[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 179 (Thursday, September 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63484-63485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-21711]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Supplement to National Technical Resource Center for the Newborn 
Hearing Screening and Intervention Program at the Utah State University

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

ACTION: Notice of Supplement to National Technical Resource Center for 
the Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Program at the Utah 
State University--Grant Number U52MC04391.

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SUMMARY: HRSA announces the award of a supplement in the amount of 
$300,000 for the National Technical Resource Center (NTRC) for the 
Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention program cooperative 
agreement. Funding in future years is contingent upon satisfactory 
performance of the recipient, need, and availability of funds.
    The purpose of the NTRC is to address new research, approaches, and 
practice advances in the fields of family engagement, early language 
acquisition, and early literacy. The supplement will fund Utah State 
University, the cooperative agreement recipient, during the budget 
periods of the supplement 4/1/2016-3/31/2020, to respond to changes in 
research, policy, technology, and practice in the newborn hearing 
screening field in the areas of family engagement, early language 
acquisition, and early literacy. Funding in FY 2017, FY 2018, and FY 
2019, is contingent upon appropriations, satisfactory performance of 
the recipient, need, and availability of funds.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Intended Recipient of the Award: Utah State University.
    Amount of Non-Competitive Awards: $300,000.
    Period of Supplemental Funding: 4/1/2016-3/31/2020.
    CFDA Number: 93.251.
    Authority: Public Health Service Act, Sec.  399M, as added by Sec.  
702 of the Children's Health Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-310) and amended 
by Sec.  2 of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2010 
(Pub. L. 111-337) (42 U.S.C. 280g-1)

JUSTIFICATION: In 2015, following an objective review of its 
applications, HRSA awarded the NTRC for the Newborn Hearing Screening 
and Intervention program cooperative agreement to Utah State 
University, a state institution of higher education.
    Authorized by the Public Health Service Act, Sec.  399M, as added 
by the Children's Health Act of 2000, Sec.  702 (Pub. L. 106-310) and 
further amended by Sec.  2 of the Early Hearing Detection and 
Intervention Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-337) (42 U.S.C. 280g-1), the 
purpose of the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) program is to 
utilize specifically targeted and measurable interventions to increase 
the number of infants who are followed up for rescreening, referral, 
and intervention after not passing a

[[Page 63485]]

physiologic newborn screening examination prior to discharge from the 
newborn nursery.
    As stated in the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) HRSA 15-
085, the focus of the NTRC is to provide to state Early Hearing 
Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs training and technical 
assistance for planning, policy development, implementing innovations, 
and quality improvement methodology to reduce their loss to follow-up 
rate/loss to documentation, i.e. the number of infants who do not 
receive timely and appropriate screening follow-up and coordinated 
interventions.
    Since the publication of the FOA on September 9, 2014, many changes 
in research, policy, technology, and practice have occurred in the 
newborn hearing screening field in the areas of family engagement, 
early language acquisition, and early literacy. The NTRC cooperative 
agreement must address these changes to provide appropriate training 
and technical assistance. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) 
proposes to supplement the recipient in FY 2016 and 2017 to address new 
research, approaches, and practice advances in the field of family 
engagement. MCHB proposes to supplement the recipient in FY 2018 and 
2019 to address the latest research findings and advances related to 
early language acquisition and early literacy. Funding in FY 2017, FY 
2018, and FY 2019 is contingent upon appropriations, satisfactory 
performance of the recipient, need, and availability of funds.
    According to the National Institute for Children's Health Quality, 
families have a unique perspective on how the system currently affects 
them personally and can provide invaluable viewpoints on the steps that 
can be implemented to improve the system. Since the system exists to 
meet the needs of the deaf or hard of hearing infants and children, it 
is critical that their parents and families' viewpoints are 
acknowledged and leveraged. MCHB recommends greater representation of 
individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing throughout the NTRC as well 
as providing opportunities for families of deaf or hard of hearing 
children to become leaders within the EHDI system.
    To address these deficiencies, Utah State University submitted a 
prior approval request for funds to improve its family engagement. The 
NTRC will take a streamlined and targeted approach toward engaging 
families and family based organizations in its work. Though not 
introducing new services or activities, the NTRC will use the 
supplemental funds to refine its current services and activities to:
    1. Increase and refocus the family advisory committee to be more 
reflective of families who have a deaf or hard of hearing child;
    2. Target the NTRC's scholarship program toward greater family 
engagement and leadership development;
    3. Enhance family engagement in EHDI quality improvement 
activities; and
    4. Increase the NTRC's financial and programmatic support for the 
work by Hands & Voices to strengthen family engagement in EHDI 
programs.
    This will be the second supplement for this cooperative agreement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Sadie Silcott, MBA, MPH, Division of 
Services for Children with Special Health Needs, Maternal and Child 
Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, 5600 
Fishers Lane, Room 18W57, Rockville, Maryland 20857; Phone: (301) 443-
0133; Email: [email protected].

    Dated: September 2, 2016.
James Macrae,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2016-21711 Filed 9-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4165-15-P