[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 123 (Monday, June 29, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31036-31037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15201]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Comment Request

    In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) publishes periodic summaries of proposed projects 
being developed for submission to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. To request more 
information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data 
collection plans and draft instruments, e-mail [email protected] or 
call the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1129.
    Comments are invited on: (a) The proposed collection of information 
for the proper performance of the functions of the agency; (b) the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: Data Collection Tool for Rural Hospital Flexibility 
Grant Program: (New)

    The mission of the Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) is to 
sustain and improve access to quality care services for rural 
communities. In its authorizing language, Congress charged ORHP with 
administering grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to provide 
technical assistance and other activities as necessary to support 
activities related to improving health care in rural areas. See Section 
711 of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 912].
    ORHP seeks to expand the information gathered from grantees on 
their use of the grant funds. Specifically, Rural Hospital Flexibility 
Grant Program (Flex) grantees would be required to report on three 
areas. First, Flex grantees would be required to report on the number 
of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), other eligible hospitals, 
Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers, or rural health networks 
they have worked with during the grant period. Areas they can work with 
the CAHs and eligible hospitals include: Strategic Planning, Board 
Training, Networking, Benchmarking/Quality Reporting, EMS-Training, 
Medical Direction, Transfers, and Health Information Technology (HIT) 
Adoption. During the grant period, the grantee can sponsor meetings, 
seminars, workshops, and/or use other means as appropriate to engage 
with the hospitals on any of the above subjects or others that are not 
listed. The Flex grantees would report information on the total number 
of hospitals or other organizations that participated in any sponsored 
activities, as well as provide the name of the hospitals and 
organizations and their addresses.
    In addition, ORHP seeks further information on the use of grant 
funds. Many Flex grantees use sub-contractual agreements to provide 
direct aid to CAHs, eligible hospitals, rural health networks, EMS 
providers or other organizations. ORHP will ask each Flex grantee to 
list all sub-contractual awards made during the grant period, identify 
the organization which received Flex funding, the amount they received, 
and the purpose of award. Services provided to CAHs, other hospitals or 
providers, EMS providers or other entities will be quantified and the 
value of the service provided will be submitted.
    Finally, ORHP also seeks information on the EMS activities 
undertaken with

[[Page 31037]]

Flex funding, such as the number of CAHs designated as Trauma Centers, 
the number of trained or recruited EMS medical directors, or the number 
of EMS recruitment/retention projects initiated. Submission may be made 
through the HRSA Electronic Handbook system, as part of the ORHP 
Performance Improvement Measurement System (PIMS).
    The estimated average annual burden per year is as follows for the 
Annual Data Report:

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                                                                            Responses      Burden       Total
                     Type of respondent                        Number of       per       hours per      burden
                                                              respondents   respondent    response      hours
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States......................................................           45            1         12.5        562.5
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
    Total...................................................           45  ...........  ...........        562.5
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    E-mail comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA Reports 
Clearance Officer, Room 10-33, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Rockville, MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.

    Dated: June 19, 2009.
Alexandra Huttinger,
Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.
 [FR Doc. E9-15201 Filed 6-26-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P