[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10102-10103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05045]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Notice of Single Source Award Based on Non-Statutory Earmark to 
the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of the Delta Region Community Health Systems 
Development program is to support collaboration with and input from the 
Delta Regional Authority to develop a pilot program to help underserved 
rural communities in the Delta region identify and better address their 
health care needs and to help small rural hospitals improve their 
financial and operational performance. The Federal Office of Rural 
Health Policy (FORHP), Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 appropriations increased 
the funding line that supports the Delta Region Community Health 
Systems Development program by $4,000,000. This increases the overall 
FY 2019 award for the Delta program from $4,000,000 to $8,000,000. The 
current award recipient has a need for additional funds to support 
activities performed under the scope of this program. The current award 
recipient will use a multipronged approach to deliver phased-in 
technical assistance (TA), in an effort to provide intensive assistance 
to all eight Delta Region communities.

ADDRESSES: Further information on the Delta Region Community Health 
Systems Development Program is available at: https://www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/programopportunities/fundingopportunities/?id=8d869eff-0bca-4703-a821-88a9f0433b73.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Moscato, Program Coordinator, 
Delta Region Community Health Systems Development, FORHP, HRSA, 
[email protected], (301) 443-0385.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Delta Region Community Health Systems Development program is 
authorized by Section 711(b) of the Social Security Act, (42 U.S.C. 912 
(b)), as amended.
    The Delta Region Community Health Systems Development program was 
announced under HRSA Funding Opportunity Announcement Number HRSA-17-
117. In FY 2017, HRSA funded this program at up to $2,000,000 per year, 
to one awardee, the Rural Health Resource Center, for a period of 
performance of up-to three years. In FY 2018, the House Report 115-244 
and Senate Report 115-150 for Division H of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-141) provided an additional 
$2,000,000 in funding to the

[[Page 10103]]

Delta program line. This resulted in an increase in appropriations to 
$4,000,000 per year in FY 2018.
    The FY 2019, House Report 115-244 and Senate Report 115-150 for 
Division H of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115-
141) provided an additional $4,000,000 in funding to the Delta program 
line. For FY 2019, HRSA will increase the maximum funding per year for 
the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development to $8,000,000 per 
year for one award recipient. This program started on September 30, 
2017, and ends on September 29, 2020.

Conclusion

    HRSA believes that the current award recipient needs a higher level 
of funding to better assist small rural hospitals improve their 
financial and operational performance. In addition, the current award 
recipient will be expected to develop and implement a multipronged 
approach to deliver phased-in TA in an effort to provide intensive 
assistance to all eight Delta Region communities.

    Dated: March 13, 2019.
George Sigounas,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2019-05045 Filed 3-18-19; 8:45 am]
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