[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70780-70781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20558]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Announcement of a Funding Priority for Service Multiple Counties 
Under the Fiscal Year 2007 New Access Points in High Poverty Counties 
Grant Opportunity

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

ACTION: Solicitation of comments.

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SUMMARY: The President's Health Center Initiative, which began in 
fiscal year (FY) 2002, was established to significantly impact 1,200 
communities by creating new or expanded health center access points. 
Building on the successes of this Initiative, a second health center 
initiative has been proposed by the President for FY 2007 to continue 
to increase access to high quality comprehensive primary health care 
for the most vulnerable populations in the Nation. The goal of the 
President's new High Poverty Counties Health Center Initiative is to 
increase access to primary health care in 200 of the Nation's poorest 
counties that do not have a health center. This new Initiative is 
subject to the availability of funds in the FY 2007 Health Center 
Program appropriation.
    The President's High Poverty Counties Health Center Initiative 
contains two components, New Access Point and Planning grants to be 
funded under the Consolidated Health Center Program, as authorized by 
section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b, as 
amended). New Access Point grants will be made for the provision of 
high quality comprehensive primary and preventive health care services 
through a new delivery site to a designated medically underserved area 
or population located in an eligible high poverty county.
    As part of the Initiative, it is anticipated that the New Access 
Points in High Poverty Counties grant opportunity will contain a 
funding priority. A funding priority is defined as the favorable 
adjustment of combined review scores of individually approved 
applications when applications meet specified criteria. The adjustment 
is typically made by a set, pre-determined number of points. For this 
grant opportunity, a funding priority is planned for applicants 
proposing to serve multiple counties (i.e., the proposed target 
population comes from other county(ies) in addition to the eligible 
high poverty county). Please

[[Page 70781]]

note that this priority will not be given to applicants applying for 
the Planning opportunity of the High Poverty Counties grant 
opportunities as Planning grant applicants may not have a defined 
service area, and will not be providing health services through the 
grant funding. More detailed information about the funding priority 
will be included in the funding opportunity guidance.

DATES: Please send comments no later than COB January 5, 2007. The 
comments can be e-mailed to [email protected] or mailed to Ms. Preeti 
Kanodia, New Access Point Coordinator, Health Resources and Services 
Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 17-61, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, Maryland 20857. Comments will be incorporated, as 
appropriate, into the final guidance for the FY 2007 New Access Points 
in High Poverty Counties funding opportunity, subject to the 
availability of FY 2007 funds.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Preeti Kanodia, Division of Policy and 
Development, Bureau of Primary Health Care, Health Resources and 
Services Administration. Ms. Kanodia may be contacted by e-mail at 
[email protected] or via telephone at (301) 594-4300.

    Dated: November 29, 2006.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator. 1 --
 [FR Doc. E6-20558 Filed 12-5-06; 8:45 am]
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