[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12021-12024]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5470]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    This notice amends Part R of the Statement of Organization, 
Functions and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and 
Human Services (DHHS), Health Resources and Services Administration 
(60) FR 56605 as amended November 6, 1995, as last amended at 65 FR 
8375-6 dated February 18, 2000).
    This notice reflects the organizational and functional changes in 
the Bureau of Health Professions (RP).
    Make the following changes:
    A. Delete the opening functional statement for the Bureau of Health 
Professions in its entirety and replace with the following:

Bureau of Health Professions (RP)

    Provides national leadership in coordinating, evaluating, and 
supporting the development and utilization of the Nation's health 
personnel. Specifically: (1) Assess the Nation's health personnel 
supply and requirements and forecasts supply and requirements for 
future time periods under a variety of health resources utilization 
assumptions; (2) collects and analyzes data and disseminates 
information on the characteristics and capacities of the Nation's 
health personnel production systems; (3) proposes new or modifications 
of existing Departmental legislation, policies, and programs related to 
health personnel development and utilization; (4) develops, tests and 
demonstrates new and improved approaches to the development and 
utilization of health personnel within various patterns of health care 
delivery and financing systems; (5) provides financial support to 
institutions and individuals for health professions education programs; 
(6) administers Federal programs for

[[Page 12022]]

targeted health personnel development and utilization; (7) provides 
leadership for promoting equity and diversity in access to health 
services and health careers for under-represented minority groups; (8) 
provides technical assistance, consultation, and special financial 
assistance to national, State, and local agencies, organizations, and 
institutions for the development, production, utilization, and 
evaluation of health personnel; (9) provides linkage between Bureau 
headquarters and HRSA Field Office activities related to health 
professions education and utilization by providing training, technical 
assistance, and consultation to Field Office staff; (10) coordinates 
with the programs of other agencies within the Department, and in other 
Federal Departments and agencies concerned with health personnel 
development and health care services; (11) provides liaison and 
coordinates with non-Federal organizations and agencies concerned with 
health personnel development and utilization; (12) in coordination with 
the Office of the Administrator, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, serves as a focus for technical assistance activities 
in the international aspects of health personnel development, including 
the conduct of special international projects relevant to domestic 
health personnel problems; (13) administers the National Vaccine Injury 
Compensation Program; and (14) administers the National Practitioner 
Data Bank Program.
    B. Delete the functional statement for the Office of the Bureau 
Director in its entirety and replace with the following:

Office of the Bureau Director (RP)

    The Office of the Director, BHPr, provides national leadership in 
coordinating, evaluating, and supporting the development and 
utilization of the Nation's health personnel. Specifically: (1) Directs 
the national health professions education, student assistance and 
development programs and activities; (2) provides policy guidance and 
staff direction to the Bureau; (3) maintains liaison with other Federal 
and non-Federal organizations and agencies with health personnel 
development interests and responsibilities; (4) provides guidance and 
direction for technical assistance activities in the international 
aspects of health personnel development; (5) provides guidance and 
assistance to the Field Director or field staff as appropriate; and (6) 
directs and coordinates Bureau programs in support of Equal Employment 
Opportunity.
    C. Delete the functional statement for the Office of Research and 
Planning and replace with the following:

