[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 159 (Monday, August 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49489-49491]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21197]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

[Announcement Number: HRSA-03-110]


Maternal and Child Health Federal Set-Aside Program; Special 
Projects of Regional and National Significance; State Oral Health 
Collaborative Systems (SOHCS) Grant Program (CFDA 93.110)

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
announces that approximately $2,950,000 in fiscal year (FY) 2003 funds 
is available to fund up to 59 one-year grants to support States' 
efforts to develop, implement or otherwise strengthen State oral health 
collaborative strategies that increase access to oral health services 
for Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) 
eligible children, and other underserved children and their families. 
Eligibility is open to MCH agencies in the 50 States and nine specified 
jurisdictions, unless another governmental or non-governmental agency 
is approved. Awards will be made under the program authority of section 
501(a)(2) of the Social Security Act, the Maternal and Child Health 
(MCH) Federal Set-Aside Program (42 U.S.C. 701(a)(2)), i.e., Special 
Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS). Funds for 
these awards were appropriated under Pub. L. 108-07, the ``Departments 
of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003.'' Up to $50,000 in FY 2003 funds is 
available for each one-year grant; up to an additional $50,000 in FY 
2003 funds may become available for the grant during the course of the 
same one-year project period, depending upon the availability of funds.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of applications is August 25, 2003. 
Applicants are required to submit one ink-signed original and two 
copies of the completed application. The projected award date will be 
prior to September 30, 2003.

ADDRESSES: To receive a complete application kit, applicants may 
telephone the HRSA Grants Application Center at 1-877-477-2123 (1-877-
HRSA-123) beginning July 25, 2003, or register on-line at: http://
www.hrsa.

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gov/, or by accessing http://www.hrsa.gov/g_order3.htm directly. This 
program uses the standard Form PHS 5161-1 (rev. 7/00) for applications 
(approved under OMB No. 0920-0428). Applicants must use the appropriate 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 93.110 and the 
title, ``State Oral Health Collaborative Systems Program,'' when 
requesting application materials. The CFDA is a Government-wide 
compendium of enumerated Federal programs, projects, services, and 
activities that provide assistance. Unless submitted on-line (see next 
paragraph), all applications should be mailed or delivered to: Grants 
Management Officer (MCHB), HRSA Grants Application Center (GAC), 901 
Russell Avenue, Suite 450, Gaithersburg MD, telephone: 1-877-HRSA-123 
(477-2123), e-mail: [email protected]. Notice of receipt of applications 
will be sent by the GAC.
    Applicants should note that HRSA anticipates accepting grant 
applications online in the last quarter of the Fiscal Year (July 
through September). Please refer to the HRSA grants schedule at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants.htm for more information. The automated application 
process should be faster, easier and better for applicants and for 
HRSA. We encourage you to take advantage of this new option. Applicants 
will be notified through the same channels that currently announce the 
availability of downloadable and paper application materials, including 
notices on HRSA Web sites and e-mail communications. Once the automated 
system is in place, applications can be submitted on-line and 
applicants will receive an electronic confirmation of the submission. 
Applicants will need to print the face page, sign it, and submit it to 
the HRSA Grants Application Center, 901 Russell Avenue, Suite 450, 
Gaithersburg, MD 20879; telephone 1-877-477-2123.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark E. Nehring, DMD, MPH, 301-443-
1080, e-mail: [email protected] (for questions specific to project 
activities of the program, program objectives, or the Letter of Intent 
described above); and Mona D. Thompson, 301-443-3429; e-mail, 
[email protected] (for grants policy, budgetary, and business 
questions).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Program Background and Objectives: Today, MCHB is the principal 
Federal agency supporting State dental programs. Most State dental 
programs are organizationally part of the State's maternal and child 
health (MCH) program. Nearly 80 percent of State dental program funds 
come from Federal MCH Block Grants to States funds. MCHB provides the 
infrastructure for most oral health prevention and services programs in 
our Nation. MCHB-sponsored programs have considerable flexibility and 
legislative authority to support State dental programs and to develop 
partnerships between the public and private sectors to address the 
needs of all mothers and children. This critical role, however, is not 
matched with sufficient resources to meet demand.
    Despite tremendous advances in prevention, dental caries remains 
the predominant childhood disease, continuing to take a heavy toll on 
children's health and well-being across all socioeconomic, racial, and 
ethnic groups. Increasingly, we are witnessing a concentration of 
dental illness both in quantity and severity among children living in 
poverty and of racial and ethnic minorities. From all available data it 
is clear that in most parts of our nation, inadequate access to dental 
care is commonplace for children of families living in poverty.
    In order for children to be raised in healthy families and 
communities, all community service systems, including oral health, need 
to take ownership of the problems and solutions associated with 
assuring children's access to comprehensive systems of quality care. 
Nationwide, there is a growing body of evidence documenting the serious 
obstacles impeding oral health care access, not the least of which is 
an inadequate number, distribution and availability of providers for 
the nation's most needy children. Current systems of health, education, 
social services and child care are often crisis oriented and designed 
to address problems that have already occurred rather than proactively 
oriented to prevent them. These systems tend to divide the problems of 
children, families, and communities into rigid categorical programs 
that fail to reflect interrelated causes and solutions. This 
categorical organization of service systems makes it impossible for the 
current systems to meet the needs of children, families, and 
communities. Truly effective and sustainable successes can be achieved 
through building integrated partnerships that make a firm commitment to 
implementing programs and policies that are creative, comprehensive and 
collaborative.
    Authorization: Section 501(a)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 701(a)(2)).
    Purpose: This purpose of this grant program is to support States' 
efforts to develop, implement or otherwise strengthen State oral health 
collaborative strategies that increase access to oral health services 
for Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) 
eligible children, and other underserved children and their families. 
These grants are intended to address the cross-cutting oral health 
needs of women and children. These needs range from broad-based 
interventions such as strategic planning, public/private partnerships 
and comprehensive integrated support systems to more narrowly focused 
interventions such as early childhood decay, sealant and prevention 
programs. These efforts follow up:
    1. Findings contained in the Office of the Inspector General 
Report: Children's Dental Service Under Medicaid Access and 
Utilization, and Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon 
General.
    2. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)/Centers 
for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) sponsored conference, Building 
Partnerships to Improve Access to Medicaid Oral Health Services.
    3. The American Dental Association (ADA) sponsored Achieving 
Improvement in Medicaid--AIM for Change meeting held in Chicago, 
Illinois, August 2-3, 1999.
    4. Recommendations for State strategic plans developed through 
State Oral Health Summit meetings, National Governors Association (NGA) 
Policy Academies and/or Head Start Forums.
    5. Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) performance measures 
addressing the presence of sealants on third grade student molars, 
enrollment in Medicaid/SCHIP and/or the presence of essential elements 
in State Oral Health Plans.
    6. The report Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon 
General, and subsequent release of A National Call to Action to Promote 
Oral Health.
    Eligibility: States (defined in this offering as States and 
Jurisdictions) are eligible to apply for State Oral Health 
Collaborative Systems Grant funding, unless the State specifically 
requests and designates another State-approved government or non-
government agency and provides a convincing justification for so doing. 
States designating another agency must submit an endorsement 
acknowledging that the applicant has consulted with the State and that 
the State has been assured that the applicant will work with the State 
on the proposed project. This endorsement must accompany the 
application. Without the endorsement, the application will not be 
considered for funding. Because of the importance of linking oral 
health activities with

