[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 26, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 43143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20518]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Office of Health Information Technology, Office for the 
Advancement of Telehealth

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

ACTION: Notice of non-competitive supplemental funding to Center for 
Telehealth & E-Health Law.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is 
issuing non-competitive supplemental funding under the Office of Health 
Information Technology, Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, 
Telehealth Resource Center Grant Program to ensure that the Center for 
Telehealth & E-Health Law, the National Telehealth Resource Center 
(NTRC) in Washington, DC, can continue to provide much needed technical 
assistance services to the Regional Telehealth Resource Centers 
(RTRCs), HRSA grantees and new and existing telehealth organizations in 
order to address legal and regulatory barriers to the effective 
implementation of telehealth technologies at the State and national 
level.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Intended Recipient of the Award: Center for Telehealth & E-Health 
Law.
    Amount of the Non-Competitive Supplemental Funding: $225,000.
    Project Period: The original project period for this grant is 
September 1, 2008, through August 31, 2009.
    Period of Supplemental Support: September 1, 2009, through August 
31, 2010.
    Authority: This activity is under the authority of the Health Care 
Safety Net Amendments of 2002, section 330I(d)(2) of the Public Health 
Service Act as amended.
    Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.211.

Background

    The purpose of the National Telehealth Resource Center is to 
support the RTRCs and other relevant organizations by providing 
technical assistance to address the policy, legislative, and regulatory 
barriers that affect telehealth services at the national and State 
levels, to give guidance to new programs in the development and 
implementation of an effective sustainable telehealth program and serve 
as a resource for existing programs regarding changes in technology or 
other issues affecting telehealth in a State or region. The necessary 
requirements to serve as a NTRC involve the organization's ability to 
recognize critical policy, legislative, and regulatory barriers to the 
deployment of effective telehealth technologies. The NTRC should have a 
means to facilitate the transfer of knowledge between telehealth 
programs and others in the field. Additional requirements are the 
establishment of an effective plan to meet the demands for technical 
assistance, conduct on-going analysis of the market for its services 
and track evolving trends in the market. The NTRC has to address the 
following areas in relation to telemedicine and the exchange of health 
information across institutions: State and Federal regulations 
regarding privacy, security, reimbursement, licensure, Internet 
practice, telecommunications, technology safety, etc.

Justication for Non-Competitive Supplemental Funding

    The Telehealth Resource Center Grant Program competition yielded 17 
applicants requesting to serve as a Regional Telehealth Resource 
Center. HRSA received no applications for the National Telehealth 
Resource Center (NTRC). Since no organization applied to serve in the 
capacity as a NTRC, it is urgent that the Center for Telehealth & E-
Health Law (CTeL) continue to provide its services until next year 
without disruption when HRSA can conduct a new competition for the 
provision of these services.
    CTeL has served as the National Telehealth Resource Center since 
September 2006. Continued funding from HRSA will allow CTeL to continue 
convening telehealth leaders from around the nation to discuss key 
legal and regulatory issues facing the telehealth industry. CTeL will 
continue to monitor and analyze State and national legislation, such as 
reimbursement, licensure, privacy, security and confidentiality, Food 
and Drug Administration regulation, private credentialing and 
accreditation issues as well as telecommunications issues, changes in 
technology or any other barriers that affect the delivery of telehealth 
services. During the extension CTeL will continue assessing clients' 
needs to develop technical assistance products as well as a means for 
marketing these products, maintaining its Web site, providing technical 
assistance to new and existing telehealth organizations, implementing 
special projects that involve collaboration among the RTRCs, conducting 
quarterly roundtables with the RTRC's, planning and inviting the RTRCs 
to participate in the biannual collaboration meetings. CTeL will also 
ensure that the RTRC's are adequately represented at all telehealth 
conferences and events. CTeL will share its expertise in legal and 
regulatory issues at conferences, work shops and roundtables, including 
the OAT Annual Telehealth Workshop.
    HRSA will hold another full and open competition for the National 
Telehealth Resource Center in 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dena S. Puskin, Sc.D., Director, or 
Monica Cowan, Public Health Analyst, Office for the Advancement of 
Telehealth, Office of Health Information Technology, Health Resources 
and Services Administration, Room 7C-26, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, 
MD 20857; phone 301-443-3682 (Puskin) or 301-443-0076; e-mail 
[email protected] or [email protected].

    Dated: July 16, 2009.
Mary K. Wakefield,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E9-20518 Filed 8-25-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P