[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 83 (Monday, April 29, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18750-18753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-10483]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Program Announcement and Proposed Project Requirements and Review
Criteria for Cooperative Agreements for Partnerships for Health
Professions Education for Fiscal Year 1996
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces
that applications will be accepted for fiscal year (FY) 1996
Cooperative Agreements for Partnerships for Health Professions
Education. This model/demonstration program will be jointly funded
under sections 738(b) (Minority Faculty Fellowship Program), 739
(Centers of Excellence in Minority Health Professions Education), and
740 (Health Careers Opportunity Program) of the Public Health Service
Act, as amended by the Health Professions Education Extension
Amendments of 1992, Pub. L. 102-408, dated October 13, 1992. The goal
of this program is to establish and test a comprehensive model program
in a geographically defined area (e.g., region, state, metropolitan or
rural area), that incorporates a variety of educational and community-
based entities in a formal continuum of activities to increase the
number and quality of: (1) Minority and disadvantaged health
professionals to provide health services to underserved populations and
(2) minority faculty serving in health professions schools. No
comprehensive model currently exists.
Rationale
The rationale for conducting this model project is to:
1. Test the feasibility and effectiveness of executing a
comprehensive program in a defined geographic area, which encompasses a
dynamic coordinated educational continuum designed to increase the
number and quality of minority/disadvantaged health professionals and
minority faculty for health professions schools. This program includes
formal linkages among several community-based entities and educational
institutions.
2. Compare performance outputs of a comprehensive approach versus
the output of several independent projects operating in a defined
geographic area as is currently practiced.
3. Assess the cost effectiveness of a comprehensive model versus a
multiple independent projects approach (testing the hypothesis that
approximately one third of the costs for personnel and overhead
expenditures would be saved through a comprehensive administrative
infrastructure).
4. Determine the potential for several community and educational
entities forming a unified, effective, multi-dimensional, comprehensive
educational continuum under the umbrella of a single lead institution.
5. Test the relative soundness of a cooperative comprehensive
approach versus that of several projects acting independently. This
would facilitate tracking, monitoring and retaining targeted
individuals through the educational pathway to become health
professionals and/or faculty in health professions schools.
This program announcement is subject to reauthorization of the
legislative authorities and to the appropriation of funds. Applicants
are advised that this program announcement is a contingency action
being taken to assure that should authority and funds become available
for this purpose, they can be awarded in a timely fashion consistent
with the needs of the program as well as to provide for even
distribution of funds throughout the fiscal year. At this time, given a
continuing resolution and the absence of FY 1996 appropriations for
title VII programs, the amount of available funding for this specific
cooperative agreement cannot be estimated.
Purpose
The purposes of this program are to: (1) Assist schools in
supporting programs of excellence in health
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professions education for minority students, (2) assist individuals
from disadvantaged backgrounds to undertake education to enter and
graduate from a health professions school and (3) to assist schools in
increasing the number of underrepresented minority faculty members at
such schools. Applicants are required to meet the statutory
requirements identified in sections 738(b), 739, and 740. Definitions
regarding each of these programs have been published at 60 FR 62097,
dated December 4, 1995. In addition, applicants must meet the
requirements of regulations as set forth in 42 CFR part 57, subparts S
and V. Applicants may request funding for up to three years. In making
awards, consideration will be given to an equitable geographic
distribution of projects.
Eligibility
Applicants eligible to apply for this model/demonstration program
are accredited schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine,
dentistry, pharmacy, public health, veterinary medicine, optometry,
allied health, chiropractic, podiatric medicine, clinical psychology,
health administration and other public or private nonprofit health or
education entities located in a State as defined in section 799.
Proposed Project Requirements
The following project requirements are proposed:
1. The Partnerships for Health Professions Education cooperative
agreement is to include efforts to increase the numbers and quality of:
(a) Minority and disadvantaged health professionals who provide
health services to underserved populations and
(b) Minority faculty serving in health professions schools.
