Notice2023-12180
Request for Nominations of Members to Serve on the Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety Advisory Committee
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 7, 2023
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Abstract
The No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Transportation to establish and convene an advisory committee for the purpose of reviewing options to establish quality, patient safety, and clinical capability standards for each clinical capability level of air ambulances. This notice announces the establishment of the Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety Advisory Committee and solicits nominations for membership on the Advisory Committee.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 109 (Wednesday, June 7, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37253-37254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12180]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-3445-N]
Request for Nominations of Members to Serve on the Air Ambulance
Quality and Patient Safety Advisory Committee
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS; Federal
Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021, requires the Secretary of Health and Human
Services and the Secretary of Transportation to establish and convene
an advisory committee for the purpose of reviewing options to establish
quality, patient safety, and clinical capability standards for each
clinical capability level of air ambulances. This notice announces the
establishment of the Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety Advisory
Committee and solicits nominations for membership on the Advisory
Committee.
DATES: Nominations must be received no later than June 28, 2023.
ADDRESSES: To be considered for an HHS appointment, nominations must be
submitted electronically (by Email) to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4a0b0b1b1a190a29273964222239642d253c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="58191909080b183b352b7630302b763f372e">[email protected]</span></a>. The subject
line should state ``Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety Advisory
Committee Nomination.''
To be considered for a Department of Transportation (DOT)
appointment, nominations must be submitted electronically (by Email) to
Johann Hadian at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#02486d6a636c6c2c4a63666b636c426463632c656d74"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1a5075727b747434527b7e737b745a7c7b7b347d756c">[email protected]</span></a>. The subject line should state
``Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety Advisory Committee
Nomination.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For questions directed to CMS, please contact Ashley Spence, (410)
786-8123; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9adbe9f2f6ffe3b4c9eafff4f9ffdaf9f7e9b4f2f2e9b4fdf5ec"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aaebd9c2c6cfd384f9dacfc4c9cfeac9c7d984c2c2d984cdc5dc">[email protected]</span></a>. Press inquiries are handled
through <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ed9d9f889e9ead8e809ec385859ec38a829b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="20505245535360434d530e4848530e474f56">[email protected]</span></a>.
For questions directed to DOT, Federal Aviation Administration,
please contact Johann Hadian, (202) 267-2793; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#044e6b6c656a6a2a4c65606d656a446265652a636b72"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="baf0d5d2dbd4d494f2dbded3dbd4fadcdbdb94ddd5cc">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 106(g) of the No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, div. BB, tit. I, Public Law 116-
260 (Dec. 27, 2020), requires the Secretary of Health and Human
Services and the Secretary of the Transportation (the Secretaries) to
establish and convene an advisory committee for the purpose of
reviewing options to establish quality, patient safety, and clinical
capability standards for each clinical capability level of air
ambulances. The Advisory Committee is governed by the provisions of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463 (Oct. 6,
1972), as amended, 5 United State Code Appendix.
II. Charter and General Responsibilities
The Advisory Committee, established on August 24, 2022, is tasked
with reviewing options to establish quality, patient safety, and
clinical capability standards for each clinical capability level of air
ambulances. As outlined in Section 106(g) of the No Surprises Act, the
Advisory Committee shall study and make recommendations, as
appropriate, to the Congress regarding each of the following with
respect to air ambulance services:
<bullet> Qualifications of different clinical capability levels and
tiering of such levels.
<bullet> Patient safety and quality standards.
<bullet> Options for improving service reliability during poor
weather, night conditions, or other adverse conditions.
<bullet> Differences between air ambulance vehicle types, services,
and technologies, and other flight capability standards, and the impact
of such differences on patient safety.
<bullet> Clinical triage criteria for air ambulances.
The Advisory Committee must submit these recommendations no later
than 180 days after the date of its first meeting.
III. Eligibility for Membership
The Advisory Committee shall consist of not more than 13 members,
including:
<bullet> The Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the
Secretary's designee, who shall serve as Chair of the Committee;
<bullet> The Secretary of the Transportation, or the Secretary's
designee;
<bullet> One representative, to be appointed by the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, of each of the following:
++ State insurance regulators;
++ Health care providers;
++ Group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group
or individual health insurance coverage;
++ Patient advocacy groups;
++ Accrediting bodies with experience in quality measures.
