[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 33 (Friday, February 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 7062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03232]



[[Page 7062]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal 
Health Program Listening Session

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

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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DATES: Listening Session: March 1, 2018, 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (EST). In 
addition, written comments will be accepted until March 16, 2018.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held virtually via webinar and phone. 
The meeting is open to the public. Please register to attend this 
meeting via the following link: https://hrsa.connectsolutions.com/healthy_start_registration/event/registration.html. Registrations will 
be accepted through 5:00 p.m. EST on February 26, 2018. Call 
information for this meeting will be provided upon registration.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the meeting is to solicit 
ideas for program development in the next grant cycle of HRSA's Healthy 
Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health (Healthy 
Start) program, authorized by Section 330H of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-8), as amended by the Healthy Start Reauthorization 
Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-339).
    HRSA's Healthy Start program currently supports 100 community-based 
projects across the nation where the infant mortality rate (IMR) was 
more than 1\1/2\ times the national average when they applied for 
funding. The program is designed to reduce IMR and improve perinatal 
health outcomes. Information about HRSA's Healthy Start program can be 
obtained by accessing the following website: https://mchb.hrsa.gov/maternal-child-health-initiatives/healthy-start. The Healthy Start 
grants were last competed in fiscal year (FY) 2014 with a project 
period of up to 5 years. The next grant cycle is expected to begin in 
FY 2019 (subject to the availability of funding). The last Healthy 
Start funding opportunity announcement can be found here: https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instructions/oppHRSA-14-020-cfda93.926-cidHRSA-14-020-instructions.pdf.
    The Listening Session will serve as a platform to engage and obtain 
feedback from the public on HRSA's strategic thinking and approaches 
for community-based infant mortality reduction programs. A final 
meeting agenda will be shared with registrants prior to the meeting.
    The desired outcomes of the meeting are to:
    (1) Share with the public an overview of HRSA's current Healthy 
Start program;
    (2) Identify strategies and approaches that are important to 
implement at the community level, and scientifically known to reduce 
infant mortality, improve perinatal outcomes, and disparities therein, 
through input from experts, representatives of professional 
organizations, and the public at large; and
    (3) Inform HRSA's strategies and approaches implemented through the 
HRSA's Healthy Start program.
    Time will be provided for public comments. Each public comment is 
limited to 2 minutes. During the meeting, participants will have an 
opportunity to interact with presenters via phone and the chat function 
in the public comment section of the webinar system. Telephone lines 
and time to provide oral comments during the meeting are available on a 
first-come, first-served basis. Registered attendees for this meeting 
are encouraged to submit written comments prior to the meeting, no 
later than 5:00 p.m. ET on February 26, 2018.
    If unable to attend the listening session, written comments will 
continue to be accepted via email to [email protected] through 
March 16, 2018. All written comments should identify the individual's 
name, address, email, telephone number, professional or organizational 
affiliation, background or area of expertise (i.e., program 
participant, clinician, public health worker, researcher, etc.), and 
topic/subject matter. Please note that all comments received under this 
notice will be made available to the general public upon written 
request, and are considered to be public, whether they are posted 
online or provided via written request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Individuals who are submitting public 
comments or who have questions regarding the meeting should contact 
Benita Baker or CAPT Maria Benke, HRSA, Maternal and Child Health 
Bureau, telephone: (301) 443-8283, or email: [email protected].

Amy McNulty,
Acting Director, Division of the Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2018-03232 Filed 2-15-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P