[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 16, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37074-37075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17999]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Availability of Funds for Cooperative Agreement to Create a 
Primary Care Resource Center

Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration.

Action: Notice of available funds.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
announces that applications will be accepted in fiscal year (FY) 1996 
to create a university-based Primary Care Resource Center. The purpose 
of the Center is to study the organization, financing, and delivery of 
primary health care services to underserved and vulnerable populations, 
in order to develop materials and information which will assist and 
benefit Community Health Centers (CHCs) in their analysis of the need 
for primary health services, the development of clinical practices, and 
the refinement of fiscal and administrative systems. Funding of this 
activity is authorized under Section 330(f)(1) of the Public Health 
Service (PHS) Act.
    The 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. HRSA programs, and CHCs in 
particular, are related to the objectives cited for special 
populations, particularly minorities, people with low income, and other 
types of vulnerable populations. 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, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-783-3238).
    The 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, day care, health 
care, or early childhood development services are provided to children.

DUE DATES: Applications are due August 30, 1996. Applications will be 
considered to have met the deadline if they are: (1) Received on or 
before the deadline date; or (2) postmarked on or before the 
established deadline date and received in time for orderly processing. 
Applicants should request a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark 
or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or the U.S. 
Postal Service. Private metered postmarks are not acceptable as proof 
of timely mailing. Applications received after the announced deadline 
will not be considered for funding.

ADDRESSES: Application kits (Form PHS 5161-1) with revised face sheet 
DHHS Form 424, as approved by the Office of Management and Budget under 
control number 0937-0189, may be obtained from, and completed 
applications should be mailed to: BPHC Grants Management Officer, c/o 
Houston Associates, Inc., 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1200, Silver Spring, 
MD 20910, Telephone 800/523-2192.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on programmatic and 
research issues, contact: Ms. Bonnie Lefkowitz, Associate Bureau 
Director, Office of Data, Evaluation, Analysis, and Research, Bureau of 
Primary Health Care, HRSA, 4350 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 
20814, Telephone 301/594-4280 (FAX 301/594-4986).
    For information on business management issues, please contact Nancy 
Benson in the Office of Grants Management, Bureau of Primary Health 
Care, 301/594-4232.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Requirements

    HRSA's Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) is seeking to enter 
into a cooperative agreement with a university or university-based 
organization for the purpose of operating a Primary Care Resource 
Center. The activities to be performed under this cooperative agreement 
are intended to assure that relevant knowledge about the health care 
environment and about methods of clinical and management improvement is 
made available to the health centers and other primary care providers; 
and that this knowledge is disseminated throughout those programs, and 
is conveyed to policymakers, program planners and administrators, care 
providers, and the user populations. Toward that goal, the Primary Care 
Resource Center will communicate effectively and regularly with these 
audiences through instruments it develops and disseminates.
    Areas and topics for study will be determined jointly by BPHC and 
the Center, with emphasis on the ability to respond to changing needs 
of BPHC programs. The Center will be responsible for:
    1. Producing short-term (e.g., 3-4 weeks turn-around) analytic 
reports, white papers, and monographs, for dissemination, as 
appropriate, to the public;

[[Page 37075]]

    2. Conducting longer-term (e.g., 6-12 months turn-around), more 
comprehensive applied policy research studies;
    3. Developing informational and educational materials, including 
monographs and summary reports, to help link policymakers and the BPHC 
audiences identified above with sources of information about primary 
care.
    Subjects of such papers, studies, and reports are expected to 
include, for example:
     Monitoring the impact of changes in financing and delivery 
of health care on vulnerable populations;
     Access to care for underserved populations--status of 
``safety net'' services;
     The changing role of Federal programs in health care 
generally, and adaptation to managed care;
     Prevention strategies for underserved and vulnerable 
populations (e.g., homeless and persons with HIV disease);
     Assessing quality of care and quality of service;
     Approaches to studying performance and health outcomes;
     Design of program evaluations in primary care; and
     Recruitment and retention of primary care providers.

Criteria for Evaluating Applications

    Applications for cooperative agreement support will be reviewed 
based upon the following evaluation criteria:
    a. Extent to which the applicant shows understanding of policy 
issues that have a significant effect on primary care for underserved 
populations, particularly in light of the changing health care and 
government environment;
    b. Extent to which the applicant demonstrates flexibility to 
provide quick response to requests and inquiries, for example, as 
indicated in a management plan and personnel table, and in evidence of 
ongoing relationships with appropriate personnel so as to minimize 
start-up time;
    c. Appropriateness and adequacy of qualifications and experience of 
the proposed project staff and consultants;
    d. Extent to which the applicant demonstrates prior evidence of 
organizational ability to conduct high-quality policy-relevant studies 
and disseminate materials in an appropriate format in a timely manner, 
and to appropriate audiences; and
    e. Reasonableness of costs in relation to the value of proposed 
activities, including how the proportion of the proposed budget for 
direct production of deliverables has been maximized.

Eligible Applicants

    Any public or private university or university-based organization 
may apply. Less than maximum competition is necessary in order to 
ensure academic rigor and depth of skills, and to gain optimal access 
to current information, professional research, and informed opinion 
regarding the delivery of primary health care for minority and 
vulnerable populations and those with special health care needs. The 
experience and attributes of a university or university-based 
organization are essential to the timely and successful completion of 
the products required.

Number of Awards

    It is anticipated that one award will be made. The cooperative 
agreement for a Primary Care Resource Center will be awarded for a 
three-year period, and the initial budget period will be eight months. 
Funding during FY 1996 will be approximately $200,000; BPHC will 
consider continutation funding during FY 1997 based on the availability 
of funds and performance in the first budget period.

Federal Responsibilities Under Cooperative Agreements

    Federal responsibilities under the cooperative agreement, in 
addition to the usual monitoring and technical assistance, will 
include: (1) Participation in the development and approval of an 
initial workplan, in accord with changing events in government policies 
and in the health care environment, and modification thereof, as 
appropriate; (2) participation in meetings conducted under the 
cooperative agreement; (3) consultation to and cooperation with the 
grantee regarding the grantee's preparation and dissemination of 
materials; and (4) approval of specific studies and projects.

Other Award Information

    This program is not subject to review under Executive Order 12372 
or the Public Health System Reporting Requirements.

    Dated: July 10, 1996.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-17999 Filed 7-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P