[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 28 (Friday, February 12, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9353-9354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02953]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity Supporting
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native
Populations
AGENCY: Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office
of Minority Health (OMH) seeks input from Federally-recognized Indian
Tribes/American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes, Tribal
organizations, Tribal-serving organizations, Tribal Colleges and
Universities, and AI/AN--serving institutions of higher education to
guide the development of a new Center for Indigenous Innovation and
Health Equity (Center). This is NOT a solicitation for proposals or
proposal abstracts.
Please Note: This request is for information (RFI) is for
planning purposes only. It is not a notice for a proposal and does
not commit the federal government to issue a solicitation, make an
award, or pay any costs associated with responding to this
announcement. All submitted information shall remain with the
federal government and will not be returned. All responses will
become part of the public record and will not be held confidential.
The Federal Government reserves the right to use information
provided by respondents for purpose deemed necessary and legally
appropriate. Respondents are advised that the Federal Government is
under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information
received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any
information submitted. Responses will not be accepted after the due
date. After a review of the responses received, a notice of funding
opportunity or pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be
published.
A separate RFI exists to solicit feedback from Native Hawaiian
and Pacific Island (NHPI) communities.
DATES: To be assured consideration, written comments must be submitted
and received at the address provided below, no later than 11:59 p.m. on
March 14, 2021.
ADDRESSES: OMH invites the submission of the requested information
through one of the following methods:
[[Page 9354]]
Preferred method: Submit information through the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submissions.
Email: Send comments to [email protected] with the
subject line ``OMH AI/AN RFI: Center for Indigenous Innovation and
Health Equity.''
Submissions received after the deadline will not be reviewed. Respond
concisely and in plain language. You may use any structure or layout
that presents your information well. You may respond to some or all of
our questions, and you can suggest other factors or relevant questions.
You may also include links to online material or interactive
presentations. Clearly mark any proprietary information and place it in
its own section or file. Your response will become government property,
and we may publish some of its non-proprietary content.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Rodriguez, 1101 Wootton Parkway,
Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20852, (240) 453-8208, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background Information
The Office of Minority Health
Authorized under Section 1707 of the Public Health Service Act, 42
U.S.C. 300u-6, as amended, the mission of OMH is to improve the health
of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of
health policies and programs that help eliminate health disparities.
OMH awards and other activities are intended to support the
identification of effective policies, programs and practices for
improving health outcomes and to promote sustainability and
dissemination of these approaches.
Under the authority of Public Law 116-260 (2021 Consolidated
Appropriations Act), Congress called for the creation of a Center for
Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity to support efforts including
research, education, service, and policy development related to
advancing Indigenous solutions to decrease health disparities in the
AI/AN and NHPI populations.
Background
Heath disparities in the AI/AN population in the United States
include higher rates of chronic diseases, unintentional injuries and
premature deaths. The average life expectancy for an AI/AN born today
would be 4.4 fewer years than for an individual of any other race.
Empirical evidence indicates that many factors influence health, and
the strongest predictors of chronic disease, unintentional injury, and
premature death are linked to the social determinants of health in AI/
AN communities.
Identification and awareness of health outcomes and health
determinants in AI/AN populations are essential steps towards reducing
health disparities.\1\ Research has shown that community-driven
interventions have a positive impact on health outcomes.\2\
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\1\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Health
Disparities and Inequalities Report--United States, 2013. MMWR
2013;62 (Suppl 3). Retrieved December 7, 2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/other/su6203.pdf.
\2\ O'Mara-Eves A., Brunton G., Oliver S., Kavanagh J., Jamal
F., Thomas J. The effectiveness of community engagement in public
health interventions for disadvantaged groups: A meta-analysis. BMC
Public Health. 2015;15:129. Published 2015 Feb 12. doi:10.1186/
s12889-015-1352-y.
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Program Information
The purpose of this initiative is to create a Center for Indigenous
Innovation and Health Equity (Center) to provide services for American
Indian and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
populations that draws on deeply-rooted indigenous values and
practices.
The Center should serve as a coordinating entity that will partner
with accredited academic institutions with a focus on Indigenous health
research, policy and innovation among AI/AN and NHPI populations. The
Center will serve to build capacity and to support efforts including
research, education, service, and policy development related to
advancing Indigenous solutions. Work in these areas will increase the
capacity to identify and address health disparities in AI/AN and NHPI
communities. The Center is highly encouraged to engage Indigenous
leaders and community partners to address AI/AN and NHPI health
disparities focus areas that align with their goals and priorities. The
Center is expected to use a dual track approach to address each
populations' needs and tailor indigenous knowledge and practice
specific to the AI/AN and NPHI populations. Each track will be parallel
and complementary, both rooted in indigenous values and practices
appropriate to each population.
The Center's objectives may include:
Create an indigenous public health agenda focused on
research needs, education, services, and health policies to address AI/
AN and NHPI health disparities.
Serve as a resource to support the development,
implementation, evaluation, dissemination, and translation of evidence-
based public health interventions in AI/AN and NHPI communities.
Partner with academic institutions and Indigenous leaders
and community partners in health disparities focus areas.
Train AI/AN and NHPI public health, medical practitioners,
students and multi-sector partners.
The Center's outcomes may include:
Expand community capacity and knowledge to develop
evidence-based program solutions, best practices and policies that
address health disparities in AI/AN and NHPI populations.
Increase utilizations of effective strategies and tools to
improve and reduce AI/AN and NHPI health disparities.
Contribute to improved AI/AN and NHPI health, elimination
of health disparities, and achievement of health equity.
II. Request for Information
Through this RFI, OMH is seeking information from the following
entities:
Federally-recognized Indian Tribes/American Indian and Alaska
Native (AI/AN) Tribes, Tribal organizations, Tribal-serving
organizations, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and AI/AN-serving
institutions of higher education.
A separate RFI exists to solicit feedback from Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities.
III. Questions
How might the proposed Center objectives and outcomes
listed above meet the needs of AI/AN populations?
What is the recommended composition and governance
infrastructure for the Center?
Are there specific focus areas and activities this center
should address?
Dated: February 9, 2021.
Paul Rodriguez,
Senior Advisor for Operations, Office of Minority Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-02953 Filed 2-11-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-29-P