[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 192 (Thursday, October 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46513-46514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21500]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Solicitation of Nominations for Appointment to the Advisory 
Committee on Minority Health

AGENCY: Office of Minority Health, Office of the Secretary, Department 
of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of 
Minority Health (OMH), is seeking nominations of qualified candidates 
to be considered for appointment as a member of the Advisory Committee 
on Minority Health (hereafter referred to as the ``Committee or 
ACMH''). In accordance with Public Law 105-392, the Committee provides 
advice to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health on 
improving the health of racial and ethnic minority groups, and on the 
development of goals and specific program activities of OMH designed to 
improve the health status and outcomes of racial and ethnic minorities. 
Nominations of qualified candidates are being sought to fill vacancies 
on the Committee.

DATES: Nominations for membership on the Committee must be received no 
later than 5:00 p.m. EST on January 3, 2018, at the address listed 
below.

ADDRESSES: All nominations should be mailed to Dr. Minh Wendt, 
Designated Federal Officer, Advisory Committee on Minority Health, 
Office of Minority Health, Department of Health and Human Services, 
1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 600, Rockville, MD 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Minh Wendt, Designated Federal 
Officer, Advisory Committee on Minority Health, Office of Minority 
Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Tower Building, 1101 
Wootton Parkway, Suite 600, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Phone: 240-453-
8222; fax: 240-453-8223.
    A copy of the ACMH charter and list of the current membership can 
be obtained by contacting Dr. Wendt or by accessing the Web site 
managed by OMH at www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov. Information about ACMH 
activities can be found on the OMH Web site under the heading About 
OMH.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Public Law 105-392, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services established the ACMH. The 
Committee provides advice to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Minority Health in carrying out the duties stipulated under Public Law 
105-392. This includes providing advice on improving the health of 
racial and ethnic minority populations and in the development of goals 
and specific program activities of OMH, which are to:
    (1) Establish short-range and long-range goals and objectives and 
coordinate all other activities within the Public Health Service that 
relate to disease prevention, health promotion, service delivery, and 
research impacting racial and ethnic minority populations;
    (2) Enter into interagency agreements with other agencies of the 
Public Health Service;
    (3) Support research, demonstrations, and evaluations to test new 
and innovative models;
    (4) Increase knowledge and understanding of health risk factors;
    (5) Develop mechanisms that support better information 
dissemination, education, prevention, and service delivery to 
individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, including individuals who 
are members of racial or ethnic minority groups;
    (6) Ensure that the National Center for Health Statistics collects 
data on the health status of each minority group;
    (7) Enter into contracts with public and non-profit private 
providers of primary health services for the purpose of increasing the 
access of individuals who lack proficiency in speaking the English 
language by developing and carrying out programs to provide bilingual 
or interpretive services;
    (8) Support a national minority health resource center which 
provides resources to the public such as information services and 
assistance in capacity building;
    (9) Carry out programs to improve access to health care services 
for individuals with limited proficiency in speaking the English 
language; and
    (10) Advise in matters related to the development, implementation, 
and evaluation of health professions education in decreasing 
disparities in health care outcomes, including cultural competency as a 
method of eliminating health disparities.
    Management and support services for the ACMH are provided by OMH.
    Nominations: The Committee is composed of 12 voting members. The 
Committee composition also can include non-voting ex officio members. 
This announcement is seeking nominations for voting members. Voting 
members of the Committee are appointed by the Secretary from 
individuals who are not officers or employees of the federal government 
and who have expertise regarding issues of minority health. To qualify 
for consideration of appointment to the Committee, an individual must 
possess demonstrated experience and expertise working on issues 
impacting the health of racial and ethnic minority populations. The 
Committee charter stipulates that the racial and ethnic minority groups 
shall be equally represented on the Committee membership. ACMH is 
comprised of members who represent the health interest of Hispanics/
Latinos; Blacks/African Americans; American Indians and Alaska Natives; 
and/or Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.
    There are a total of four impending vacancies on the Committee: 
Three vacancies on the ACMH that impact the representation for the 
health interests of Hispanics/Latinos and one vacancy that impacts the 
representation of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific 
Islanders. OMH is particularly seeking nominations for individuals who 
can represent the health interests of these racial and ethnic minority 
groups. Nominations that are received for individuals to represent 
other racial and ethnic minority groups also will be accepted. These 
applications will be retained in files that are maintained by OMH on 
potential candidates to be considered for the ACMH.
    Professional/Technical Expertise: Nominees must have expertise in 
issues

