Question: What information should be included to demonstrate that an organization is a member of the consortium?

Answer: Each consortium member except for the applicant needs to submit a letter of commitment to the project identifying the roles and responsibilities they will have in the project

Question: What does "operational clinic" mean?

Answer: An operational clinic is any facility that is currently providing services typically found in a clinic setting. It need not be licensed specifically as a "clinic." This term is meant to include all facilities where it might be appropriate to provide extended care services and that are currently providing primary care, observation or emergency services. Some examples of facilities that we would consider "clinics" are: Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, free standing emergency rooms and private physicians' offices.

Question: What would be considered to be a demonstration of experience in the provision of extended care services with respect to the sub-criteria for Category One under the Resource/Capabilities review criteria?

Answer: Competitive applicants under Category One will be able to show that they have been involved with the provision of extended care services over the course of substantial period of time and are still providing such services. They should be able to provide information that will demonstrate that they provide extended care services because of the need in their community. They should also be able to show that because of the nature of their geographic location and systems of health care delivery, the provision of extended care services is an ongoing activity that will continue into the foreseeable future.

Question: Should the provider workgroup referenced under the activities supported by funding through Category One include providers other than those who are members of the applicant consortium?

Answer: The provider workgroup should include members who represent the concerns of all providers in the state who currently provide or are interested in providing extended care services. Whether or not providers outside of the consortium are included will depend on how well the participation in the consortium represents the views of providers across the state. If there are diverse regions within the state, the provider workgroup should reflect the differing nature of services provided in extended care setting in those regions.

Question: Will applications from consortiums with members from multiple states be considered?

Answer: A multi-state consortium would not be a strong applicant for Category One due to the focus on state licensure and certification in that category. Even in those states with existing licensure for extended care facilities, resources would need to be devoted to getting the licensure and certification process operational. Attempting to develop an operations licensure and certification process for extended care services in more than one state during the time period of this program is not feasible. Furthermore, the development of a multi-state provider workgroup and multi-state implementation of licensure and certification processes and protocols is not an undertaking that is likely to be completed within one year.

Multi-state consortiums are encouraged to consider applying for funds under Category Two. Because there is a limited pool of providers that meet the 75 mile/inaccessible by public road requirement, it is possible that multiple providers in different states that meet this requirement would be able to develop a competitive application. We also believe that a consortium consisting of a remote provider in one state and an appropriate partner, such as the hospital to which they would transfer a patient when able to transfer, in a neighboring state would be a good applicant.

Question: Can multiple organizations from the same state apply for funding under this program?

Answer: Yes. Multiple organizations from the same state can apply for funding under this program. There could be multiple applicants from the same state under Category One, multiple applicants under Category Two, or applicants under both categories. However, because many of the activities under this announcement are anticipated to be state-wide, we would encourage interested applicants in the same state to partner with each other and submit one application that would reflect the state-wide collaborative nature of their proposal.

Question: Can a consortium submit applications under both categories of this program?

Answer: Yes, but funds cannot be awarded under both categories. We would advise applicants to select one category of funding and focus their efforts on developing the strongest application possible for that category.