[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 88 (Monday, May 9, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-11065]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 9, 1994]


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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
Health Resources and Services Administration

 

Final Minimum Percentages for ``High Rate'' and ``Significant 
Increase in the Rate'' for Implementation of the Statutory Funding 
Preference for Allied Health Project Grants for Fiscal Year 1994

    The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces 
the final minimum percentages for ``high rate'' and ``significant 
increase in the rate'' for implementation of the statutory funding 
preference for fiscal year (FY) 1994 Allied Health Project Grants 
funded under the authority of section 767, title VII of the Public 
Health Service Act, as amended by the Health Professions Education 
Extension Amendments of 1992, Public Law 102-408, dated October 13, 
1992.

Purposes

    Section 767 authorizes the award of grants to assist in meeting the 
costs associated with expanding or establishing programs that will 
increase the number of individuals trained in allied health 
professions. Programs and activities funded under this section may 
include:
    (1) Those that expand enrollments in allied health professions with 
the greatest shortages or whose services are most needed by the 
elderly;
    (2) Those that provide rapid transition training programs in allied 
health fields to individuals who have baccalaureate degrees in health-
related sciences;
    (3) Those that establish community-based allied health training 
programs that link academic centers to rural clinical settings;
    (4) Those that provide career advancement training for practicing 
allied health professionals;
    (5) Those that expand or establish clinical training sites for 
allied health professionals in medically underserved or rural 
communities in order to increase the number of individuals trained;
    (6) Those that develop curriculum that will emphasize knowledge and 
practice in the areas of prevention and health promotion, geriatrics, 
long-term care, home health and hospice care, and ethics;
    (7) Those that expand or establish interdisciplinary training 
programs that promote the effectiveness of allied health practitioners 
in geriatric assessment and the rehabilitation of the elderly;
    (8) Those that expand or establish demonstration centers to 
emphasize innovative models to link allied health clinical practice, 
education, and research; and
    (9) Those that provide financial assistance (in the form of 
traineeships) to students who are participants in any such program; and
    (A) who plan to pursue a career in an allied health field that has 
a demonstrated personnel shortage; and
    (B) who agree upon completion of the training program to practice 
in a medically underserved community; that shall be utilized to assist 
in the payment of all or part of the costs associated with tuition, 
fees and such other stipends as the Secretary may consider necessary.
    To maximize program benefit, programs that provide financial 
assistance in the form of traineeships to students will not be 
considered for funding in FY 1994.

Funding Preference

    The statutory preference identified in section 767(b)(2) and the 
statutory preference identified in section 791(a) of the PHS Act have 
been combined in the following preference which will be applied to 
Allied Health Project Grants for fiscal year 1994:
    (A) expand and maintain first-year enrollment by not less than 10 
percent over enrollments in base year 1992; or
    (B) demonstrate that not less than 20 percent of the graduates of 
such training programs during the preceding 2-year period are working 
in medically underserved communities (high rate for placing graduates 
in practice settings having the principal focus of serving residents of 
medically underserved communities; OR
    (C) during the 2-year period preceding the fiscal year for which 
such an award is sought, has achieved a significant increase in the 
rate of placing graduates in such settings.

Final Minimum Percentages for ``High Rate'' and ``Significant Increase 
in the Rate''

    A notice which proposed minimum percentages for ``high rate'' and 
``significant increase in the rate'' for implementation of the 
statutory funding preference for Allied Health Project Grants was 
published in the Federal Register on November 18, 1993 at 58 FR 60863. 
No comments were received during the comment period. Therefore, the 
minimum percentages for ``high rate'' and ``significant increase in the 
rate'' remain as proposed. The final percentages are listed below.
    ``High rate'' is defined as a minimum of 20 percent of graduates in 
academic year 1991-92 or academic year 1992-93, whichever is greater, 
who spend at least 50 percent of their worktime in clinical practice in 
the specified settings. Graduates who are providing care in a medically 
underserved community as a part of a fellowship or other educational 
experience can be counted.
    ``Significant increase in the rate'' means that, between academic 
years 1991-92 and 1992-93, the rate of placing graduates in the 
specified settings has increased by a minimum of 50 percent and that 
not less than 15 percent of graduates from the most recent year are 
working in these settings.

Additional Information

    If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact: 
Dr. Norman Clark, Program Officer, Associated Health Professions 
Branch, Division of Associated, Dental and Public Health Professions, 
Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, Parklawn Building, room 8C-02, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone (301) 443-6763.
    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this program 
is 93.191. This program is not subject to the provisions of Executive 
Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (as 
implemented through 45 CFR part 100). This program is not subject to 
the Public Health System Reporting Requirements.

    Dated: May 3, 1994.
John H. Kelso,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 94-11065 Filed 5-6-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-M