Office of Planning and Project Development

    Serves as the Bureau focal point for program planning, evaluation, 
and legislation. Maintains liaison with governmental, professional, 
voluntary, and other public and private organizations, institutions, 
and groups for the purpose of providing information exchange. 
Specifically (1) stimulates, guides, and coordinates program planning, 
reporting, and evaluation activities of the Divisions and staff 
offices; (2) provides staff services to the Bureau Director for program 
and strategic planning and its relation to the budgetary, legislative 
and regulatory processes, the development of issue papers, 
congressional reports, and coordination of OMB information clearance 
requests for forms and regulations; (3) coordinates the development and 
implementation of the Bureau's evaluation program; (4) provides staff 
services and coordinates activities pertaining to legislative policy 
development, interpretation, and implementation, including the 
development of legislative proposals, the analysis of existing and 
pending legislation with other agencies, and distribution of 
legislative materials; (5) reviews and interprets program award 
policies and authorities for incorporation into the development and 
implementation of the Bureau's program and award procedures; (6) 
coordinates the development, clearance, and dissemination of 
legislative implementation plans, regulations, Federal Register 
notices, application guidelines and operating procedures; (7) 
identifies issues and coordinates the resolution of program award 
policy and procedural questions that arise; and (8) coordinates public 
relations and media communications in conjunction with the Agency and 
Department.
    D. Delete the functional statement for the Division of Associated, 
Dental and Public Health Professions and replace with the following:

Division of Public Health and Allied Health

    The Division of Public Health and Allied Health serves as the 
principal Federal focus for the development and improvement of basic 
professional education and continuing professional development of 
public health, including preventive medicine and school health 
educators; environmental health, including undergraduate preparation 
for entry level positions; health administration, including hospitals, 
ambulatory primary care settings, such as health maintenance 
organizations, community/migrant health centers, and community based 
organizations; the associated health professions, including veterinary 
medicine, optometry, and pharmacy; allied health professions, including 
physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical technology, dental 
hygiene, respiratory therapy, radiography, radiation therapy, emergency 
medical technicians, and a long list of similar professionals; 
chiropractic health care; social workers, especially in medical 
settings; clinical psychology; mental health workers; and other new and 
developing health disciplines. Specifically, the Division: (1) Provides 
professional direction and leadership for planning, evaluating and 
supporting the development and utilization of the health professionals 
in these fields; (2) provides leadership in maintaining contact with 
the employers of health professionals in these fields to monitor 
educational relevance to current and future needs in the work place; 
(3) develops contractual and staff studies concerning the future 
education needs of the health professions in these fields and supports 
the development of specialized curricula to encourage progress in basic 
and continuing professional development; (4) provides leadership to the 
grant programs administered by the Division to meet the legislated 
intent of the authorizations; (5) provides professional technical 
assistance to educational institutions and other potential applicants 
concerning the grant programs managed by the Division; (6) monitors 
awarded grants and provides professional technical assistance to assist 
grantees in the accomplishment of their project objectives within the 
context of national strategies for the health professionals in these 
fields; (7) monitors and assists in the credentialing process for the 
health professionals in these fields, including accreditation, 
certification by professional organizations, and licensure; (8) 
maintains liaison with professional associations concerned with the 
quality of education for the health professionals in these areas; (9) 
coordinates activities with other Bureau, HRSA, Department, and Federal 
educational activities for the health professionals in these fields to 
encourage cooperation and accomplish national health objectives; (10) 
conducts special initiatives including the development of management 
information systems; and (11) monitors data collection activities in 
the Bureau and professional

[[Page 12023]]

associations to assure timely and accurate information is available 
concerning the supply and quality of education of the health 
professionals in these areas and information is available concerning 
the grant programs and training activities of the Division.
    E. Delete the functional statement for the Division of Medicine and 
replace with the following:

