95-10070. Availability of Funds for Grants To Build Primary Health Care Capacity in the Pacific Basin

[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 78 (Monday, April 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20109-20111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10070]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources Services Administration


Availability of Funds for Grants To Build Primary Health Care 
Capacity in the Pacific Basin

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, PHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
announces the availability of approximately $1.3 million in fiscal year 
(FY) 1995 for competing applications for the Pacific Basin Health 
Initiative. This Initiative supports the development of primary health 
care infrastructure in the Pacific Basin, and funds will be awarded 
under the authority of section 301 of the Public Health Service (PHS) 
Act. The overall goal of the program is to achieve the effective 
delivery of comprehensive primary health care services and to encourage 
community responsibility for health promotion and disease prevention. 
The six Pacific jurisdictions affected by this initiative are the three 
flag territories (the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
American Samoa, and Guam), and the three sovereign nations whose 
relationships with the U.S. are governed by Compacts [[Page 20110]] of 
Free Association (the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of 
the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau).
    Approximately 15-20 awards will be made, ranging from approximately 
$15,000 to $200,000, for up to three-year project periods and one-year 
budget periods. The average award will be approximately $75,000.
    The PHS is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease 
prevention objectives of Healthy People 2000, a PHS-led national 
activity for setting health priorities. The Pacific Basin Health 
Initiative will contribute toward meeting the Healthy People 2000 
objectives cited for: clinical preventive services, environmental 
health, maternal and infant health, nutrition, oral health, diabetes 
and chronic disabling conditions, and health data collection. Potential 
applicants may obtain a copy of Healthy People 2000 (Full Report: Stock 
No. 017-001-00474-0) or Healthy People 2000 (Summary Report: Stock No. 
017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government 
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (Telephone [phone]).
    Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking 
in certain facilities in which education, library, day care, regular 
and routine health care and early childhood development services are 
provided to children. Smoking must also be prohibited in indoor 
facilities that are constructed, operated or maintained with Federal 
funds.

DUE DATE: Applications are due by July 1, 1995. Applications will be 
considered as having met the deadline if they are: (1) received on or 
before the established deadline date; or (2) sent on or before the 
established deadline date and received in time for orderly processing. 
Applicants should obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial 
carrier or the U.S. Postal Service or obtain a legibly dated U.S. 
Postal Service postmark. Private metered postmarks will not be accepted 
as proof of timely mailing. Late applications will not be considered 
for funding and will be returned to the applicant.

ADDRESSES FOR APPLICATION KITS: Application kits and additional 
guidance (Form PHS 5161-1 with revised face sheet DHHS form 424, as 
approved by the OMB under control number 0937-0189) may be obtained 
from, and completed applications sent to: Bureau of Primary Health 
Care, c/o Houston Associates, Inc., 1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1200, 
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910. The telephone number is [phone]. 
The FAX number is [phone]. Ms. Harriet Green, Acting Branch 
Chief, Grants Management Office can also assist with grants policy and 
business management issues. The telephone number is [phone]. The 
FAX number is [phone]. Her Internet address is: 
[e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general program information and 
technical assistance, contact: Tom Coughlin, Chief, Special 
Initiatives, Policy and Evaluation Branch, Division of Programs for 
Special Populations, Bureau of Primary Health Care, 4350 East-West 
Highway, 9th Floor, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, Telephone [phone], 
fax [phone]. Prospective applicants are encouraged to send or 
FAX a letter of intent before May 31, 1995. This will allow program 
staff the opportunity to offer technical assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The six jurisdictions have different levels 
of economic/social development and varying capacities to meet the 
primary health care needs of their rapidly expanding populations, but 
they share characteristics of many developing nations, such as: Poor 
health status indicators including high infant mortality rates, rapidly 
expanding populations, a large portion of the health care budget spent 
on off-island referrals, a shortage of health care professionals, and 
high rates of poverty.
    Based on these basic needs, the Pacific Basin Health Initiative is 
designed to support infrastructure development and capacity building 
for comprehensive primary health care delivery and preventive services 
in the six jurisdictions. It is the intention of the program to 
increase the jurisdictions' long-term self-sufficiency by investing in 
human resource and administrative development.
    Through collaboration with the health departments in the Pacific 
jurisdictions, the Bureau of Primary Health Care is committed to 
achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives as 
defined by the individual Pacific jurisdictions. The Bureau intends to 
fund activities that best meet the program goals, originate within the 
jurisdiction(s), and align with the areas of concern outlined by each 
of the jurisdictions' Health Departments. A listing of the Health 
Department contacts and the areas of concern outlined by the six 
jurisdictions will be provided in the application package.

