[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 44 (Monday, March 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11012-11015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5539]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Health Care Policy and Research


General Reorganization; Statement of Organization, Functions, and 
Delegations of Authority

    Part E, Chapter E (Agency for Health Care Policy and Research), of 
the Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority 
for the Department of Health and Human Services (61 FR 15955-58, April 
10, 1996, most recently amended at 63 FR 36698, July 7, 1998) is 
further amended to reflect organizational changes within the Agency for 
Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR). The principal organizational 
and functional changes requiring this notice of amendment involve:
    A. Abolishing the Office of Policy Analysis, to eliminate the 
overlap of functions between that office and other AHCPR offices; and
    B. Establishing a third-echelon organizational substructure to 
facilitate day-to-day management and utilization of Agency resources 
(including human, fiscal, and material resources), to streamline and 
improve administrative operations, and to enhance shared decision-
making and communications throughout the Agency.
    Other minor changes have been made consistent with this 
reorganization.
    Under Section E-10, Organization, delete C. Office of Policy 
Analysis, and reorder D. through K. as new C. through J.
    Under Section E-20, Functions, delete the title and statement for 
the Office of Policy Analysis (EAC).
    Within the statement for the Immediate Office of the Administrator 
(EA), following (6), delete ``; and ``, and following (7), delete the 
period and insert ``; and (8) coordinates the legislative activities of 
the Agency, including the development of legislative proposals and 
analysis of health legislative initiatives, the review and clearance of 
Department and other Federal policies and regulations, and reports to 
Congress.''
    Following the statement for the Office of Management (EAA), insert 
the following:
    Division of Administrative Services (EAA2). Provides administrative 
support services. Specifically: (1) processes small purchase requests 
and manages the credit card program for small purchases; (2) manages 
the assignment and renovation of office space; (3) manages the common 
conference areas, copy centers, supply rooms, and mail services; (4) 
develops and administers safety and security programs; (5) manages the 
automated travel management system and provides travel guidance and 
advice; and (6) acquires and manages real property for the Agency.
    Division of Contracts Management (EAA3). Provides for the 
solicitation, negotiation, award and management of negotiated 
contracts. Specifically: (1) solicits, negotiates, and awards 
negotiated contracts and provides for their post-award administration; 
(2) develops and manages a contract program to benefit small and 
disadvantaged businesses; (3) develops, implements, and maintains 
policies and procedures for the management of negotiated contracts; (4) 
provides guidance, assistance, and training for project officers on 
their duties and responsibilities; (5) manages the Intra/InterAgency 
Agreement program; and (6) develops and maintains a contract and intra/
interagency information system.
    Division of Financial Management (EAA4). Provides services and 
guidance in all aspects of financial management including Agency budget 
formulation and execution. Specifically: (1) formulates the Agency 
budget, serves as the focal point of its defense and appeal and 
provides ongoing coordination between the budget formulation and 
program planning process; (2) develops, analyzes, and monitors Agency 
appropriation activities; (3) establishes and maintains financial 
accounting and reporting systems; (4) coordinates responses to and 
maintains liaison on budget and accounting matters with all levels of 
Agency management, Department fiscal offices, Congressional committees, 
and the private sector; and (5) provides administrative support for 
Office/Center and Agency-wide operational spending.
    Division of Grants Management (EAA5). Provides for the negotiation, 
award and administrative management of grants and cooperative 
agreements. Specifically: (1) negotiates and awards grants/cooperative 
agreements and provides for their post-award business and 
administrative management; (2) develops, implements, and maintains 
policies and procedures for the management of the Agency's grant/
cooperative agreement program; (3) provides guidance, assistance, and 
training for project officers on their duties and responsibilities; (4) 
assists grantee institutions in the interpretation and application of 
grant/cooperative agreement policies and regulations; and (5) provides 
for the review of grant/

