1. (a) Purpose. Health and Safety Code, Chapter 777, and 25 TAC §5.51, provide the Department of State Health Services (Department) and the Commission on State Emergency Communications (Commission) with the authority to establish a program to award grants to fund a network of regional poison control centers.

2. (b) Background. The Commission and the Department shall adopt a statewide telecommunications network plan. The plan may establish phased implementation of the network. The plan shall consider the following:

   1. (1) uniform statewide 800-service availability for community and professional access for poison information and referral;
   2. (2) direct access from Public Safety Answering Points to Poison Control Answering Points for emergency calls; and
   3. (3) other features as appropriate and identified by this section.

3. (c) As required by Health and Safety Code, §777.001, the Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) regions shall define the service areas for the Poison Control Answering Points, except where telecommunications network design would greatly increase the cost of routing the system. The regions are as follows:

   1. (1) The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston--HHS Regions 5 and 6;
   2. (2) The Dallas County Hospital District/North Texas Poison Center--HHS Regions 3 and 4;
   3. (3) The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio--HHS Regions 8 and 11;
   4. (4) R.E. Thomason General Hospital, El Paso County Hospital District--HHS Regions 9 and 10;
   5. (5) Northwest Texas Hospital, Amarillo Hospital District--HHS Regions 1 and 2; and
   6. (6) Scott and White Memorial Hospital, Temple--HHS Region 7.

4. (d) Eligibility for funding.

   1. (1) The entities eligible to request funding are the regional poison control centers for the state, designated under the Health and Safety Code, Chapter 777, as follows:

      1. (A) University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston;
      2. (B) Dallas County Hospital District/North Texas Poison Center;
      3. (C) University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio;
      4. (D) R.E. Thomason General Hospital, El Paso County Hospital District;
      5. (E) Northwest Texas Hospital, Amarillo Hospital District; and
      6. (F) Scott and White Memorial Hospital, Temple.
   2. (2) In accordance with Health and Safety Code, §777.009, and 25 TAC §5.52, each poison control center must be certified by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) until a statewide system certification is achieved. The Commission and Department shall work together with the AAPCC to certify the statewide poison control network and/or individual centers as required.

5. (e) Funding criteria. As required by 25 TAC §5.52, applicants must meet all of the goals and objectives outlined in the annual Request for Proposals, including:

   1. (1) the need of the region based on population served for poison control services, and the extent to which the grant would meet the identified need;
   2. (2) a four-year strategic plan assuring provision of quality service;
   3. (3) a demonstration that the Poison Control Answering Point is working toward achieving and/or maintaining certification as a poison control center with the AAPCC; and
   4. (4) the availability of other funding sources; the maintenance of effort; and the development or existence of telecommunications systems.

Source Note:The provisions of this §254.1 adopted to be effective December 11, 2005, 30 TexReg 8057.