[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 245 (Friday, December 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77699-77701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30151]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Opportunity for Cosponsorship of the Integrated Medical, Public 
Health, Preparedness, and Response Training Summit

AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
Secretary.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and Office of 
the Surgeon General (OSG) announce the opportunity for both private 
sector and non-profit entities to cosponsor an annual training summit. 
The focus of this training is medical and public health preparedness 
and response during disasters and emergencies. Potential cosponsors 
must have a mutual interest in the subject matter, the capability to 
provide logistical and educational support, and be willing to 
participate substantively in the cosponsored activity.

DATES: To receive consideration, a request to participate as a 
cosponsor must be received by the close of business on February 2, 
2009. Requests will meet the deadline if they are either (1) received 
on or before the deadline

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date; or (2) postmarked on or before the deadline date. Private metered 
postmarks will not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing. Hand-
delivered requests must be received by 5 p.m. on the deadline date. 
Requests that are received after the deadline date will be returned to 
the sender.

ADDRESSES: Notification of interest and proposal for cosponsorship 
should be sent to Leslie Beck, National Disaster Medical System, 330 
Independence Ave., SW, Room G-644, Washington, DC 20201 or if mailing 
by FedEx/UPS please send them to Leslie Beck, 409 Third Street, SW., 
Suite 330, Washington, DC 20024. Phone number: (202) 205-5929, fax 
number: (800) 872-5945. Notifications and proposals may also be 
submitted by electronic mail to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information on 
the training and cosponsorship should be directed to Leslie Beck, 
National Disaster Medical System, 330 Independence Ave., SW., Room G-
644, Washington, DC 20201 or if mailing by FedEx/UPS please send them 
to Leslie Beck, 409 Third Street, SW., Suite 330, Washington, DC 20024. 
Phone number: (202) 205-5929, fax number: (800) 872-5945, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description

    The Integrated Medical, Public Health, Preparedness, and Response 
Training Summit brings together several national-level entities within 
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that have, in the 
past, held separate organizational meetings, training summits and 
leadership conferences. These entities collectively organized a joint 
training summit scheduled to be held in April, 2009. These 
organizations include the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), National 
Disaster Medical System (NDMS), Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and the 
Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health 
Professionals (ESAR-VHP). The combination into an integrated Training 
Summit permits coordination, collaboration and interaction amongst the 
target audience--the leaders and members of these response partner 
organizations. The Training Summit will enhance the knowledge, skills, 
and abilities of participants, which in turn will improve their 
competency to deliver public health and medical care services during 
emergencies and disasters of any origin. Networking with these expert 
faculty members and fellow participants, many of whom are the nation's 
leaders in the area of public health emergencies, will give access to 
the latest in emergency response and coordination capabilities.
    These organizations are authorized under sections 203, 319I, 2812, 
and 2813 of the Public Health Service Act, among other HHS authorities.

Requirements of Cosponsorship

    ASPR and OSG are seeking a cosponsor(s) for the 2010 national 
training summit for full-time, intermittent, and other potential 
Federal, State and local responders, as well as the leaders of the 
various component organizations. The summit will focus on skills 
development, knowledge enhancement and information sharing regarding 
the variety of support services necessary during a public health 
emergency.
    Following the training summit, participants will be better trained 
for their respective missions and will understand how other public 
health and medical response components contribute to the full spectrum 
of care available during an emergency.
    Cosponsoring organizations must have a substantive interest in the 
goals of the training summit and are expected to be active 
participants. Cosponsorship involves joint development, support, 
implementation, and evaluation of the training summit with the ASPR, 
OSG and other cosponsors.
    The ASPR and OSG are seeking a cosponsor(s) to partner in ways that 
accord with its particular circumstances. For example, a cosponsor may 
assist ASPR and OSG by:
    (1) Participating in the development of the training curriculum, 
planning of educational demonstrations, and designation of professional 
organizations and experts in those specific activities;
    (2) Participating in the review, development, and approval of all 
materials produced for educational purposes and promotion of the event; 
and all materials, signage, press releases, etc. that mention the 
cosponsorship;
    (3) Participating in the coordination of logistical concerns; e.g., 
training location, training structure, insurance, etc.
    A copy of the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines on 
cosponsorship is available upon request. HHS will reserve the right to 
determine both the form and the content of the information provided to 
the training participants.

Availability of Funds

    There are no Federal funds available for this cosponsorship. All 
cosponsors agree to not use the event as a vehicle to sell or promote 
products or services. Any incidental promotional materials cannot imply 
that the HHS endorses any products or services.

Eligibility for Cosponsorship

    To be eligible, an interested party must be: (1) Be a public or a 
private non-profit or for-profit organization or corporation, (2) be an 
entity that, by virtue of its nature and purpose, has a legitimate 
interest in the subject matter, (3) agree to sign a cosponsorship 
agreement with the HHS which will set forth the details of the 
cosponsored activity, including the requirements that any fees raised 
should not be designed to exceed the cosponsor's costs, and fees 
collected by the cosponsor should be limited to the amount necessary to 
cover the cosponsor's related operating expenses and (4) participate 
substantively in the training summit (not just provide funding or 
logistical support).

Cosponsorship Proposal

    Each cosponsorship proposal should contain a description of: (1) 
The entity or organization; (2) its background in training and 
educational activities; (3) its proposed involvement in the cosponsored 
activity to include evidence of a substantive interest; and (4) plan 
for implementation with timeline(s). Selected cosponsors shall furnish 
the personnel, materials, equipment and funding necessary to carry out 
their activities in cosponsoring the 2010 training summit.

Evaluation Criteria

    In exploring potential cosponsors for the training summit, ASPR and 
OSG will use the following evaluation criteria, as appropriate and 
relevant, to determine whether HHS will engage in a cosponsorship with 
particular entities:
    (1) Requester's qualifications and capability to fulfill 
cosponsorship responsibilities;
    (2) Requester's experience in administering large national training 
programs;
    (3) Requester's specific work previously performed or currently 
being performed, with particular emphasis on those national programs/
projects dealing with educational activities with the Federal 
Government, schools, organizations, and individuals;
    (4) Requester's personnel: Name, professional qualifications and 
specific experience of key personnel who would be available to work on 
these projects;

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    (5) The ability of the interested party to arrange for the funding 
of the development and implementation of the training summit. The 
requester's description of financial management to include the 
discussion of experience in developing an annual budget and collecting 
and managing monies from organizations and/or individuals;
    (6) Requester's proposed plan for managing the training program, 
including such financial aspects as cost of venue, materials, 
promotion, distribution and program management.

Other Information

    Prior to the selection of the cosponsors, HHS staff will meet 
separately with those interested parties who best meet the evaluation 
criteria. Moreover, other federal agencies may be involved in the 
cosponsorship process. As a general rule, restrictions will apply to 
the use of any HHS logos, so as to avoid suggestions that HHS, or any 
other department or agency of the Federal Government, endorses any of 
the products involved in the training summit. Once details of the 
program have been mutually agreed upon, cosponsors will be required to 
enter into a cosponsorship agreement with the Department of Health and 
Human Services setting forth the rights and responsibilities of the 
cosponsor(s) and HHS, especially the right of HHS to approve training 
messages.

    Dated: December 8, 2008.
Craig Vanderwagon,
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services.
 [FR Doc. E8-30151 Filed 12-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-37-P