psychiatry; participating in the development of a cadre of public service psychiatrists across the State involved in shaping current and future public psychiatric practices; involving consumers and their families in the training of psychiatrists; transforming the training and practice of public psychiatry in alignment with recovery, cultural diversity, trauma and consumer outcomes; and sharing financial support for the program.
Grant Application Reviews
The Pennsylvania Psychiatry Leadership Council (PPLC) was created to advance the goal of recruiting and retaining psychiatrists to work in underserved rural and urban areas throughout the Commonwealth. The Department will use the PPLC to review the applications submitted by hospitals under the grant program. The PPLC will evaluate the applications and grants will be awarded based on the hospital's particular characteristics and ability to achieve the goals of the Department. Grants will be awarded as either a planning grant or implementation grant. Planning grants are for teaching hospitals that are not ready to implement a program, yet have the characteristics for which the Department is looking. These hospitals need additional time, funding or both, to develop their programs to the implementation stage. The implementation grants are for hospitals that are ready to implement a program that will advance the Department's goals.
A hospital planning a program or with a program that best demonstrates the following characteristics will be considered for a grant.
* A program that provides a diverse experience in regard to consumer characteristics, practice organizations, geographical locations and interaction with other disciplines.
* A program that provides a model for delivering psychiatric care in underserved areas.
* A program that interacts and integrates psychiatric practice in other health care delivery sites to promote the integration of behavioral and physical health for consumers.
* A program that demonstrates consumer and family friendly environments that encourage and respond to input and feedback to improve the behavioral health services received.
* A program that engages local community psychiatrists who have a background in recovery orientated psychiatry to train, supervise and teach fellows, residents or medical students.
* A program that supports up to six fellows, in post graduate years 4, 5 or 6, who are Board eligible graduates of an approved residency program and show evidence of leadership in prior educational, professional or community activities. The fellows should have a background in mental health policy, administrative psychiatry and public health.
Fiscal Impact
The Fiscal Year 2008-2009 fiscal impact, as a result of this grant payment is $0.500 million ($0.228 million in State funds).
Public Comment
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding this notice to the Department of Public Welfare, Office of Medical Assistance Programs, c/o Regulations Coordinator, Room 515, Health and Welfare Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120. Comments received within 30 days will be reviewed and considered for any subsequent revision of the notice.
Persons with a disability who require an auxiliary aid or service may submit comments using the AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TDD users) or (800) 654-5988 (voice users).
ESTELLE B. RICHMAN,
SecretaryFiscal Note: 14-NOT-549. (1) General Fund; (2) Implementing Year 2007-08 is 0; (3) 1st Succeeding Year 2008-09 is $228,000; 2nd Succeeding Year 2009-10 is $228,000; 3rd Succeeding Year 2010-11 is $228,000; 4th Succeeding Year 2011-12 is $228,000; 5th Succeeding Year 2012-13 is $228,000; (4) 2006-07 Program--$513,020,000; 2005-06 Program--$478,693,000; 2004-05 Program--$531,785,000; (7) Medical Assistance--Inpatient; (8) recommends adoption. Funds are included in the budget to cover these increases.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 08-1071. Filed for public inspection June 6, 2008, 9:00 a.m.]
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