Division of Medicine and Dentistry

    Serves as the principal focus with regard to education, practice, 
and research of medical personnel; with special emphasis on allopathic 
and osteopathic physicians, podiatrists, dentists and physician 
assistants. Specifically: (1) Provides professional expertise in the 
direction and leadership required by the Bureau for planning, 
coordinating, evaluating, and supporting development and utilization of 
the Nation's health personnel for these professions; (2) supports and 
conducts programs with respect to the need for and the development, 
use, credentialing, and distribution of such personnel; (3) engages 
with other Bureau programs in cooperative efforts of research, 
development, and demonstration on the interrelationships between the 
members of the health care team, their tasks, education requirements, 
and training modalities, credentialing and practice; (4) conducts and 
supports studies and evaluations of physician, dentist, physician 
assistant, and podiatric personnel requirements, distribution and 
availability, and cooperates with other components of the Bureau and 
Agency in such studies; (5) analyzes and interprets physician, dental, 
physician assistant, and podiatric programmatic data collected from a 
variety of sources; (6) conducts, supports, or obtains analytical 
studies to determine the present and future supply and requirements of 
physicians, dentists, physician assistants, and podiatrists by 
specialty and geographic location, including the linkages between their 
training and practice characteristics; (7) conducts and supports 
studies to determine potential national goals for the training and 
distribution of physicians in graduate medical education programs and 
develops alternative strategies to accomplish these goals; (8) supports 
and conducts programs with respect to activities, associated with the 
international migration, domestic training, and utilization of foreign 
medical graduates and U.S. citizens studying abroad; (9) maintains 
liaison with relevant health professional groups and others, including 
consumers, having common interest in the Nation's capacity to deliver 
health services; (10) provides consultation and technical assistance to 
public and private organizations, agencies, and institutions, including 
Field Offices, other agencies of the Federal Government, and 
international agencies and foreign governments, on all aspects of the 
Division's functions; (11) provides administrative and staff support 
for the Advisory Committee on Training and Primary Care Medicine and 
Dentistry, and for the Council on Graduate Medical Education; and (12) 
represents the Bureau, Agency and Federal Government, as designated, on 
national committees and as the Accreditation Council on Graduate 
Medical Education (ACGME) and the Accreditation Council for Continuing 
Medical Education (ACCME).
    F. Delete the functional statement for the Division of Student 
Assistance in its entirety and replace with the following:

Division of Student Assistance (RP6)

    Serves as the focal point for the Health Professions and Nursing 
Student Loan and Scholarship Programs, the Exceptional Financial Need 
Scholarship Program, the Federal Assistance to Disadvantaged Health 
Professions Scholarship Program, the Health Educational Assistance Loan 
Program, the Health Professions and Nursing Educational Loan Repayment 
and Loan Cancellation Programs. Specifically: (1) Directs and 
administers these student assistance, training and support programs, 
including the awarding of loan and scholarship funds; (2) develops and 
implements program plans and policies and operating and evaluation 
plans and procedures in coordination with the Office of Program 
Development; (3) monitors and assesses educational and financial 
institutions with respect to capabilities and management of Federal 
support for students; (4) develops and conducts training activities for 
staff of educational and financial institutions; (5) maintains liaison 
with and provides assistance to program-related public and private 
professional organizations and institutions; (6) maintains liaison with 
the Office of the General Counsel, and the Office of the Inspector 
General, DHHS, components of the Department of Education and the 
Department of Defense, and State agencies concerning student 
assistance; (7) in coordination with the Office of Program Development, 
develops legislative proposals and related administrative and 
management information and control documents; (8) coordinates financial 
aspects of programs with educational institutions; and (9) develops 
program data needs, formats, and reporting requirements, including 
collection, collation, analysis and dissemination of data.
    G. Delete the functional statement for the Division of Disadvantage 
Assistance in its entirety and replace with the following:

Division of Health Professions Diversity

    Provides the Bureau focal point and leadership for assuring equity 
in access to health resources and health careers for diverse and 
disadvantaged populations. Specifically: (1) Provides technical 
assistance to groups that represent and seek to improve the health 
status of diverse and disadvantaged populations, and facilitates the 
access of such groups to Bureau and other Federal programs and 
resources; (2) provides leadership and direction for the development 
and implementation of Bureau objectives as they relate to diverse and 
disadvantaged populations; (3) develops and recommends health resources 
and health career opportunities for diverse and disadvantaged 
populations; (4) initiates, stimulates, supports, coordinates, and 
evaluates Bureau programs for improving the availability and 
accessibility of health careers for diverse and disadvantaged 
populations; (5) initiates, stimulates, supports, coordinates, and 
evaluates in conjunction with other Bureau units, comprehensive data 
systems and analyses on requirements, resources, accessibility, and 
accountability of the health delivery system for diverse and 
disadvantaged populations; (6) conducts special studies and collects 
baseline data to identify specific factors contributing to the health 
and health-related problems of diverse and disadvantaged populations, 
and to develop strategies for improving health services and career 
opportunities for diverse and disadvantaged populations; (7) conducts 
extramural programs, including the use of grants and contracts, 
specifically designed to promote equity in access to health careers; 
(8) assures contract compliance and implementation of the Policy 
Statement on Civil Rights in the Bureau; (9) in coordination with the 
Bureau's divisions and in collaboration with other HRSA entities, 
provides leadership for and assures implementation of Presidential, 
Departmental, and other special initiatives addressing the needs of 
diverse and disadvantaged populations; (10) conducts and coordinates 
Bureau programs in health careers for women; (11) provides leadership 
to develop and coordinate Bureau program support to

