[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 190 (Monday, October 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57981-57982]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16088]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Notification of a Class Deviation of Grants Policy Directive Part 
2.04

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Grants Policy Directive Part 1.03, the 
Office of Health Information Technology (OHIT) has been granted a class 
deviation from the competition requirements contained in the Grants 
Policy Directive Part 2.04 to provide an additional year of funding 
without competition for Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN) 
Initiatives funded under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, 
as amended.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Lumsden, Director, Division of 
Health Information Technology State and Community Assistance, Office of 
Health Information Technology, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, 7C-22, Rockville, Maryland 20857; 
telephone number: 301-594-4472; fax number: 301-443-1330.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with Public Health Service 
Act, Title III, Section 330(e)(1)(C), 42 U.S.C.254b (as amended).

Background

    OHIT serves as the HRSA Administrator's principal advisor for 
promoting the adoption of and implementing health care information 
technology for the medically uninsured, underserved and other 
vulnerable populations, ensuring that key issues affecting the public 
and private adoption of health information technology are addressed 
(e.g., privacy and security issues, standardization, and 
interoperability). The HCCNs are key partners in enabling HRSA to help 
adopt and implement the President's Health Information Technology 
Initiative in the safety net community. The HCCNs support the creation, 
development, and operation of networks of safety net providers to 
ensure access to health care for the medically underserved populations 
through the enhancement of health center operations. The HCCNs 
routinely perform core business functions for their safety net members 
across their marketplace, State, or region. The core business functions 
range from electronic health records, credentialing and privileging 
programs, utilization review and management, and clinical quality 
improvement. They provide these functions at or below marketplace cost 
to their members to increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve 
health care quality for underserved and uninsured populations. As such, 
the HCCNs are key to achieving the President's goal of assuring that 
every American in the Nation will have an electronic health record by 
2014.

Justification for the Exception to Competition

    The creation of OHIT was part of HRSA's new priorities related to 
HIT and it is necessary that HRSA have an opportunity to ensure that 
its new HIT strategy and resources are reflected in its grant programs. 
Because OHIT was just established on December 27, 2005, and only became 
fully staffed in May 2006, there has been inadequate time to develop a 
new strategy to promote HIT in the safety net community and to 
establish funding priorities that are in line with the new office's 
goals.
    The OHIT has granted 18 HCCN grants a one-time 12-month extension 
(with funds) of the current budget period, which expires August 31, 
2006. This will avoid disruption of the HCCNs infrastructure and any 
impairment to the accomplishment of their work plans that would likely 
result from a competitive reallocation of funds without careful 
planning and advanced notice. All future funding for these activities 
will be based on a full and open competition that will focus on the 
most effective utilization of available resources in support of the 
Administration's new HIT objectives.

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                                                               12 month
              Grantee name                      State         extension
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South Cove CHC, Inc....................  MA................      $86,788
SW Virginia Community Health System....  VA................       57,859
Keystone Rural Health Center...........  PA................       70,611
Aaron E. Henry CHC.....................  MS................       57,859
Cook Area Health Services..............  MN................       62,487
Horizon Health Care, Inc...............  SD................       86,788
Mariposa Community Health Center.......  AZ................       57,859
Asian Health Services..................  CA................       86,788
Southwest Virginia Community Health....  VA................      167,742
Health Choice Network..................  FL................      173,576
Neighborhood Health Care Network.......  MN................      173,576
Central Oklahoma Integrated Network      OK................       88,900
 System.
Colorado Community Managed Care Network  CO................      128,646
Community Health Center Network........  CA................      173,576
Klamath Health Partnership.............  OR................      173,576
Collier Health Services, Inc...........  FL................       82,237
Wasatch Homeless Health Care, Inc......  UT................      159,111
Oregon Primary Care Association........  OR................      162,022
                                                            ------------
                                                               2,050,000
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[[Page 57982]]

    Dated: August 30, 2006.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-16088 Filed 9-29-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P