This would be accomplished through comprehensive geographically
defined cooperative initiatives involving several educational and
community-based institutions and organizations. Specifically, the
project is to establish and test a model comprehensive program in a
defined geographic area (e.g. region, state, metropolitan or rural
area). The project would bring together a variety of educational and
community entities into a formal educational continuum that addresses:
(a) The needs of minority and disadvantaged students through
graduation from a health professions school, and
(b) Junior minority faculty aspiring to senior faculty positions in
health professions schools.
2. The proposed model must encompass formulation of academic-
community educational partnerships including:
(a) Formal linkages among health profession and prehealth
profession schools, where both have strong histories and established
administrative infrastructures for addressing the types of purposes
proposed in this model program;
(b) Linkages among health professions schools and community based
health care entities serving underserved populations. This would allow
targeted health professions school students to be offered experiences
in the delivery of health services in community-based facilities
located at sites remote from the institution; and
c. Consortium arrangements (where appropriate) among participating
health professions schools.
4. The Partnerships for Health Professions Education Programs
shall, for a geographically prescribed area establish:
(a) An educational and non-educational support system designed to
improve the quality of the minority applicant pool involving
preliminary education, facilitating entry (including post baccalaureate
projects where appropriate) and retention activities at the health
professions school level. There should be an uninterrupted continuum to
assist students through graduation from a health professions school.
This would be accomplished through development and implementation of
activities related to all the purposes identified in sections 738(b),
739, and 740 of the PHS Act.
(b) Minority faculty development initiatives designed to recruit
and provide a formal structured program of preparation in such areas as
pedagogical skills, program administration, grant writing and
publication skills, research methodology, development of research
proposals and community service abilities under a senior faculty
mentor. It should involve pre-faculty appointment, faculty fellowship
opportunities and retention for junior minority faculty in health
professions schools;
(c) Information resources and curricula addressing minority health
issues and clinical education at community based sites remote from the
health professions school that predominantly serve underserved
populations; and
(d) Faculty and student research on health issues particularly
affecting minority groups.
5. Measurable, outcome oriented and time framed performance outcome
standards will be used to evaluate the project.
6. All award recipients must agree to maintain institutional
expenditures of non-Federal funds in an amount not less than the
previous fiscal year.
7. Program activities and experiences related to the establishment
of the Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program must be
documented in a format that would allow for future duplication by other
institutional organizations.
Substantial Federal Programmatic Involvement
It is anticipated that the Federal government will have substantial
programmatic involvement with the planning, development and
administration of the Partnerships for Health Professions Education
Program and its outputs by:
1. Providing technical assistance, guidance and reviewing changes
needed to conduct the project.
2. Reviewing and advising regarding training content and
methodologies and formal faculty development regimens.
3. Providing advice regarding formal linkage and consortium
arrangements which have been established for the purpose of conducting
the Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program.
4. Assisting in the modification of student participant selection
criteria and processes.
5. Providing information relative to proven evaluation methods,
including data collection methods, data analysis techniques and
participant tracking systems.
6. Reviewing and advising on program evaluation methods, including
data collection activities, data analysis techniques and participant
tracking systems.
7. Reviewing and advising on the documentation of the activities
and experiences related to establishment of the Partnerships for Health
Professions Education Program.
8. Providing data and information about Federal programs that may
impact the Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program.
9. Participating in the review of subcontracts awarded under the
Cooperative Agreement.
Proposed Review Criteria
The following criteria are proposed for review of applications for
this program:
1. The relationship of the applicants proposal to the purposes
stated for the Partnerships for Health Professions Education Program,
the
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comprehensiveness and geographic base of the proposed project, the
extent to which linkages with community entities and institutions are
documented, and the degree to which the proposed project plans are
transferable to other institutions.
