2013 Maryland Code
HEALTH - GENERAL
§ 13-1109 - Local Public Health Cancer Grant -- Application; Comprehensive Plan for Cancer Prevention, Education, Screening, and Treatment

§13-1109.

(a) Except as provided in § 13-1115(f) of this subtitle, this section does not apply to Baltimore City.

(b) (1) Subject to the other provisions of this section, a local health officer may apply to the Department for a Local Public Health Cancer Grant.

(2) The amount of a Local Public Health Cancer Grant shall be determined by the Department using the formula that is established under § 13-1108 of this subtitle.

(c) Before applying for a Local Public Health Cancer Grant, a local health officer shall:

(1) Establish a Community Health Coalition, as provided under § 13-1111 of this subtitle; and

(2) With the assistance of the Community Health Coalition:

(i) Identify all existing cancer prevention, education, screening, and treatment programs that relate to targeted cancers in the county that are publicly funded;

(ii) Evaluate the effectiveness of the publicly funded programs identified under item (i) of this paragraph; and

(iii) Develop a Comprehensive Plan for Cancer Prevention, Education, Screening, and Treatment that outlines a strategy for meeting the cancer prevention, education, screening, and treatment goals and requirements established for the county under § 13-1108 of this subtitle.

(d) A Comprehensive Plan for Cancer Prevention, Education, Screening, and Treatment shall:

(1) Include a list of the members of the Community Health Coalition and their organizational affiliations;

(2) Include the evaluation of any program funded with a Local Public Health Cancer Grant in the prior year;

(3) Each year, after the first year of funding, demonstrate that progress has been made toward meeting the cancer prevention, education, screening, and treatment goals established for the county under § 13-1108 of this subtitle;

(4) Include a budget plan that provides specific levels of funding for each initiative described in the Plan and an explanation as to how each initiative is expected to help meet the cancer prevention, education, screening, and treatment goals and requirements established for the county under § 13-1108 of this subtitle;

(5) Demonstrate that the county has met the base-year funding requirement established under § 13-1112 of this subtitle;

(6) Demonstrate that any early detection or screening program that is or will be funded under a Local Public Health Cancer Grant provides necessary treatment or linkages to necessary treatment for uninsured individuals who are diagnosed with a targeted or non-targeted cancer as a result of the screening process;

(7) Each year, after the first year of funding, identify all persons who received money under a Local Public Health Cancer Grant in the prior year and state the amount of money that was received by each person under the Grant;

(8) Each year, after the first year of funding, state the amount of money that was received by a county under a Local Public Health Cancer Grant in the prior fiscal year that remained unspent and unobligated at the end of that year;

(9) Describe how the Plan will help to eliminate the greater incidence of and higher morbidity rates for cancer in minority populations and rural areas, with particular emphasis on how the Plan seeks to address the relevant findings and recommendations of the Task Force Report;

(10) Describe how the Plan will help to increase availability of and access to health care services for uninsured individuals and medically underserved populations, with particular emphasis on how the Plan seeks to address the relevant findings and recommendations of the Task Force Report;

(11) Demonstrate that priority consideration was given to persons, including federally qualified health centers, that have demonstrated a commitment to providing cancer prevention, education, screening, and treatment services to uninsured individuals in the county and a proven ability to do so; and

(12) Contain any data or other information required by the Department.

(e) (1) In addition to the requirements of subsection (d) of this section, in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, the Community Health Coalition, acting jointly and in consultation with the Statewide Academic Health Centers, shall develop a specific plan as to how the expertise of the Statewide Academic Health Centers will be used to assist the Community Health Coalition in achieving the goals established for the county under § 13-1108 of this subtitle as they relate to enhancing the capacity for cancer screening and treatment at one or more major community hospitals in the county.

(2) In addition to the requirements of subsection (d) of this section, in Baltimore County, the Comprehensive Plan for Cancer Prevention, Education, Screening, and Treatment shall include a specific plan as to how the major community hospital or hospitals that are included in the Community Health Coalition, as required under § 13-1111 of this subtitle, will be used to achieve the goals established for the county under § 13-1108 of this subtitle as they relate to enhancing the capacity for cancer screening and treatment in the county.

(f) A local health officer who seeks to obtain a Local Public Health Cancer Grant shall apply to the Department by submitting a copy of the county’s Comprehensive Plan for Cancer Prevention, Education, Screening, and Treatment for approval.

(g) Each year, a local health officer, in consultation with the Community Health Coalition, shall update the Comprehensive Plan for Cancer Prevention, Education, Screening, and Treatment.

(h) (1) The Department may designate a person other than the head of a county health department to coordinate a county’s cancer prevention, education, screening, and treatment efforts if:

(i) The county health department is unwilling to coordinate these efforts;

(ii) The county health department has been unsuccessful in implementing cancer prevention, education, screening, and treatment initiatives that satisfy performance standards established by the Department; or

(iii) The county health department lacks sufficient staff or resources to coordinate these efforts.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3) of this subsection, the Department shall establish procedures for making a designation under this subsection.

(3) If the Department determines that it is necessary to designate a person other than the local health officer to coordinate a county’s cancer prevention, education, screening, and treatment efforts, the Department may designate the Department as the entity that will coordinate the county’s efforts.