<bullet> Three representatives of the air ambulance industry, to be
appointed by the Secretary of Transportation, and
<bullet> Three additional representatives, not covered above, as
determined necessary and appropriate by the Secretary of Health and
Human Services and Secretary of Transportation.
Individuals applying for membership should keep in mind that
Committee members will be selected based on their ability and
willingness to effectively represent the interests of all stakeholders
in their category, as distinct from their parochial or personal
interests. For example, an individual selected to serve on the
Committee as a representative of consumer advocacy groups would
represent not only his or her own organization, but all consumer
advocacy groups. As such, the individual would be expected to consult
with other consumer groups in bringing issues to the table and making
decisions on proposals before the Committee.
IV. Nomination Process
The Secretaries are requesting nominations for membership on the
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Advisory Committee. Any interested person may nominate one or more
qualified individuals for membership on the Advisory Committee. Self-
nominations are also accepted. Nominations must include, in full, the
following materials to be considered for membership. Failure to submit
the required information may disqualify a candidate from the review
process.
<bullet> A letter of nomination that contains contact information
for both the nominator and nominee (if not the same).
<bullet> A statement from the nominee that they are willing to
serve on the Advisory Committee for its duration and an explanation of
interest in serving on the Advisory Committee. The nominee should also
indicate which category or categories they are willing to represent.
(For self-nominations, this information may be included in the
nomination letter.)
<bullet> A biography, including professional and academic
credentials.
<bullet> A resume or curriculum vitae that indicates the nominee's
educational experience, as well as relevant professional experience.
<bullet> Two letters of reference that support the nominee's
qualifications for participation on the Advisory Committee. (For
nominations other than self-nominations, a nomination letter that
includes information supporting the nominee's qualifications may be
counted as one of the letters of reference.)
<bullet> For health care providers applying for the HHS
appointments, nominees should include physicians, other clinicians, and
health care operations professionals experienced with air ambulance
critical care transport services and/or experience in addressing the
challenges associated with transport in rural areas.
<bullet> For nominees applying for the DOT appointments, please
address the following:
++ Current experience with a Part 135 operator, operating
helicopters and/or airplanes in air ambulance operations. Preference
will be given to those with experience operating both helicopters and
airplanes in air ambulance operations.
++ Whether the applicant currently holds a management or
operational position with a part 135 certificate holder operating air
ambulance aircraft.
++ Knowledge of the differences between air ambulance vehicle
types, services, and technologies, and other flight capability
standards, and the impact of such differences on patient safety.
++ Size and scope of the operations from which operational
experience was obtained.
Finally, nominees should state their previous experience on a
Federal advisory committee and/or aviation rulemaking committee (if
any), their level of knowledge in the stakeholder groups listed above,
and the size of their constituency they represent or are able to reach.
Materials submitted should total five pages or less. Should more
information be needed, Department staff will contact the applicant/
nominee, obtain information from the applicant's/nominee's past
affiliations, or obtain information from publicly available sources.
The Secretaries will make every effort to appoint members to serve
on the Advisory Committee from among those candidates determined to
have the technical expertise required to meet specific statutory
categories and Departmental needs, and in a manner to ensure an
appropriate balance of membership. Selection of committee members will
be consistent with achieving the greatest impact, scope, and
credibility among diverse stakeholders. The diversity in such
membership includes, but is not limited to, race, gender, disability,
sexual orientation, and gender identity.
The Secretaries reserve discretion to appoint members to serve on
the Advisory Committee who did not respond to this notice if necessary
to meet specific statutory categories and Departmental needs in a
manner to ensure an appropriate balance of membership.
The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS), Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, having reviewed and approved this
document, authorizes Evell J. Barco Holland, who is the Federal
Register Liaison, to electronically sign this document for purposes of
publication in the Federal Register.
Dated: June 2, 2023.
Evell J. Barco Holland,
Federal Register Liaison, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2023-12180 Filed 6-2-23; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P
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