FOR RELEASE: October 3, 2003
CONTACT: Pamela Williams
Office of Communications
405/271-5601

Grants to Enhance Capacity of Hospital Isolation Rooms in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) today announced that it will make funds available for grants to enhance isolation rooms in hospital emergency departments in Oklahoma. The OSDH expects to make approximately $3 million available through federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) cooperative agreements.

This effort is part of the national push for “readiness” among hospitals and the health care system to have facilities that can deal with mass casualty events. Hospitals play a critical role in both identifying and responding to any potential terrorism attack or infectious disease outbreak.

This solicitation is the first of what may be two phases of grant fund availability. The first is to renovate, remodel or retrofit fixed hospital isolation room structures. These rooms must be designed and constructed to according to standards that prevent the transmission of tuberculosis.

The second phase, should funds be available, will solicit proposals for portable isolation units.

Any acute care hospital offering general services through an emergency department may submit a proposal. However, facilities must file a NOTICE OF INTENT to submit a proposal electronically by close of business on Monday, Oct. 13. This notice must be emailed to Harold Collins at haroldhc@health.state.ok.us. Applicants should include in the notice their contact information, employer identification number (EIN or FEI), complete mailing address and physical address if different, facility type (public vs. private and for profit vs. nonprofit), and intent status:

• Hospital will submit only a Phase I proposal to perform fixed renovations in hospital emergency department;
• Hospital will submit only a Phase II proposal to obtain portable isolation units, if available in the future;
• Hospital will submit proposals for both Phase I and Phase II; or
• Hospital does not plan to submit proposals for building isolation capacity.

Questions concerning this solicitation will not be accepted after 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, 2003. For more information, visit this OSDH Web site: http://www.health.state.ok.us/bt/PhaseI-RFGP.pdf

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