Program Areas of Emphasis

    In addition to the areas of concern outlined by the jurisdictions, 
the Bureau has identified the following three areas of emphasis:
    (1) Build local capacity to develop, improve upon and 
operationalize appropriate models for the delivery of comprehensive 
primary health care and prevention services--including strengthening of 
human resource components. This area of emphasis focuses on developing 
long-term, internal planning capacity and projects that demonstrate 
feasible and sustainable models of delivery.
    (2) Integrate information systems among various health sectors 
within each jurisdiction.
    (3) Promote services to remote islands and underserved communities.

Eligible Applicants

    An eligible applicant is a public or private nonprofit entity 
within the jurisdictions or any U.S. state.

Restrictions

    Applications may not exceed 50 pages including the cover sheet and 
appendices for new applicants and 55 pages for previously funded 
applicants (to include end-of-the year project reports). Grant funds 
may not be used to supplant locally funded public programs. Grant funds 
may not be used to pay for major construction or for the acquisition of 
major pieces of equipment. However, a very limited amount of grant 
funds may be requested for alterations, renovations and equipment 
purchases (less than $25,000).
    Applicants who propose projects that were primarily funded by PHS 
or other governmental agencies (such as laboratory capacity and 
epidemiology/CDC; sanitation/EPA) must specify why the funding from 
these agencies is insufficient or why this Initiative better serves the 
purposes of the project.

Criteria for Evaluation

    Eligible applicants will be evaluated based upon the following:

Need

     The extent to which the applicant documents need for 
proposed services in the community or jurisdiction(s) based upon:
    (1) A thorough description of demographic and health status 
indicators of the populations to be served as they relate to primary 
health care; (2) an identification of gaps within the existing health 
care system; and (3) an assessment of barriers within the 
[[Page 20111]] existing system that hinder the delivery of primary care 
services.

Organizational Capacity/Staffing Expertise

     The extent to which applicants demonstrate the expertise 
of the staff and organizational capacity to implement the project based 
upon:
    (1) Experience in and knowledge of the proposed service area and 
health service project; (2) strong leadership and staffing plans; and 
(3) demonstration by grantees, previously funded under this Initiative, 
of their past success in managing and implementing projects.

Coordination/Collaboration:

     The extent to which services will be integrated:
    (1) Within the community; (2) with needs identified by officials of 
the jurisdiction(s); and (3) with the private sector, where applicable.

Sustainability/Capacity Building

     The extent to which applicants demonstrate that the 
proposed projects will: (1) Build local capacity, (2) relate to the 
jurisdiction(s)' master health plan or areas of concern; and (3) if 
applicable, decrease dependence on costly off-island referrals.

Health Care Plan (Proposed Plan to Close Gaps in Services)

     The adequacy of the project description will be evaluated 
based upon the extent to which:
    (1) Problem statements are clear and are based on the needs 
assessment;
    (2) Long-term goals are appropriate, measurable, and relate to the 
problem statements;
    (3) Objectives are realistic, measurable and appropriate to the 
population being served;
    (4) Action-steps are feasible and have a reasonable time-line, and;

Evaluation

     The adequacy of the evaluation plan designed to measure 
how well the goals and objectives were achieved.
     The extent to which grantees previously funded under this 
Initiative met their goals and objectives and analyzed their 
achievements and shortcomings.

Budget

    The appropriateness of the budget in relation to other resources 
and the adequacy of the budget justification and future financial plans 
to support the proposed interventions for this initiative.
    This program is not subject to the Public Health System Reporting 
Requirements.
    This program is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372 
concerning intergovernmental review of Federal programs as implemented 
by 45 CFR part 100. Executive Order 12372 allows States the option of 
setting up a system to review applications from within their States 
under certain Federal programs. The application kit, to be made 
available under this notice, will contain a listing of States which 
have chosen to set up a review system and will provide a single point 
of contact (SPOC) in the States for that review. Applicants (other than 
federally recognized Indian tribal governments) should contact their 
State SPOC as early as possible to alert them to the prospective 
applications and receive any necessary instructions on the State 
process. For proposed projects serving more than one State, the 
applicant is advised to contact the SPOC of each affected State. The 
due date for State process recommendations is 60 days after the 
appropriate application deadline date. The BPHC does not guarantee that 
it will accommodate or explain its responses to State process 
recommendations received after the due date.
    The OMB Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this 
program is 93.163.

    Dated: April 19, 1995.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-10070 Filed 4-21-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P