[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 203 (Monday, October 22, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59537-59538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20703]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


HRSA's Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) Awards Unsolicited 
Proposal for Cooperative Agreement to the National Network for Oral 
Health Access

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

ACTION: HRSA's Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) announces the award 
of an unsolicited proposal from the National Network for Oral Health 
Access (NNOHA) to establish a cooperative agreement with HRSA providing 
services and resources to support the Health Center Program's oral 
health providers serving the oral health needs of underserved 
populations.

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    Recipient: National Network for Oral Health Access, Ft. Lupton, 
Colorado.
    Purpose of the award: Cooperative Agreement with HRSA to provide 
services and resources to support the Health Center Program's oral 
health providers serving the oral health needs of underserved 
populations.
    Amount of award: $200,000.
    Project period: 1 year; September 25, 2007, to September 24, 2008.
SUMMARY: HRSA's BPHC has performed a formal review of an unsolicited 
proposal from NNOHA to establish a cooperative agreement with HRSA to 
provide services and resources to support the Health Center Program's 
oral health providers serving the oral health needs of underserved 
populations. BPHC has reviewed the proposal and has determined that it 
has merit. This request is of strategic importance to the Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS) and is time critical. Funding for the 
proposed activities will promote access to oral health services as an 
integral component of primary health care, improve the quality of those 
services provided, and sustain the forward motion of departmental 
priorities in this area.
    The Cooperative Agreement with NNOHA will have a project period of 
1 year with funding at $200,000. The funds will support selected 
activities described in the application to develop a national 
infrastructure to support improved access to oral health care, and 
improved quality and workforce development for the growing number of 
health center oral health programs.
    The key anticipated outcomes of the proposed cooperative agreement 
are as follows:
     The development of oral health clinical quality 
infrastructure to support HRSA in achieving its goal of improved 
quality of care;
     The development of a recruitment and retention strategy to 
address dentist and dental hygienist vacancies, including National 
Health Service Corps dentist and dental hygiene openings; and
     NNOHA will work in collaboration with HRSA to implement a 
strategy to integrate oral health as it moves all of its programs 
forward in Health Information Technology to assure that oral health 
strategies are included.
    There is a strategic importance of access to oral health as part of 
the primary care services supported by BPHC's Health Center Program. 
The Health Center Program has had significant growth as part of the 
President's Health Center Initiative. The number of patients seen by 
the Health Center Program has increased by 90 percent. Health centers 
have reported significant challenges recruiting and retaining oral 
health providers. Consequently, HRSA has determined that the scope of 
this proposal is immediate and necessary. The proposed

[[Page 59538]]

outcomes will contribute to the success and quality of oral health 
programs and are essential for long term sustainability and viability 
of health centers funded by HRSA.
    This award is being made non-competitively because there is no 
current, pending, or planned funding opportunity announcement under 
which this proposal could be competed. HRSA/BPHC has identified three 
key reasons to support rationale for not awarding competitively:
    1. NNOHA is uniquely positioned to provide oral health program 
support services on a national basis to community health centers. As 
the only organization of health center dental providers, NNOHA is 
dedicated to increasing the effectiveness of dental programs in 
reaching all underserved populations by supporting efforts to 
strengthen existing health center dental programs; manage the growth of 
new health center dental programs; and manage the quality improvement 
in health center dental programs.
    2. With this experience, and its nationwide membership of health 
center dentists, NNOHA has a proven track record of effective 
collaborations with health center dental programs. Increased access to 
quality oral health is enhanced through NNOHA's partnerships with 
organizations and governmental agencies at the local, State and 
national levels.
    3. No other organization has the national scope of respected 
experience in the area of health center oral health leadership and can 
perform immediately, especially given the complexity of activities that 
are critical to HRSA.

    Legislative Authority: Section 330(l) of the Public Health 
Service Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay R. Anderson, DMD, MHSA, Office of 
Quality and Data, Bureau of Primary Health Care, Health Resources and 
Services Administration. Dr. Anderson may be contacted by e-mail at 
[email protected] or via telephone at (301) 594-4295.

    Dated: October 15, 2007.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E7-20703 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P