[[Page 11013]]

cooperative agreement expenditures and resolution of problematic audit 
findings.
    Division of Human Resource Management (EAA6). Provides services and 
guidance in all matters regarding human resource and organization 
management. Specifically: (1) administers personnel management and 
operations authorities, including recruitment and placement, position 
classification, compensation and pay, payroll liaison, performance 
management, employee development and training, and employee relations; 
(2) establishes, implements and evaluates human resource management 
programs; (3) provides advice and assistance to managers and employees 
in exercising their personnel management rights and responsibilities; 
(4) issues and maintains Agency-wide administrative and operational 
policies and procedures and delegations of authority; and (5) 
recommends and performs organizational and management analyses to 
improve and streamline operations and implements approved 
organizational changes.
    Division of Information Technology Management (EAA7). Provides for 
and manages the information technology (IT) infrastructure for the 
Agency. Specifically (1) administers and maintains an Agency-wide Local 
Area Network and a Wide Area Network; (2) develops and maintains 
Agency-wide management information systems and data bases; (3) develops 
and supports Agency Intranet and Extranet sites; (4) develops and 
oversees IT security and policy; (5) provides IT software and hardware 
support to staff; and (6) manages Agency telecommunications.
    Following the statement for the Office of Health Care Information 
(EAF), insert the following:
    Division of Print and Electronic Publishing (EAF2). Responsible for 
disseminating AHCPR's many and varied informational products. Ensures 
that findings and information from research conducted or funded by 
AHCPR are created in forms useful to intended recipients. Specifically: 
(1) produces information products in a variety of print and electronic 
formats that are scientifically sound and appropriately targeted to 
various audiences; (2) edits and controls the review and publication of 
all AHCPR documents; (3) ensures proper clearance procedures consistent 
with Departmental rules; (4) provides interfaces with the Government 
Printing Office and National Technical Information Service; (5) 
organizes and conducts AHCPR's exhibits program and provides conference 
support services to program staff; (6) provides and coordinates 
graphics, printing and visual aids production for AHCPR; (7) analyzes 
AHCPR audiences and information needs, and recommends information 
products that meet AHCPR's scientific information and dissemination 
goals; and (8) works with and assists the National Library of Medicine 
in efforts to improve the availability of health services information 
to the public.
    Division of Public Affairs (EAF3). Responsible for planning and 
carrying out the public affairs activities of the Agency. Specifically: 
(1) handles AHCPR media relations; (2) develops health care research 
information dissemination partnerships with other Federal agencies, 
provider groups, the continuing education and continuing medical 
education communities, and the private sector; (3) ensures that 
findings and information from research conducted or funded by AHCPR are 
made promptly available to the public and private sectors; (4) analyzes 
AHCPR audiences and information needs and recommends new outreach/
dissemination programs and information products to meet AHCPR's 
scientific information and dissemination goals and needs of AHCPR 
target audiences; (5) recommends the most effective and efficient 
approaches to information dissemination; (6) develops and evaluates the 
effectiveness of Agency dissemination strategies; (7) manages AHCPR's 
publication clearinghouse; (8) responds to public inquiries about AHCPR 
and its research; (9) makes final reports of Agency-supported research 
available to the public through the National Technical Information 
Service; and (10) carries out AHCPR's Freedom of Information Act 
activities.
    Division of Research Synthesis and Translation (EAF4). Responds to 
internal and external needs for information by providing or 
facilitating analytic syntheses of existing research findings, data and 
activities, particularly in research areas to which AHCPR has made 
substantial contributions. Specifically: (1) coordinates and supports 
development of speeches and other presentations made by the AHCPR 
Administrator; (2) provides informal syntheses and examples of Agency 
research and activities in particular areas for a variety of uses (for 
example, briefings, budget and planning documents, correspondence, 
requests from Agency staff for information); (3) drafts articles, 
briefing sheets, and other analytic documents that synthesize and 
analyze particular topics and issues in health services research or 
pertaining to agency activities; (4) coordinates and supports ongoing 
improvement and maintenance of the Agency's research database system; 
and (5) conducts other activities that improve information sharing 
within the Agency and facilitates the ability of analysts across the 
Agency to compile, synthesize, and analyze health services research.
    Division of User Liaison (EAF5). Provides direction and 
coordination of the Agency's program to define the issues, problems, 
and information needs of selected users of health services research, 
especially public and private sector policymakers, and to disseminate 
to them relevant research findings, program data, and descriptive 
information related to the organization, planning, management, 
financing, delivery, evaluation, and outcomes of health services at the 
Federal, state, and local level. Specifically: (1) develops syntheses 
of research findings focused on particular issues dealing with policy 
concerns and operational problems; (2) plans and conducts workshops and 
seminars to provide research findings and related information to 
policymakers and other consumers of health services research to allow 
them to make better informed health care policy decisions; (3) 
maintains liaison with State and local government organizations, public 
policy organizations, and with the research community and receives and 
appropriately transmits information which may impact the Agency's 
research plan and priority setting process; (4) formulates; in 
collaboration with Agency staff, appropriate policies and activities to 
develop effective linkages with potential users of health services 
research (3) communicates information regarding user research needs to 
the Agency Administrator and appropriate Agency staff to ensure user 
needs are adequately addressed in current and planned Agency project; 
(6) develops and implements mechanisms to identify and contact 
potential users of research findings and related information; (7) plans 
meetings and coordinates contacts between Agency staff and individual 
users and representatives of user's groups and organizations; (8) 
provides assistance and advice to other Federal agencies and 
organization in evaluating the utility of Federally-sponsored research 
to State and local government officials; and (9) provides technical 
assistance for the design and implementation of research projects 
undertaken by State and local governments.
    Following the statement for the Office of Research Review, 
Education, and Policy (EAE), insert the following:
    Division of Research Education (EAE2). Develops, implements, and

