[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 160 (Thursday, August 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42079-42080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20020]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Meeting of the AHRQ National Advisory Council for Healthcare 
Research and Quality Subcommittee on Quality Measures for Children's 
Healthcare in Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, this notice announces a meeting of the 
National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality 
Subcommittee on Quality Measures for Children's Healthcare in Medicaid 
and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP).

DATES: The meeting will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2009, from 8 
a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, September 18, 2009 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Padmini Jagadish, Public Health 
Analyst at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither 
Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850, (301) 427-1927. For press-related 
information, please contact Karen Migdail at (301) 427-1855.
    If sign language interpretation or other reasonable accommodation 
for a disability is needed, please contact Mr. Michael Chew, Director, 
Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Program, Program Support Center, 
on (301) 443-1144, no later than August 31, 2009.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Purpose

    The National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality 
was established in accordance with Section 921 (now Section 931) of the 
Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 299c. In accordance with its 
statutory mandate, the Council is to advise the Secretary of the 
Department of Health and Human Services and the Director, Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), on matters related to actions 
of AHRQ to enhance the quality, and improve the outcomes, of health 
care services; improve access to such services through scientific 
research; and promote improvements in clinical practice and in the 
organization, financing, and delivery of health care services.
    The Council is composed of members of the public, appointed by the 
Secretary, and Federal ex-officio members.
    AHRQ's National Advisory Council on Healthcare Research and Quality 
(NAC) has established a Subcommittee on Quality Measures for Children's 
Healthcare in Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP). 
The Subcommittee was created to provide advice to the NAC for 
consideration and transmission to AHRQ as AHRQ undertakes 
responsibilities in the identification of an initial core quality 
measure set for use by Medicaid and CHIP programs for children's 
healthcare. A roster of the Subcommittee members is available at http://www.ahrg.gov/chip/chipraact.htm. The first meeting of the subcommittee 
took place on July 22 and 23, 2009. The September meeting is the second 
working meeting that will be held as a part of this effort.
    The identification of an initial core measure set for public 
comment is required under Public Law 111-3, the Child Health Insurance 
Program

[[Page 42080]]

Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA). The initial core measure set is required 
to be posted for public comment by January 1, 2010. CHIPRA reauthorized 
the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) originally established in 
1997, and in Title IV of the law, added a number of new provisions 
designed to improve health care quality and outcomes for children. AHRQ 
is working closely with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 
(CMS) in implementing these provisions. For more information about 
AHRQ's role in carrying out the quality provisions of CHIPRA, see 
http://www.ahrg.gov/chip/chipraact.htm.

II. Agenda

    On Thursday, September 17, 2009, the Subcommittee meeting will 
convene at 8 a.m., with the call to order by the Subcommittee Co-
Chairs. The meeting will review results of the second stage of the 
Delphi Process of scoring measures for validity, feasibility, and 
importance, and proceed to select an initial core set of children's 
healthcare quality measures to recommend to the AHRQ National Advisory 
Committee (NAC). This process was started in the first subcommittee 
meeting, held July 22-23, 2009.
    A more specific proposed agenda will be available before the 
meeting from Padmini Jagadish, Agency for Healthcare Research and 
Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850, (301) 427-1927, 
e-mail address [email protected]. The final agenda, 
including the time for public comment during the meeting, will be 
available on the AHRQ Web site at http://www.ahrg.gov/chip/chipraact.htm no later than September 10, 2009. This AHRQ Web site 
links to an email address that can be used to submit comments on CHIPRA 
quality measure development as the process of identifying the initial 
core measure set proceeds. Subcommittee meeting minutes will be 
available within 21 business days after the meeting.

    Dated: August 13, 2009.
Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director.
[FR Doc. E9-20020 Filed 8-19-09; 8:45 am]
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