DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE HEALTH SERVICES AND MENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATION : ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND 20852 REGIONAL MEDICAL January 18, 1971 PROGRAMS SERVICE Dear The current legislation for Regional Medical Programs (P.L. 91-515) provides that an application may be approved only if recommended by the Regional Advisory Group and only "if opportunity has been provided, prior to such reconmendation, for consideration of the application by each public or nonprofit private agency or organization which has developed 2 comprehensive regional, metropolitan area or other local area plan referred to in Section 314(b) covering any area in which the regional medical program for which the application is made will be located." To provide guidance to the Regional Medical Programs in carrying out this provision, we have developed the following policy on CHP review of RMP applications. A new application package is in the process of being approved, which will also contain this policy guidance on CHP review. The agencies from which comments must be solicited include: (1) Areawide Comprehensive Health Planning agencies receiving Fed~ eral assistance under Section 314(b) of the Public Health Ser- vice Act as amended ("B" agencies). We have enclosed a Directory of these State and Areawide Comprehensive Health Planning Agencies for your convenience. (2) Other organizations meeting the requirements of Section 314(b) and designated as areawide comprehensive health planning agencies by the appropriate State Comprehensive Health Planning Agency ("A" agency). Organizations which have not received Federal assistance are not included in the enclosed Directory. The State CHP Agency should be consulted to determine if any agencies have been designated as Areawide agencies, even though they have not received Federal funds or official desig-~- nation as 314(b) agencies. , gy Page 2 - Each application for Federal support (including new, supplementals, and program continuations) from the Regional Medical Programs Service taust be accompanied by copies of any "B" agency comments received by the RMP or in lieu of such comments, by a letter signed by the Chairman of the Regional Advisory Group certifying that the application or materials adequately describing the activities proposed in the application have been furnished to the appropriate "B" agency or agencies and that after a period of thirty (30) days, no comments have been received. The signature of the Chairman of the Regional Advisory Group on the appli-~ . cation, among other things, certifies that any comments received have been taken into consideration by the Regional Advisory Group in recom mending the application for S support. Material sent to "B" agencies for comment should deseribe RMP activities in sufficient detail to enable the "B" agency to make appropriate com _ ments. It is suggested that such material: (1) identify the area and population to be served; (2) lst or call attention to all health care facilities or insti- tutions involved in the RMP activities described in the application; (3) indicate the amount of RMPS funds requested by each; (4) summarize any proposed steps to strengthen primary care through cooperative arrangements and regional linkages among health care institutions and providers; and (5) identify any major therapeutic equipment to be acquired or con- struction or major alteration or renovation of health care facilities to be undertaken in connection with proposed RMP activities. Materials sent to "B" agencies for review and comment should include core and any developmental component activities as well as projects. Infor- mation relating to core activities or a developmental component must be sent for comment to all areawide comprehensive health planning agencies serving the RMP's region, in whole or in part. Information relating to projects whose impact is confined to a specific area within the region, needs to be sent for comment only to those areawide comprehensive health planning agencies directly concerned. It is strongly recommended that material be sent to the Areawide Compre— hensive Health Planning agency sufficiently early in the review cycle to permit any comments to be considered by the RMP's technical and area ’ fo, ‘ Page 3 = review groups, a% well as the RAG, aithourh projects unsuitable for RMP support or with a limited possibility of RAG approval need not be sent _ at this early stage. This procedure for Areawide CHP agency review of RMP applications should take effect for applications due by the May 1, 1971 submission deadline. That package should include either their comments or certification that they have had the requisite thirty-day opportunity to comment on the ap- plication and had made no comments. Sincerely yours, Harold Margulies, M.D. Acting Director Ene losure