Improving Trauma Care Worldwide
1. Introduction
Application
The request for consideration for reduced Course Management System (CMS) fees applies to all ITLS Chapters and Training Centres. This will also encompass training centre or chapter applicants who wish to have a virtual site visit due to financial hardships.
2. Definitions
ITLS Board of Directors
The Board of Directors are individuals elected by the voting members of the organization, in the case of ITLS voting members are ITLS Chapters. The Board of Directors (BOD) is entrusted with the responsibility of governing the affairs of ITLS.
ITLS Finance Committee
Provides financial analysis, advice, and oversight of the organization’s budget. Their sole responsibility is to ensure the organization is operating with the financial resources it needs to provide programs and services to the community. This committee reports to the ITLS BOD.
Executive Director
The executive director oversees and directs the organization’s day-to-day activities. This individual is responsible for determining the direction, goals and overall strategy of an organization. The executive director ascertains that day-to-day activities of the organization align with its overall goals, as determined by the BOD. The executive director also serves as an intermediary between the organization and the BOD.
ITLS Chapters/or Chapter Applicants
Chapters and Chapter applicants are not-for-profit organizations or governmental agencies. ITLS chapters are not franchises and ITLS may approve more than one chapter and/or training centre in any geographic area. Each ITLS chapter is allocated a number of voting delegates based on the number of ITLS students trained in their chapter during the preceding two-year period as defined in the ITLS bylaws.
Training Centre/or Training Centre Applicants
An alternative for organizations that do not qualify or do not choose to become an ITLS chapter or Chapter applicant. These are usually intended for EMS agencies or proprietary organizations who solely wish to train their own personnel or clients in ITLS, organizations who do not wish to assume the administrative responsibilities of an ITLS chapter, or organizations that plan to train a small number of ITLS students each year.
Gross National Income (GNI)
The total amount of money earned by a nation’s people and businesses. It is used to measure and track a nation’s wealth from year to year. The number includes the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) plus the income it receives from overseas sources.
World Bank Atlas Method
The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country’s exchange rate for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years, adjusted for the difference between the rate of inflation in the country and international inflation; the objective of the adjustment is to reduce any changes to the exchange rate caused by inflation.
The World Bank Atlas method – detailed methodology – World Bank Data Help Desk
Low-Income Economies
For the 2024 fiscal year or previous year of the date this document is filed, low-income economies are defined as those with a GNI per capita, calculated using the World Bank Atlas method, of $1085 or less in 2021.
Lower Middle-Income Economies
For the 2024 fiscal year or previous year of the date this document is filed,, lower Middle-income economies are defined as those with a GNI per capita between $1086 and $4255, calculated using the World Bank Atlas method in 2021.
Upper Middle-income Economies
For the 2024 fiscal year or previous year of the date this document is filed, Upper Middle-income economies are defined as those with a GNI per capita between $4256 and $13,205, calculated using the World Bank Atlas method in 2021.
High-Income Economies
For the 2024 fiscal year or previous year of the date this document is filed, High-income economies are defined as those with a GNI per capita of $13,205 or more calculated using the World Bank Atlas method in 2021.
3. Overview
Context
International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) is a global not-for-profit organization dedicated to preventing death and disability from trauma through education and emergency trauma care.
Today, ITLS has more than 90 chapters and training centres in over 35 countries around the world. ITLS is the only pre-hospital trauma program endorsed by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
As a global not-for-profit organization, ITLS recognizes that in order to support the growth of Chapters and Training Centres in low-income and Lower-middle-income economies, a policy must be in place that would allow these Chapters and Training centers to apply for reduced costs, which will in turn be used for administrative costs in offering ITLS courses. ITLS also recognizes the need for virtual Chapter and Training Center site visits for those applicants who cannot afford to bring an ITLS International site visiting team to a CONUS or OCOUNS.
4. Process
Completion of Application (Form RDF-100-1V1)
Application must be submitted to the ITLS Executive Director by the Chapter or Training Centre Coordinator or the stakeholders of the site visit application. The Chapter or Training Centre Coordinator must ensure that form ITLS Reduced Fees Application, is completed if:
Applicant or Chapter or Training Center is requesting reduced fees consideration and meets the guidelines set forth in this policy.
Form RDF-100-1V1 serves as a permanent record of the relevant circumstances pertaining to an official request for fee reduction and shall be evaluated for its continued relevance on a bi-annual basis. Reapproval is not automatic therefore ITLS Chapters and Training Centers must reapply as indicated in 7.1 of this policy.
When the ITLS Executive Director and International Office receives the application it will be forwarded to the ITLS Finance Committee for review and recommendation to the board of directors.
Amendment
Any person making an amendment to information recorded on the application must sign and date the amendment.
Time Limit
The application must be completed and forwarded to ITLS Executive Director within no days in advanced of any ITLS courses to be conducted under the reduced fee’s policy.
5. Compliance and Consequences
Compliance
Once the RDF-100-V1 has been approved ITLS Chapters and Training Centers must not charge any other fee than what has been approved as the reduced fee. Applicants must maintain their records of the justification for their request for the virtual site ambassador to review and validate.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Applicants, ITLS Chapters and Training Centers are accountable to ITLS International for any failure to comply with the direction set out in this Reduced Fee’s Policy. Non-compliance may result in administrative or disciplinary action, or both. Non-compliance may also result in suspension during an investigation by ITLS International and could result in a permanent revocation of the reduced fees benefit in future programs and being barred for reapplication in the future.
6. Responsibilities
Responsibility Table
The following table identifies the responsibilities associated with this:
| The… | is responsible for… |
| ITLS BOD | Approving or denying the recommendations of the recommendations of the ITLS Finance Committee with regards to applicability of the RDF-100-V1 application. |
| ITLS Finance Committee |
|
| ITLS Executive Director |
|
| ITLS Chapter/Training Centre | Once the ITLS Chapter or Training Centre receives the approved or denied RDF-100-V1 conduct themselves in accordance with the policy that complies with the applicable most current ITLS policies and procedures. |
7. Terms
Fee reductions are valid for a period of 24 months and must be re-applied for NLT no later than 18 months into the current fee reduction timeframe. Chapters/Training Centres must adhere to the following regulations in order to maintain their fee reduction:
Fee reductions may be granted for a maximum of 4 consecutive periods.