[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 160 (Friday, August 18, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43160-43161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-20508]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration


Availability of Funds for Grants to Provide Health Care for 
Individuals With Hansen's Disease

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration.

ACTION: Notice of available funds.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
announces that it anticipates approximately $2.0 million will be 
available in fiscal year (FY) 1996, based on the President's budget, 
for awards under section 320 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act to 
provide outpatient medical care and treatment for individuals with 
Hansen's Disease.
    This program announcement is subject to the appropriation of funds. 
Applicants are advised that this application announcement is a 
contingency action being taken to assure that should funds become 
available for this purpose, they can be awarded in a timely fashion 
consistent with the needs of the program.
    The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the 
health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 
2000, a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. The 
Hansen's Disease Program is related to the priority areas for health 
promotion and disease prevention services. Potential applicants may 
obtain a copy of Healthy People 2000 (Full Report: Stock No.017-001-
00474-0) or Healthy People 2000 (Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-
00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing 
Office, Washington, D.C. 20402-9323 (Telephone (202) 783-3238).
    PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-
free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. In 
addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits 
smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a 
facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, 
health care or early childhood development services are provided to 
children.

DUE DATE: Applications are due by October 16, 1995. Applications will 
be considered as having met the deadline if they are: (1) Received on 
or before the established deadline date; or (2) postmarked on or before 
the deadline date and received in time for orderly processing. 
Applicants must obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial 
carrier or the U.S. Postal Service in lieu of a postmark. Private 
metered postmarks are not acceptable as proof of timely mailing. Late 
applications will be returned to the sender.

ADDRESSES: Application kits (Form PHS 5161-1 with revised face sheet 
DHHS form 424, as approved by the OMB under control number 0937-0189) 
may be obtained from, and completed applications sent to: Bureau of 
Primary Health Care, c/o Houston Associates, Inc., 1010 Wayne Avenue, 
Suite 1200, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. The telephone number is 
(800) 523-2192. The Fax number is (800) 523-2193.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information or technical assistance 
regarding business management issues should be directed to Pam Hilton, 
Office of Grants Management, Bureau of Primary Health Care, 4350 East-
West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. The telephone number is (301) 
594-4255. The Fax number is (301) 594-4073. Her internet address is: 
[email protected].
    Technical and/or programmatic information should be directed to 
Irma E. Guerra, Ambulatory Care Program, Gillis W. Long Hansen's 
Disease Center, 5445 Point Clair Road, Carville, Louisiana 70721. The 
telephone number is (800) 642-2477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Hansen's Disease (HD) affects the skin, 
peripheral nerves, anterior part of the eyes, and the nasal area. 
Patients are in the age range of 20-77, have a male to female ratio of 
2:1, and consist primarily of Hispanic and Asian populations. The 
Division of National Hansen's Disease Programs (DNHDP) provides 
outpatient HD medical care and services to patients in the United 
States (U.S.) and Puerto Rico through the Ambulatory Care Program at 
the Gillis W. Long Hansen's Disease Center in Carville, Louisiana. 
Currently and historically, services have been offered in California, 
Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Puerto Rico, Texas, and the 
State of Washington.
    Patients are admitted to the Gillis W. Long Hansen's Disease Center 
only as authorized by medical staff at the Center.
    Grants will range from $25,000 to $400,000 depending on the number 
of HD patients to be served by each entity. No more than 10 grants to 
entities serving 100 or more HD patients at $100,000 to $400,000 and no 
more than 4 grants to entities serving 50-100 HD 

[[Page 43161]]
patients at $25,000 to $100,000 will be awarded. Budget periods will be 
for 12 months, and project periods may be for up to 5 years.
    Eligible Applicants: Any public or private nonprofit entity is 
eligible to apply to provide HD services.
    Project Objectives: The purpose of this program is to support HD 
outreach and outpatient health care services delivery in areas with HD 
patient concentrations and to enable this patient population to access 
these services.
    The central goal of this program is to prevent disability through 
early diagnosis and treatment of HD. Grantees must be able to provide 
or arrange for the provision of the following services:

1. Outpatient HD Medical Care
    a. Diagnostic tests;
    b. Laboratory monitoring of HD chemotherapy and disease status;
    c. Nursing assessment through HD monitors (visual assessment of 
eyes, hands, and feet) at each patient visit;
    d. Hand and foot screens;
    e. HD contact exams for any person who has lived in the same 
household with a new patient in the 3 year period prior to the 
diagnosis and beginning of treatment of the index case;
    f. Ancillary services such as ophthalmology, ENT, occupational 
therapy, neurology, orthopedics, orthotics, physical therapy, and 
podiatry; and
    g. HD medications.
2. Culturally appropriate and competent patient and contact education.
3. Outreach and follow-up of patients through culturally competent 
networks of public health agencies.

    Criteria for Evaluating Applications: Applications will be reviewed 
based on the following evaluation criteria, which for items a through e 
include assuring the provision of culturally competent systems of care:
    a. Extent to which the applicant displays an understanding of the 
problems and methods of treatment associated with the care of HD 
patients;
    b. Adequacy of the applicant's plan for providing services to HD 
patients;
    c. Extent to which the applicant develops arrangements to serve HD 
patients outside its current catchment area.
    d. Adequacy of the applicant's outreach plans including referral 
arrangements with public health agencies for follow-up of patients and 
contacts and training programs for health care professionals.
    e. Appropriateness of the qualifications and experience of the 
proposed project staff;
    f. Adequacy of the proposed budget and budget justification;
    g. Evidence of administrative procedures for fiscal control and 
fund accounting procedures.

Other Information

    Grant funds may not be used for the purchase, construction, or 
renovation of real property.
    Other Award Information: This program is subject to the provisions 
of Executive Order 12372 concerning intergovernmental review of Federal 
programs as implemented by 45 CFR part 100. Executive Order 12372 
allows States the option of setting up a system to review applications 
from within their States under certain Federal programs. The 
application kit, to be made available under this notice, will contain a 
listing of States which have chosen to set up a review system and will 
provide a single point of contact (SPOC) in the States for that review. 
Applicants (other than federally recognized Indian tribal governments) 
should contact their State SPOCs as early as possible to alert them to 
the prospective applications and receive any necessary instructions on 
the State process. For proposed projects serving more than one State, 
the applicant is advised to contact the SPOC of each affected State. 
The due date for State process recommendations is 60 days after the 
appropriate application deadline date. The BPHC does not guarantee that 
it will accommodate or explain its response to State process 
recommendations received after the due date.
Public Health System Impact Statement

    This program is subject to the Public Health System Reporting 
Requirements. Reporting requirements have been approved by the Office 
of Management and Budget (#0937-0195). Under these requirements, the 
community-based nongovernmental applicant must prepare and submit a 
Public Health System Impact Statement (PHSIS). The PHSIS is intended to 
provide information to State and local health officials to keep them 
apprised of proposed health services grant applications submitted by 
community-based nongovernmental organizations within their 
jurisdictions.
    Community-based nongovernmental applicants are required to submit 
the following information to the head of the appropriate State and 
local health agencies in the area(s) to be impacted no later than the 
Federal application receipt due date:
    a. A copy of the face page of the application (SF 424).
    b. A summary of the project not to exceed one page, which provides:
    (1) A description of the population to be served.
    (2) A summary of the services to be provided.
    The OMB Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this 
program is 93.215.

    Dated: August 14, 1995.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-20508 Filed 8-17-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P