[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 139 (Monday, July 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42326-42327]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-17126]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    Part E, Chapter E (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), of 
the Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority 
for the Department of Health and Human Services (61 FR 15955-58, April 
10, 1996, most recently amended at 78 FR 38981, on June 28, 2013) is 
amended to reflect recent organizational changes. The specific 
amendments are as follows:
    I. Under Section E-10, Organization, delete all components and 
replace with the following:
    A. Office of the Director.
    B. Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets.
    C. Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends.
    D. Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement.

[[Page 42327]]

    E. Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.
    F. Office of Communications and Knowledge Transfer.
    G. Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority 
Populations.
    H. Office of Management Services.
    II. Under Section E-20, Functions, delete Center for Outcomes and 
Evidence (EJ) and Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical 
Partnerships (EK) in its entirety and replace with the following:
    Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement (EK). Generates new 
knowledge, synthesizes evidence, translates science for multiple 
stakeholders, and catalyzes practice improvement. Specifically: (1) 
Conducts and supports evidence synthesis and research on health care 
delivery and improvement that is informed by the needs of patients, 
clinicians, and policy makers, including providing scientific, 
administrative and dissemination support for the U.S. Preventive 
Services Task Force; (2) advances decision and communication sciences 
and implementation research to facilitate informed treatment and health 
care decision making by patients and their health care providers and 
serving as a trusted source for evidence-based tools, decision aids, 
and other products about what works in health care and practice 
improvement; (3) explores how health information technology can improve 
clinical decision making and health care quality and helping Federal 
partners and health care stakeholders use this evidence; (4) catalyzes 
and sustains ongoing improvements in clinical practice across health 
care settings through research, demonstration projects, and partnership 
development; (5) operates the National Center for Excellence in Primary 
Care Research.
    Division of the Evidence-Based Practice Center Program (EKB). 
Produces evidence syntheses by conducting systematic evidence reviews 
using robust and rigorous methodologies to advance the methods of 
evidence synthesis to ensure scientific rigor and unbiased reviews of 
evidence.
    Division of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Support (EKC). 
Provides scientific, administrative, and dissemination support for the 
independent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, enabling the Task 
Force to make evidence-based recommendations on clinical preventive 
services.
    Division of Decision Science and Patient Engagement (EKD). Provides 
evidence-based tools, decision aids, and other products that address 
what works in health care and practice improvement. Specifically: (1) 
Translates complex scientific evidence into tools and products targeted 
to diverse stakeholders that facilitate informed health care decision 
making and (2) engages with stakeholders to advance the field of 
evidence-based decision making to improve methods for engagement of all 
communities in health care decision making.
    Division of Health Information Technology (EKE). Develops and 
disseminates evidence and evidence-based tools to inform policy and 
practice on how health information technology can improve the quality 
of health care.
    Division of Practice Improvement Science and Implementation (EKF). 
Engages stakeholders and communities of learning for practice 
improvement, serves as a trusted resource of evidence and tools for 
methods, measures, and evaluation of practice improvement. 
Specifically: (1) Explores how to facilitate practice transformation 
and improvement in diverse settings and (2) pilots innovative models of 
practice improvement.
    All delegations and redelegations of authority to officers and 
employees of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that were 
in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this 
reorganization shall continue in effect pending further redelegation 
provided they are consistent with this reorganization.
    These changes are effective upon date of signature.

    Dated: July 9, 2014.
Richard Kronick,
AHRQ Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-17126 Filed 7-18-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-90-P