Poison Control Centers Program

Background
The Poison Control Centers (PCC) Program is authorized by 42 U.S.C. § 300d-73 (Title XII, § 1273 of the Public Health Service Act). The Program is statutorily mandated to support three inter-related activities, including funding to: (1) supplement accredited poison centers; (2) establish and maintain a single, national toll-free number that connects callers with the poison center serving their area; and (3) implement a national media campaign to educate the public and health care providers about local poison center services and the toll-free number. The HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) administers programs with focus areas in maternal and women’s health, adolescent and young adult health, perinatal and infant health, child health, and children with special health care needs.

Grant Details
The Poison Control Centers Program aims to reduce poisonings and the harms resulting from poisonings by ensuring that individuals across the United States can connect to a Poison Control Center and obtain expert consultation on preventing and managing poisonings. The objectives include supporting poisoning prevention activities, providing high-quality guidance and information to callers to the Poison Help Line, providing treatment recommendations when poisonings occur, collecting data related to poisonings and poisoning outcomes, and using data to inform public health and emergency preparedness responses. The program requires maintaining the number of calls received by the Poison Help Line, maintaining the percentage of human exposure poisoning case calls from health care facilities and practitioners, increasing the percentage of human exposure poisoning cases with a completed follow-up contact, and increasing national data on poisonings available in the National Poison Data System for toxic exposure surveillance purposes.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include organizations in the United States, territory, or compact of free association that are accredited by a professional organization in the field of poison control or accredited by a state government that has standards for accreditation that reasonably provide for the protection of public health with respect to poisoning. Native American tribal governments and organizations are also eligible.

Period of Performance
The period of performance is from September 1, 2024, through August 31, 2029 (5 years).

Grant Value
$24,846,000 is anticipated as total available funding for fiscal year 2024. Up to 52 competing continuation new grants are estimated annually based on the 2020 Census Bureau population count data.