[[Page 12024]]

student health organizations; and (12) provides advice and consultation 
on policy and other matters related to assuring equity in access to 
health resources and health careers for diverse and disadvantaged 
populations.
    H. Delete the functional statement for the Division of Quality 
Assurance in its entirety and replace with the following:

Division of Quality Assurance (RPA)

    Serves as the focal point within DHHS/HRSA for medical, dental, 
nursing and other health professions quality assurance efforts. 
Specifically in coordination with the Department and other Federal 
entities, State licensing boards, and national, State and local 
professional organizations: (1) administers the National Practitioner 
Data Bank (NPDB) as authorized under Title IV of the Health Care 
Quality Improvement Act of 1986 and Section 5 of the Medicare and 
Medicaid Patient and Program Protection Act of 1987; (2) on behalf of 
the Inspector General, DHHS, administers the Healthcare Integrity and 
Protection Data Bank (HIPDB) under Title II Subsection C of the Health 
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996; (3) conducts and 
supports research based on NPDB and HIPDB information; (4) maintains 
active consultative relations with professional organizations, 
societies, and Federal and state agencies involved in the NPDB and 
HIPDB; (5) proposes and monitors guidelines for (a) credentials 
assessment, granting of privileges, and monitoring and evaluating 
programs for physicians, dentists, and other health care professionals; 
(b) professional review of specified medical liability and malpractice; 
(7) works with the Secretary's office to provide technical assistance 
to States undertaking malpractice reform; (8) provides staff to and 
coordinates the activities of the PHS interagency Advisory Council on 
Quality Assurance and Risk Management; and (9) undertakes other quality 
assurance and risk management development efforts.
    I. Establish the Division of Interdisciplinary and Community Based 
Programs (RPA)

Division of Interdisciplinary and Community Based Programs

    Serves as the principal focal point for specialized DHHS 
interagency projects, HRSA initiatives and Bureau of Health Professions 
interdivisional activities. Specifically: (1) promotes, designs, 
supports and administers activities relating to the planning and 
development of nationally integrated health professions education 
programs; (2) administers special projects of the Office of the 
Secretary, such as the primary Care Policy Fellowship Program and the 
Secretary's Award Program for Innovations in Health Promotion and 
Disease Prevention; (3) promotes, plans and develops collaborative, 
interdisciplinary activities in the specialty areas of behavioral/
mental health, rural health and geriatrics; (4) promotes quality 
improvement in health professions education through collaboration and 
partnerships with national and international institutes and centers for 
quality improvement; (5) promotes and supports academic-community 
partnerships whose goal is the development of interdisciplinary, 
community-based programs designed to improve access to health care 
through improving the quality of health professions education and 
training; (6) collaborates with relevant offices of the Bureau, HRSA 
and the Department; and (7) maintains liaison with related professional 
groups, foundations, and other private and government organizations as 
needed.

Delegations of Authority

    All delegations and redelegations of authority which were in effect 
immediately prior to the effective date herof have been continued in 
effect in them or their successors pending further redelegation.
    This reorganization is effective upon date of signature.

    Dated: February 18, 2000.
Claude Earl Fox,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-5470 Filed 3-6-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P