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evaluates a comprehensive extramural health services research education 
program which supports the career development of predoctoral and 
postdoctoral students. Specifically: (1) Manages the AHCPR research 
education/training portfolio, which includes National Research Service 
Award (NRSA) institutional training grants, NRSA individual 
postdoctoral training grants, dissertation training grants, and 
incentive innovation awards; (2) establishes systems/mechanisms to 
monitor the external health care environment for research needs of 
potential private and public sector employers and to anticipate special 
training needs; (3) implements new programs and support mechanisms, and 
modifies existing ones to meet changing needs; (4) develops and manages 
activities intended to evaluate the effects of past investments in 
health services research training by examining career patterns, 
publication records, and research productivity of persons supported by 
AHCPR; (5) promotes visibility for the field of health services 
research and the availability of training support through a variety of 
mechanisms; (6) keep abreast of Departmental policies and procedures 
which pertain to extramural research education training, and assures 
compliance at the AHCPR level; and (7) works with AHCPR leadership to 
assure communication and collaboration between OREP and program centers 
with an interest in research education.
    Division of Research Policy, Coordination, and Analysis (EAE3). 
Serves as the focal point within AHCPR for developing, coordinating, 
and communicating policies, procedures, and priorities for non-
financial aspects of AHCPR's extramural research program. Specifically: 
(1) Coordinates the review and clearance of public announcements 
pertaining to grant opportunities and other extramural research 
interests for publication in the Federal Register and/or the NIH Guide 
for Grants and Contracts: (2) coordinates legal clearance of notices, 
announcements, and other policy documents and positions with the Office 
of General Counsel; (3) serves as liaison with the National Institutes 
of Health on referral of research applications and represents AHCPR on 
committees and workgroups coordinating referral issues; (4) provides 
locus for AHCPR grants referral activities by assigning research 
applications to appropriate AHCPR program centers, and developing 
criteria for grants referral in cooperation with program centers; (5) 
coordinates AHCPR intramural and extramural functions pertaining to 
ethics in research, including the development of policies and seminars, 
as appropriate; (6) coordinates the activities of the Extramural 
Research Committee (ERC) which provides policy recommendations to the 
Agency on a variety of research and operational issues; (7) supports 
AHCPR program staff and the health care research community by providing 
guidance on issues and questions dealing with the Agency's extramural 
grants policies, other than on business and fiscal matters, 
particularly the inclusion of women, minorities, and children in 
research; (8) integrates and develops management information systems to 
track and report on AHCPR scientific review activities; (9) assures 
uniform implementation of AHCPR grants streamlining activities; and 
(10) supports the AHCPR committee management function.
    Division of Scientific Review (EAE4). Plans and carries out the 
scientific review for all AHCPR extramural research grants and SBIR 
proposals. Specifically: (1) Assures compliance with organizational, 
regulatory, and policy aspects of peer review; (2) determines review 
requirements for standing study sections and special emphasis panels; 
(3) anticipates needs/changes regarding the charters of standing study 
sections, establishes and implements procedures for chartering study 
sections, filling study section vacancies and appointing new members 
and chairpersons, orients new reviewers to peer review processes; (4) 
advises Agency staff on peer review processes and grant solicitations; 
(5) keeps abreast of departmental, especially NIH, policies and 
procedures regarding peer review to assure compatibility of AHCPR 
processes; (6) interacts with the health services research community 
and keeps abreast of emergent research developments as they relate to 
review planning; (7) establishes and maintains continuous quality 
monitoring and improvement activities; and (8) coordinates funding 
meetings and relevant follow-up activities.
    Following the statement for the Center for Cost and Financing 
Studies (EC), insert the following:
    Division of Modeling and Simulation (EC2). Provides research, 
models, and data bases to support microsimulation analyses of household 
impacts and trends in health expenditures from health policies embodied 
in current law and from health care policies embodied in generic 
versions of proposed health care reforms. Specifically: (1) Projects 
the National Medical Expenditures Survey and the Medical Expenditure 
Panel Survey household expenditure data to future years; (2) aligns the 
projected household expenditure data to the Health Care Financing 
Administration's National Health Expenditures by type of health service 
and payment source; (3) uses a variety of outside data sources to 
project, for example, the household population, Medicaid enrollees, 
household income, and private and public health insurance benefits; (4) 
develops and updates the Agency's MEDSIM microsimulation model's 
software to estimate current household income and payroll taxes, 
current private and public insurance coverage and benefits, and the 
costs and consequences of generic versions of proposed health care 
reforms; (5) provides the latest versions of the projected expenditures 
data bases and associated research products on the Agency home page; 
(6) uses MEDSIM and its data bases to conduct and publish research on 
current and proposed health policies and on trends in household health 
care expenditures; and (7) provides cost and distributional MEDSIM 
estimates of specific legislative health care reform proposals to 
provide predecisional guidance to requesting federal officials.
    Division of Social and Economic Research (EC3). Provides basic 
descriptive and behavioral analyses of the population's access to, use 
of, expenditures and sources of payment for health care; the 
availability and costs of private health insurance in the employment-
related and non-group markets; the population enrolled in public health 
insurance coverage and those without health care coverage; and the role 
of health status in health care use, expenditures, and household 
decision-making, and in health insurance and employment choices. 
Specifically: (1) Provides analytical input to the design and 
development of primary data collection efforts and research-related 
data bases; (2) develops a research agenda related to health care use, 
expenditures, access to care, sources of payment, health insurance, and 
health status; (3) conducts applied research in these areas by applying 
substantive research tools from the fields of health services research, 
health economics, medical sociology, public policy analysis, 
demography, statistics and econometrics; (4) disseminates research 
findings through presentations at conferences, publications in peer 
reviewer journals, book chapters, and conference volumes; (5) provides 
substantive technical expertise on health care use, expenditures, and

