[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52690-52691]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20456]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Announcement of Opportunity To Become an Office on Women's Health 
(OWH) Self-Measured Blood Pressure (SMBP) Program Partner; Notice by 
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

AGENCY: Office on Women's Health, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Health, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office 
on Women's Health (OWH) invites public and private sector organizations 
to apply to become an OWH Self-Measured Blood Pressure (SMBP) Partner. 
This ongoing partnership opportunity engages support from partner 
organizations to promote SMBP and encourages women to maintain healthy 
blood pressure levels at every age and stage of their lives. Through 
the OWH SMBP Partnership Program (``SMBP Program''), OWH seeks to 
increase knowledge and access to SMBP information and resources, as 
well as encourage organizations to address heart health disparities, 
prevent hypertension, promote self-measured blood pressure, and improve 
health equity on a community level. The SMBP Program will launch during 
the 2nd annual observance of National Women's Blood Pressure Awareness 
Week (NWBPAW), October 17-23, 2021. The SMBP Program will build on 
momentum generated by NWBPAW, which emphasizes the importance of blood 
pressure control and empowers women to improve their heart health 
through simple, everyday actions.
    Eligibility: Any organization may apply to be a SMBP Program 
partner. The selected SMBP Program partners may be recognized for their 
commitment and their work toward achieving the goals of the program.
    SMBP Program partners can be public and private organizations such 
as those at the state, local, county, and tribal levels, non-
governmental organizations, non-profit organizations, businesses, 
academic organizations, organizations that impact health outcomes, 
philanthropic organizations, and tribal organizations that identify 
themselves as being aligned with or promoting the goals of the program.
    Organizations that work in areas such as fitness, nutrition, 
housing, health education, and those working to improve health outcomes 
in women may apply. Social organizations that work with, or have access 
to large populations of women, organizations promoting women in sports, 
and child-care facilities may apply. Organizations that have a 
defibrillator accessible onsite and are willing to make a self-measured 
blood pressure cuff accessible onsite, and organizations that identify 
themselves as being aligned with, or promoting blood pressure control 
are encouraged to apply.
    All organizations may apply.
    Individuals are not eligible to become an SMBP Program partner.
    Applicants shall submit a letter of interest and identify how they 
support or plan to support the SMBP Program goals. Applicants will be 
considered according to the organization's commitment to support those 
goals.
    SMBP Program partners may receive recognition from OWH on 
womenshealth.gov, girlshealth.gov, or OWH Social Media platforms. They 
may also receive SMBP information and resources for dissemination.
    The following activities may be considered as an organization's

[[Page 52691]]

demonstrated commitment to the SMBP Program's overarching goals and 
objectives:
     Working to increase behaviors women can take to improve 
their heart health;
     Increasing access to resources and information regarding 
hypertension, cardiovascular disease, health risks associated with high 
blood pressure, and factors that increase the risk of high blood 
pressure;
     Increasing knowledge and utilization of SMBP activities 
(also referred to as ``self-monitoring'');
     Increasing understanding of blood pressure needs and 
understanding of blood pressure numbers;
     Increasing number of women collaborating with healthcare 
providers with a focus on self-monitoring blood pressure control, with 
special consideration to adapt or modify activities to meet the needs 
of diverse, minority, underserved, and hard to reach populations;
     Expanding efforts to reach those disproportionately 
affected by high blood pressure, including Black or African American 
women, Latina women, Asian/Pacific Islander women, American Indian/
Alaska Native women, women of reproductive age, women in rural 
communities, and women across the lifespan, to include those negatively 
affected by comorbidities and social determinants of health;
     Developing partnerships to promote SMBP across a variety 
of sectors, including business, community, academic, education, faith 
based, government, health care, media, public health, and technology;
     Partnering with national, state, tribal, or local 
volunteer organizations to provide education, training, or programs 
regarding health promotion, disease prevention, hypertension, SMBP, 
health disparities, health equity, and well-being; and/or
     Including information in their public facing materials 
about programs for hypertension, addressing SMBP, eliminating 
disparities, achieving health equity, and/or promoting well-being in 
communities.
    Funds: Neither HHS nor OWH will provide funds to support SMBP 
Program partners. Applicants, OWH, and SMBP Program partners will not 
be expected to contribute funds.
    Application: Organizations may apply to be an SMBP Program partner. 
Organizations should submit a letter of interest acknowledging their 
support of the SMBP Program's overarching goals. Organizations 
interested in being SMBP Program partners shall identify in their 
letters of interest those activities from the list noted above that 
demonstrate commitment to the SMBP Program's overarching goals and 
objectives and indicate how they address or support those goals.

DATES: Letters of interest to become an SMBP Program partner should be 
submitted to [email protected]. Letters of interest will be accepted 
starting October 1, 2021 and will be reviewed periodically. OWH will 
conduct informational webinars for interested applicants. Interested 
organizations may use the following links to register for the 
informational webinars:

 September 24, 2021, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)
 September 27, 2021, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)


ADDRESSES: Letters of interest can be submitted via email to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keiva Nelson, Office on Women's 
Health, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department 
of Health and Human Services; 200 Independence Avenue SW, 712E, 
Washington, DC 20201; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The HHS Office on Women's Health (OWH) is charged with 
providing expert advice and consultation to the Secretary concerning 
scientific, legal, ethical, and policy issues related to women's 
health. OWH establishes short-range and long-range goals within the 
Department and coordinates on activities within the Department that 
relate to disease prevention, health promotion, service delivery, 
research, and public and health care professional education, for issues 
of particular concern to women throughout their lifespan. OWH monitors 
the Department's activities regarding women's health and identifies 
needs regarding the coordination of activities. OWH is also responsible 
for facilitating the exchange of information through the National 
Women's Health Information Center. Additionally, OWH coordinates 
efforts to promote women's health programs and policies with the 
private sector.
    Requirements of Interested Organizations: OWH invites organizations 
to submit a letter of interest to become a SMBP Program partner.
    Organizations selected by OWH to be SMBP Program partners will sign 
a letter of understanding (LOU) with OWH outlining the terms and 
parameters of their support for the SMBP Program. Selection as an SMBP 
Program partner does not imply any federal endorsement of the 
collaborating organization's general policies, activities, or products.
    Eligibility for Interested Organizations: To be eligible to become 
an SMBP Program partner, an organization shall: (1) Have a demonstrated 
interest in, understanding of, and experience with working to promote 
access to resources and information regarding hypertension, 
cardiovascular disease, factors that increase the risk of high blood 
pressure, health risks associated with high blood pressure, prevention 
strategies and self-measured blood pressure, health disparities, and 
health equity or (2) have an organizational or corporate mission that 
is aligned with the SMBP Program's goals; and (3) agree to sign a LOU 
with OWH, which will set forth the details of how the organization is 
supporting the goals of the SMBP Program.
    Letter of Interest Requirements: Each SMBP Program letter of 
interest shall contain: (1) Organization name, location, website, and 
submitter's contact information; (2) a brief description of the 
organization's mission and/or values; and (3) a description of how the 
organization supports or plans to support the SMBP Program goals.
    Submission of a letter of interest does not guarantee acceptance as 
a SMBP Program partner.
    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 237a and 42 U.S.C. 300u-2(a).

    Dated: September 14, 2021.
Dorothy A. Fink,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women's Health.
[FR Doc. 2021-20456 Filed 9-21-21; 8:45 am]
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