[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 116 (Friday, June 17, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14712]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 17, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
 

Final Minimum Percentages for ``High Rate'' and ``Significant 
Increase in the Rate'' for Implementation of the General Statutory 
Funding Preference, Final Funding Priority and Special Consideration 
for Grants for Predoctoral Training in Family Medicine

    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 General Statutory 
Funding Preference and final funding priority and special consideration 
for fiscal year (FY) 1994 for Grants for Predoctoral Training in Family 
Medicine authorized under the authority of section 747(a), title VII of 
the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended by the Health 
Professions Education Extension Amendments of 1992, Public Law 102-408, 
dated October 13, 1992.

Purpose

    Section 747(a) of the Public Health Service Act authorizes the 
award of grants to assist in meeting the cost of planning, developing 
and operating or participating in approved predoctoral training 
programs in the field of family medicine. Grants may include support 
for the program only or support for both the program and the trainees.

General Statutory Funding Preference

    As provided in section 791(a) of the PHS Act, preference will be 
given to any qualified applicant that--
    (A) has a high rate for placing graduates in practice settings 
having the principal focus of serving residents of medically 
underserved communities; or
    (B) during the 2-year period preceding the fiscal year for which an 
award is sought, has achieved a significant increase in the rate of 
placing graduates in such settings. This preference will only be 
applied to applications that rank above the 20th percentile of 
applications that have been recommended for approval by the peer review 
group.
    A proposed notice was published in the Federal Register on October 
5, 1993 at 58 FR 51836 for public comment. No comments were received 
during the 30-day comment period. Therefore, the final minimum 
percentages for ``high rate'' and ``significant increase in the rate'', 
final funding priority and special consideration for this program will 
be retained as follows:

Final Minimum Percentages for ``High Rate'' and ``Significant Increase 
in the Rate'' for Implementation of the General Statutory Funding 
Preference

    ``High rate'' is defined as a minimum of 20 percent of graduates of 
the medical school in academic year 1988-89 or 1989-90.
    ``Significant increase in the rate'' means that the rate of placing 
academic year 1989-90 graduates in the specified settings is at least 
50 percent higher than the rate of placing academic year 1988-89 
graduates in such settings and that not less than 15 percent of 
academic year 1989-90 graduates are working in these areas. Academic 
years 1988-89 and 1989-90 are used because they are the two most recent 
years that medical school graduates would have entered practice 
following the completion of residency training.

Final Funding Priority

    In addition, a funding priority will be given to applicants based 
on their level of accomplishment in relation to the outcome or process 
measures cited below: 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Outcome measures           Points         Process measures       
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--25% of students who                 100  .............................
 graduated in 1991, 1992 and                                            
 1993 entered family practice                                           
 residencies.                                                           
--20% of students who                  75  .............................
 graduated in 1991, 1992 and                                            
 1993 entered family practice                                           
 residencies.                                                           
--15% of students who                  50  --Required 3rd year Family   
 graduated in 1991, 1992 and                Medicine clerkship* (of at  
 1993 entered family practice               least 4 weeks).             
 residencies.                                                           
--12% of students who                  35  --Required primary care      
 graduated in 1991, 1992 and                preceptorship/mentorship    
 1993 entered family practice               program* in preclinical     
 residencies.                               years.                      
                                       20  --Full departmental status at
                                            time of application.        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Curricular elements must be in place at the time of application or the 
  applicant must provide satisfactory evidence (including commitments   
  from institutional officials) that the clerkship or preceptorship will
  be operational by the beginning of the third year of the grant.       
Applicants may only receive priority points in one of the above seven   
  categories.                                                           

Final Special Consideration

    Special consideration will be given to the degree to which 
applicants demonstrate that prior year funding has increased the 
percentage of graduates who select Graduate Training in Family 
Practice.

Additional Information

    If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact: 
Mrs. Betty Ball, Primary Care Medical Education Branch, Division of 
Medicine, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9A-20, Parklawn Building, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443-3614, FAX: (301) 443-
8890.
    This program is listed at 93.896 in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance. It 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: June 13, 1994.
Ciro V. Sumaya, M.D., M.P.H.T.M.,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 94-14712 Filed 6-16-94; 8:45 am]
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