5. a. In order to encourage and ensure the establishment of stroke centers throughout the State, the Commissioner of Health shall award matching grants to hospitals that seek designation as stroke centers and demonstrate a need for financial assistance to develop the necessary infrastructure, including personnel and equipment, in order to satisfy the criteria for designation provided pursuant to this act. The matching grants shall not exceed $250,000 or 50% of the hospital’s cost for developing the necessary infrastructure, whichever is less.

b. A hospital seeking designation as a stroke center shall apply to the commissioner for a matching grant, in a manner and on a form required by the commissioner, and provide such information as the commissioner deems necessary to determine if the hospital is eligible for the grant.

c. The commissioner may provide matching grants to as many hospitals as the commissioner deems appropriate, except that:

(1) Matching grant awards shall be made to at least two applicant hospitals in the northern region of this State (comprising Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Morris, Sussex, and Warren counties), at least two applicant hospitals in the central region of this State (comprising Union, Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Monmouth counties) and at least two applicant hospitals in the southern region of this State (comprising Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, Cape May, Atlantic, and Ocean counties), provided in the case of each region that the applicant hospitals receiving the awards must be eligible therefor under the provisions of this act; and

(2) No more than 20% of the funds appropriated pursuant to this act shall be allocated to hospitals that seek designation as comprehensive stroke centers.

L.2004, c.136, s.5; amended 2012, c.17, s.195.