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insurance coverage to other units within AHCPR, other governmental 
units, private sector research institutions, and by serving as 
technical reviewers and advisors to scholarly journals, technical 
advisory committees, and private and public sector task forces.
    Division of Statistical Research and Methods (EC4). Plans and 
conducts studies on statistical methods and the use of statistics in 
survey design in health services research. These studies provide the 
bases for policy research and analysis and for technical assistance 
provided to other Centers and Offices within the Agency. Specifically: 
(1) Identifies, designs, conducts, and implements statistical research 
and evaluation studies in accordance with the research priorities of 
the Center for Cost and Financing Studies; (2) oversees the statistical 
design of the National Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS); and (3) 
conducts research in the areas of survey design, sampling, estimation, 
imputation, the analysis of complex survey data, and the reduction of 
sources of sampling and nonsampling errors in the design of national 
health care surveys.
    Division of Survey Operations (EC5). Plans, implements and monitors 
the fielding of CCFS surveys. Specifically: (1) Develops and 
disseminates public use data files which include editing, imputation 
and estimation tasks; (2) assists in the development of data reports 
which are of particular interest to the Public Health Service, DHHS, 
and other Federal, State and local government agencies as well as the 
larger research community; and (3) monitors the development of Computer 
Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) data collection instruments.
    Under Section E-30. Order of Succession, delete (3), (4), and (5).
    All delegations and redelegations of authority to officers and 
employees of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research which were 
in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this 
reorganization shall continue in effect pending further redelegation, 
provided they are consistent with this reorganization.
    These changes are effective upon date of signature.

    Dated: February 23, 1999.
John M. Eisenberg,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-5539 Filed 3-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-M