HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) today announced 16 new grants totaling more than $2.4 million to improve pediatric emergency care and enhance state emergency medical systems ( EMS ) for children.
 
“These funds will pay for cutting-edge training and treatment in pediatric emergency care and will help states improve their responses to emergencies affecting children,” Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said.
 
Seven of the awards, from HRSA’s Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Targeted Issues Grants Program, went to universities and hospitals for specific projects.  The grants, totaling $1,368,876, represent the first-year funds of a three-year grant.  EMSC Targeted Issue grant recipients and their FY 2004 awards are:
 

• The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia , $178,535, to categorize EMSC diagnoses and develop a severity-of-illness scale for all pediatric emergency patients;
• Loyola University of Chicago, $199,834, to develop a Web-based quality improvement and training program for pediatric emergency care providers;
• The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee , $199,924, to create a culturally competent training program focused on giving pain medication to children;
• Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, $200,000, to develop the Minnesota EMSC Information System into a national model registry for emergency care planning for children with special health needs;
• University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque , $200,000, to establish the New Mexico School Nurse EMS Virtual Learning Project, an online training course in emergency care for school nurses;
• University of Washington , Seattle , $200,000, to provide a tool for analysis of child-injury deaths in relation to injury prevention recommendations;
• Washington University , St. Louis , $190,583, to conduct training in pediatric emergency medicine. 

Nine awards from the EMSC State Partnership Grants Program, totaling $1,034,495, went to state EMS agencies, health departments and universities to improve state EMS systems for children.  Forty-seven states, territories and the District of Columbia have already received continuation partnership grants.
 
“Injuries are the primary cause of death and disability among U.S. children -- each year as many as 600,000 children are hospitalized and 16 million treated in emergency departments as a result of injuries," HRSA Administrator Elizabeth M. Duke said.
 
Since 1984, HRSA has awarded $138 million in 851 grants through the EMSC Program.