[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8515-8517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-4155]


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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

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Services Administration (HRSA) (60 FR 56605, as amended November 6, 
1995; as last amended at 68 FR 787-793, January 7, 2003). This notice 
is to amend the functional statements of the Bureau of Primary Health 
Care. Specifically, this notice (1) abolishes in their entirety the 
Division of Community and Migrant Health and the Division of Programs 
for Special Populations; (2) revise the Office of the Associate 
Administrator; (3) establish the Office of Program Support; the Office 
of Policy, Evaluation and Data; the Office of Minority and Special 
Populations; the Division of Health Center Development; the Division of 
Health Center Management; the Division of Clinical Quality; and the 
Division of State and Community Assistance.

Section RC-00 Mission

    The Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) directs national health 
programs which improve the health of the Nation by assuring access to 
high quality comprehensive preventive and primary health care services 
and improving the health status of the Nation's underserved and 
vulnerable populations.

Section RC-10 Organization

    The Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) headed by the Associate 
Administrator for Primary Health Care reports directly to the 
Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration. The BPHC 
includes the following components:
    (1) Office of the Associate Administrator (RC)
    (2) Office of Policy, Evaluation, and Data (RCE)
    (3) Office of Minority and Special Populations (RCG)
    (4) Division of Health Center Development (RCH)
    (5) Division of Health Center Management (RCJ)
    (6) Division of Clinical Quality (RCK)
    (7) Division of State and Community Assistance (RCL)
    (8) Division of National Hansen's Disease Program (RC7)
    (9) Division of Immigration Health Services (RC9)
1. In the Office of the Associate Administrator Delete the Migrant 
Health Advisory Council Function and Place It in the Office of Minority 
and Special Populations. Revise the Functional Statement of the Office 
of the Associate Administrator as Follows:

Office of the Associate Administrator (RC)

    Provides overall leadership, direction, coordination, and strategic 
planning in support of Bureau programs. Specifically: (1) Has lead 
responsibility to bring primary health care services to the Nation's 
neediest communities; (2) serves as a central point of contact for 
Bureau communication and information; (3) establishes program policies, 
goals, and objectives and provides oversight as to their execution; (4) 
interprets program policies, guidelines, and priorities; (5) 
stimulates, coordinates and evaluates program development and progress; 
(6) maintains effective relationships with HRSA, other Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS) organizations, other Federal agencies, 
State and local governments, and other public and private organizations 
concerned with primary health and improving the health status of the 
Nation's underserved and vulnerable populations; and (7) plans, 
directs, coordinates and evaluates Bureau-wide administrative 
management activities; (8) assures that BPHC's funding recommendations 
are consistent with authorizing legislation, program expectations and 
HHS and HRSA policies.
2. Establish the Office of Office of Policy, Evaluation and Data as 
Follows:

Office of Policy, Evaluation and Data

    (1) Provides leadership, direction, and overall coordination of the 
analysis and clearance of policy across Bureau programs; (2) provides 
leadership, direction, and coordination for health workforce planning 
as it supports health center development; (3) serves as focal point to 
design, establish and implement an evaluation plan for assessing and 
improving program performance; (4) serves as the focal point for the 
development and monitoring of the Bureau's Strategic Plan and annual 
spending plans; (5) provides leadership and overall coordination for 
tracking and monitoring health center growth; (6) serves as focal point 
for external communication, publication, and dissemination; (7) 
provides surveillance, monitoring, and analysis of a variety of media, 
newsletters, trade journals, and periodicals in order to detect 
external trends which could potentially affect grantee performance; (8) 
detects potential trends in program performance data on a State, 
regional, and national level to inform the development of program 
policies and the design of evaluation studies to improve program 
performance; (9) provides consultation to and coordinates activities 
with other components within HRSA, other Federal agencies, consumer and 
constituency groups, national and state organizations involved in 
policy, evaluation and data; and (10) manages the Bureau's executive 
secretariat functions.
3. Establish the Office of Minority and Special Populations as Follows:

Office of Minority and Special Populations (RCG)

    Provides overall coordination of Bureau activities relating to the 
delivery of health services to special populations such as migrant and 
seasonal farmworkers, homeless persons, women, and other minority and 
special populations, including residents of public housing, students 
served by School-based Health Centers, and Asian American Pacific 
Islanders. Specifically, (1) ensures that the needs and special 
circumstances of special populations and the provider organizations 
that serve them are addressed in internal BPHC policies; (2) advises 
BPHC staff and leadership about the special needs of special 
populations; (3) coordinates with private, professional, and academic 
health care organizations in developing and designing public health 
interventions aimed at reducing disparities in the health status of the 
special populations; (4) represents BPHC at regional and national 
meetings focused on special population issues, and shares information 
regarding the BPHC's response to such issues; and (5) provides staff 
support to the National Advisory Council on Migrant Health.
4. In the Division of Programs for Special Populations Delete the 
Community-based Systems Function and Place It in the Division of Health 
Center Development (DHCD). Establish the Division of Health Center 
Development as Follows:

Division of Health Center Development (RCH)