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systems of care for children, the involvement of the State MCH program 
is strongly encouraged. Such involvement could be demonstrated either 
by a co-signed application or by a letter of support.
    Funding Level/Project Period: Approximately $2,950,000 is available 
for the State Oral Health Collaborative Systems grants during FY 2003. 
These awards will be made not to exceed $50,000 (including indirect 
costs) per award, per year, for a project period of one year, beginning 
approximately September 01, 2003. The applicant is invited, within this 
same application, to apply for up to an additional $50,000, should 
funds become available or fewer than fifty-nine applications are 
approved and recommended for funding. To be considered for additional 
funding, States must submit an addendum to the application to include a 
revised face page (SF 424), budget and budget justification that would 
support an increased scope of work and requested funding level, up to 
$50,000, inclusive of indirect costs, and is in keeping with the 
programmatic objectives of this grant offering. Finally, cost sharing 
or matching is not required or encouraged under the SOHCS grant 
program.
    Review Criteria: Applications that are complete and responsive to 
the guidance will be evaluated by an objective review panel 
specifically convened for this solicitation and in accordance with HRSA 
grants management policies and procedures.
    Applications will be reviewed using the following HRSA criteria:
    1. Description of the Problem--The extent to which the project 
describes the severity of oral health needs of the community.
    2. Goals & Objectives `` Major goals and objectives are clearly 
stated and attainable for the project period.
    3. Implementation Plan--The quality of the project plan or 
methodology is adequately explained indicating the extent to which the 
project will contribute to the advancement of maternal and child health 
and/or improvement of the oral health of underserved children as 
measured through MCHB performance measures addressing the presence of 
sealants on third grade student molars, enrollment in Medicaid/SCHIP 
and/or the presence of essential elements in State Oral Health Plans.
    4. Partnerships (Collaborative Agencies and Programs)--The extent 
to which the project demonstrates commitment of prospective partners 
and strength of the applicant's plan for integrating oral health into 
existing public and private health systems.
    5. Budget--The extent to which the estimated cost to the Government 
of the project is reasonable, considering the anticipated results.
    Paperwork Reduction Act: OMB approval for any data collection in 
connection with this grant program will be sought, as required under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
    Public Health System Reporting Requirements: This program is 
subject to the Public Health System Reporting Requirements (approved 
under OMB No. 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 (PHSIS), 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.
    (3) A description of the coordination planned with the appropriate 
State and local health agencies.
    Executive Order 12372: The MCH Federal Set-Aside program has been 
determined to be a program which is not subject to the provisions of 
Executive Order 12372 concerning intergovernmental review of Federal 
programs.

    Dated: August 13, 2003.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-21197 Filed 8-14-03; 8:45 am]
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