[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 183 (Friday, September 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53069-53070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20650]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Bureau of 
Health Workforce Performance Data Collection, OMB No. 0915-0061--
Revision

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection 
Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the 
public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the 
ICR.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than November 
23, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call Samantha Miller, 
the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 443-9094.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: Bureau of Health Workforce 
Performance Data Collection, OMB No. 0915-0061--Revision.
    Abstract: Over 40 Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) programs award 
grants to health professions schools and training programs across the 
United States to develop, expand, and enhance training, and to 
strengthen the distribution of the health workforce. These programs are 
governed by the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), 
specifically Titles III, VII, and VIII. Performance information is 
collected in the HRSA Performance Report for Grants and Cooperative 
Agreements. Data collection activities consisting of an annual progress 
and annual performance report satisfy statutory and programmatic 
requirements for performance measurement and evaluation (including 
specific Title III, VII and VIII requirements), as well as Government 
Performance and Results Act of 1993 and the Government Performance and 
Results Act Modernization Act of 2010 requirements. The performance 
measures were last revised in 2019 to ensure they addressed 
programmatic changes, met evolving program management needs, and 
responded to emerging workforce concerns. As these changes were 
successful, BHW will continue with its current performance management 
strategy and make only minor changes that reduce burden, simplify 
reporting, and reflect new Department of Health and Human Services and 
HRSA priorities as well as elements to enable longitudinal analysis of 
program performance. An Excel upload feature will be implemented for a 
majority of programs, discipline-related questions will be split into 
two parts to make it easier for respondents to find the appropriate 
answer, COVID-related questions are being added, additional information 
is being collected for telehealth, and additional loan repayment 
questions are being added.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The purpose of the 
proposed data collection is to continue analysis and reporting of 
grantee training activities and education, identify intended practice 
locations, and report outcomes of funded initiatives.

[[Page 53070]]

Data collected from these grant programs will also provide a 
description of the program activities of approximately 1,630 reporting 
grantees to inform policymakers on the barriers, opportunities, and 
outcomes involved in health care workforce development. The proposed 
measures focus on five key outcomes:
    (1) Increasing the workforce supply of diverse well-educated 
practitioners in needed professions,
    (2) increasing the number of practitioners that practice in 
underserved and rural areas,
    (3) enhancing the quality of education,
    (4) increasing the recruitment, training, and placement of under-
represented groups in the health workforce, and
    (5) supporting educational infrastructure to increase the capacity 
to train more health professionals in high demand areas.
    Likely Respondents: Respondents are awardees of BHW health 
professions grant programs.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this ICR are summarized in the table below.

                                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                     Number of                    Average burden
            Form name                Number of     responses per       Total       per response    Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses      (in hours)         hours
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Direct Financial Support Program             699               1             699             2.7          1887.3
Infrastructure Program..........             142               1             142             6.2           880.4
Multipurpose or Hybrid Program..             789               1             789             3.4          2682.6
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    Total.......................            1630  ..............            1630  ..............          5450.3
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    HRSA specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and 
utility of the proposed information collection for the proper 
performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the 
estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology to 
minimize the information collection burden.

Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2021-20650 Filed 9-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P