    Serves as the organizational focus of the competitive grant process 
for BPHC. Specifically, DHCD: (1) Provides leadership and direction, 
including tactical planning for the development and expansion of new 
health centers, health systems infrastructure, and pharmacy services; 
(2) manages and expands the number and types of organizations that 
participate in the 340B drug pricing program; (3) provides pre-
application assistance to communities and community-based organizations 
related to health center development, health systems infrastructure 
development and pharmacy services development; (4) provides 
consultation to and

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coordinates activities with other components within HRSA, other Federal 
agencies, consumer and constituency groups, national and state 
organizations involved in implementation of BPHC's competitive process.
5. In the Division of Programs for Special Populations Delete the 
Functions Guidance Development and Implementation of Plans To Assure 
Attainment of Measurable Outcomes and Place It in the Division of 
Health Center Management (DHCM). Establish the Division of Health 
Center Management as Follows:

Division of Health Center Management (RCJ)

    Manages BPHC's funded grants and activities and manages funds and 
other resources related to increasing clinical, managerial, and 
financial efficiency. Specifically, the DHCM: (1) Manages the post-
award administration of the Consolidated Health Center Program, Black 
Lung Clinics Program, the Radiation Exposure Screening and Education 
Program, and the Native Hawaiian Health Care Program; (2) serves as 
BPHC representative to organizations receiving Bureau grants; (3) 
promotes a continued focus on efficient and effective care for 
vulnerable populations, including people at or below 200 percent of 
poverty, racial and cultural minorities, uninsured people, students 
served by School-based Health Centers, migrant and seasonal farm 
workers, homeless individuals and families, public housing residents, 
and residents of rural and sparsely populated areas; (4) formulates and 
interprets continuation application guidance, program policy, 
legislative implementation proposals, regulation, and industry 
standards with the Division of Clinical Quality and Office Policy 
Evaluation Data; (5) monitors the performance of specific BPHC funded 
grants and makes programmatic recommendations; (6) reviews findings and 
recommendations of periodic and episodic grantee assessments, planning 
actions needed to assure continuity of services to vulnerable 
populations and appropriate use of Federal resources; (7) provides 
consultation to and coordinates activities with other components of 
HRSA, other Federal agencies, consumer and constituency groups, 
national and state organizations involved in implementation of program 
activities; (8) provides technical guidance to grantees on the 
management and integration of community-based systems of care, the 
adaptation of successful strategies/models, and the resolution of 
difficult issues; and (9) identifies and coordinates training and 
technical assistance needs of service delivery programs with the 
Division of State and Community Assistance.
6. In the Division of Community and Migrant Health Delete the Function 
Coordinating and Establishing Guidelines and Standards for Professional 
Services and Staff Development in BPHC Funded Grants Function and Place 
it in the Division of Clinical Quality (DQA). Establish the Division of 
Clinical Quality as Follows:

Division of Clinical Quality (RCK)

    (1) Provides clinical and quality leadership for BPHC to meet the 
initiative to expand health centers; (2) supports BPHC functions to 
assess the Nation's health care needs of underserved populations and to 
assist communities in providing quality primary health care services to 
the underserved and moving towards eliminating health disparities; (3) 
supports BPHC through assessment of clinical, quality improvement, risk 
management, and patient safety activities to improve policies, and 
programs for primary health care including clinical information 
systems; (4) serves as BPHC clinical and quality liaison with other 
DHHS organizations, other Federal, State, and private agencies, and 
organizations for clinical and quality issues for community based 
primary health care for underserved populations; and (5) coordinates 
clinical technical assistance program for BPHC health professional and 
non-health professional staff.
7. In the Immediate Office of the Associate Administrator Delete the 
Function Integration of State-Based activities into BPHC's Programs and 
Place It in the Division of State and Community Assistance (DSCA). 
Establish the Division of State and Community Assistance as Follows:

Division of State and Community Assistance (RCL)

    Specifically: (1) Collaborates with other BPHC Divisions and 
Offices in identifying technical assistance and training needs; (2) 
provides tactical planning for the development, implementation and 
evaluation of technical and training assistance; (3) develops 
mechanisms and resources to address technical assistance and training 
needs; (4) directs and manages technical assistance resources and 
activities for BPHC grantees and contractors; (5) manages the loan 
guarantee program; (6) manages the post-award process for Healthy 
Communities Access Program, Primary Care Associations, Primary Care 
Offices, Integrated Services Development Initiative, and Shared 
Integrated Management Information Systems; (7) coordinates state-based 
planning/activities for health center strengthening, expanding and 
quality improvement (Statewide Strategic Planning); (8) provides state-
specific policy surveillance; (9) provides consultation to and 
coordinates activities related to technical assistance and state 
activities in support of the initiatives to expand health centers with 
other components of HRSA, other Federal agencies, consumer and 
constituency groups, national and state organizations; (10) monitors 
the recovery of high-risk grantees.

Section RC-30 Delegation of Authority

    All delegations of authority which were in effect immediately prior 
to the effective date hereof have been continued in effect in them or 
their successors pending further re-delegation. I hereby ratify and 
affirm all actions taken by any DHHS official which involves the 
exercise of these authorities prior to the effective date of this 
delegation.
    This reorganization is effective upon the date of signature.

    Dated: February 14, 2003.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-4155 Filed 2-20-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P