EMSC Frequently Asked Questions

Are the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) National Resource Center (NRC) and the Federal EMSC Program One and the Same?

The EMSC National Resource Center (NRC) and the Federal EMSC Program are separate entities. The NRC is housed within Children’s National Medical Center, one of the nation's top pediatric hospitals and a proven leader in the development and application of innovative new treatments for childhood illness and injury.

The NRC supports the Federal EMSC Program, designed to ensure that all children and adolescents, no matter where they live, attend school, or travel, receive appropriate care in a health emergency. The Federal EMSC Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Since its establishment, the Federal EMSC Program has provided grant funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. In 2008, the NRC received its fourth multi-year funding award.

How do the NRC and NEDARC differ?

Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the National EMSC Data Analysis Resource Center (NEDARC), which also receives funding from the Federal EMSC Program, is a sister organization to the NRC. However, NEDARC’s primary focus is on data management. Its goal is to help grantees and EMS offices develop their capabilities to collect, analyze, and utilize EMS data. For more information, visit the NEDARC web site.

How Many EMSC Grants are Awarded Each Year?

In fiscal year 2009, the Federal EMSC Program funded 56 State Partnership grants, 13 Targeted Issue grants, and four cooperative agreements for the National EMSC Data Analysis Resource Center (NEDARC), the Network Development Demonstration Project (NDDP), the Central Data Management Coordinating Center (CDMCC), and the EMSC National Resource Center (NRC).

What is PECARN?

The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network or PECARN is the first federally-funded multi-institutional network for research in pediatric emergency medicine. Its goal is to conduct high-priority research into the prevention and management of acute illnesses and injuries in children and youth across the continuum of emergency medicine health care.

PECARN is comprised of four Research Node Centers [medical centers or academic institutions that received Network Development Demonstration Project (NDDP) grant funding], 21 hospital emergency department affiliates (HEDAs), and the Central Data Management and Coordinating Center (CDMCC). The PECARN HEDAs serve approximately 800,000 acutely ill and injured children each year.

For more information, access the PECARN web site.