[[Page 46514]]

of minority health. In addition, it is desirable that nominees have:
    (1) Expertise in developing or contributing to the development of 
science-based or evidence-based health policies and/or programs. This 
expertise may include experience in the analysis, evaluation, and 
interpretation of federal/state health or regulatory policy;
    (2) Involvement in national, state, regional, tribal, and/or local 
efforts to improve the health status or outcomes among racial and 
ethnic minority populations;
    (3) Educational achievement, professional certification(s) in 
health-related fields (e.g., health professions, allied health, 
behavioral health, public health, health policy, health administration/
management, etc.), and professional experience that will support 
ability to give expert advice on issues related to improving minority 
health and eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities;
    (4) Expertise in population level health data for racial and ethnic 
minority groups. This expertise may include survey, administrative, 
and/or clinical data;
    (5) Knowledge and experience in health care systems, cultural and 
linguistic competency, social determinants of health, evidence-based 
research, data collection (e.g., federal, state, tribal, or local data 
collection), or health promotion and disease prevention;
    (6) Nationally recognized via peer-reviewed publications, 
professional awards, advanced credentials, or involvement in national 
professional organizations.
    Requirements for Nomination Submission: Nominations should be 
typewritten (one nomination per nominator). Nomination package should 
include: (1) A letter of nomination that clearly states the name and 
affiliation of the nominee, the basis for the nomination (i.e., 
specific attributes which qualify the nominee for service in this 
capacity), and a statement from the nominee indicating a willingness to 
serve as a member of the Committee; (2) the nominee's contact 
information, including name, mailing address, telephone number, and 
email address; (3) the nominee's curriculum vitae which should not 
exceed 10 pages; and (4) a summary of the nominee's experience and 
qualification relative to the mandatory professional and technical 
criteria listed above. Federal employees should not be nominated for 
consideration of appointment to this Committee.
    Individuals selected for appointment to the Committee shall be 
invited to serve a four-year term. Committee members will receive a 
stipend for attending Committee meetings and conducting other business 
in the interest of the Committee, including per diem and reimbursement 
for travel expenses incurred.
    The Department makes every effort to ensure that the membership of 
a HHS federal advisory committee is fairly balanced in terms of points 
of view represented and the committee's function. Every effort is made 
to ensure that a broad representation of geographic areas, gender, 
racial and ethnic and minority groups, and the disabled are given 
consideration for membership on HHS federal advisory committees. 
Appointment to this Committee shall be made without discrimination 
because of a person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), 
national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. Nominations 
must state that the nominee is willing to serve as a member of ACMH and 
appears to have no conflict of interest that would preclude membership. 
An ethics review is conducted for each selected nominee; therefore, 
individuals selected for nomination will be required to provide 
detailed information concerning such matters as financial holdings, 
consultancies, and research grants or contracts to permit evaluation of 
possible sources of conflict of interest.
    Individuals selected to serve on the ACMH through the nomination 
process will be posted on the OMH Web site once selections have been 
made.
    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 300u-6, Section 1707 of the Public Health 
Service Act, as amended. The Advisory Committee is governed by 
provisions of Public Law 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), 
which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory 
committees.

    Dated: September 29, 2017.
Minh Wendt,
Designated Federal Officer, Advisory Committee on Minority Health.
[FR Doc. 2017-21500 Filed 10-4-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4150-29-P