2. The extent, institutional commitment and outcomes of past
efforts and activities of the institution in conducting minority/
disadvantaged programs, the extent to which applicant data indicate
trends, the numbers and type (race/ethnicity, gender) of individuals
that can be expected to benefit from the project, and suitability of
participant eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and process.
3. The relevance of objective(s) to the stated problem and need,
and to model purposes; their measurability and attainability within a
specific time frame; and the extent to which they represent outcome
measures.
4. The scope of specific activities and their relevance to the
stated objectives and projected outcomes; their appropriateness for a
Partnership for Health Professions Education Program; their soundness
in terms of the extent and nature of the academic content and non-
academic services; and their validity as to the methodologies, logic
and sequencing proposed.
5. The administrative and managerial capability of the applicant to
conduct the project, qualifications of the staff and faculty, their
academic and experiential background and time commitment, the nature
and degree of their involvement, and their experience in working with
the proposed target group.
6. The appropriateness of the budget for assuring effective
utilization of cooperative agreement funds and the institutional or
organizational plan for phasing-in income from other sources and
developing self-sufficiency for continuing the program after Federal
funding.
7. The degree to which the applicant has made significant efforts
to increase the number of minority individuals serving in faculty or
administrative positions at the health professions school.
8. Techniques and methods to be employed in evaluating the project.
National Health Objectives for the Year 2000
The Public Health Service urges applicants to submit work plans
that address specific objectives of Healthy People 2000. 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, D.C. 20402-9325 (Telephone 202-783-3238).
Education and Service Linkage
As part of its long-range planning, HRSA will be targeting its
efforts to strengthening linkages between U.S. Public Health Service
education programs and programs which provide comprehensive primary
care services to the underserved.
Smoke-Free Workplace
The Public Health Service strongly encourages all grant recipients
to provide a smoke-free workplace and to promote the non-use of all
tobacco products and Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994,
prohibits smoking in certain facilities that receive Federal funds in
which education, library, day care, health care, and early childhood
development services are provided to children.
Additional Information
Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed project
requirements and review criteria. The comment period is 30 days. All
comments received on or before May 29, 1996 will be considered before
the final project requirements and review criteria are established.
Written comments should be addressed to Dr. Ciriaco Q. Gonzales,
Director, Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of Health
Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn
Building, Room 8A-09, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. All
comments received will be available for public inspection and copying
at the Division of Disadvantaged Assistance, Bureau of Health
Professions, at the above address, weekdays (Federal holiday excepted)
between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Application Availability
Application materials are available on the World Wide Web at
address: http://www.os.dhhs.gov/hrsa/bhpr. Click on the file name you
want to download to your computer. It will be saved as a self-
extracting WordPerfect 5.1 file. Once the file is downloaded to the
applicant's PC, it will still be in a compressed state. To decompress
the file, go to the directory where the file has been downloaded and
type in the file name followed by a . The file will expand into
a WordPerfect 5.1 file. Applicants are strongly encouraged to obtain
application materials from the World Wide Web via the Internet.
However, for applicants who do not have Internet capability,
application materials are also available on the Bureau of Health
Professions (BHPr) Bulletin Board. Use your computer and modem to call
(301) 443-5913. Set your modem parameters to 2400 baud, parity to none,
data bits to 8, and stop bits to 1. Set your terminal emulation to ANSI
or VT-100.
Once you have accessed the BHPr Bulletin Board, you will be asked
for your first and last name. It will also ask you to choose a
password. Remember Your Password! The first time you logon you
``register'' by answering a number of other questions. The next time
you logon, BHPr's Bulletin Board will know you.
Press (F) for the (F)iles Menu and (L) to (L)ist Files. Press (L)
again to see a list of numbered file areas. To see a list of files in
any area, type the number corresponding to that area. Competitive
application materials for grant programs administered by the Bureau of
Health Professions are located in the File Area item ``B'' titled
Grants Announcements.
To (R)ead a file or (D)ownload a file, you need to know its exact
name as listed on BHPr's Bulletin Board. Press (R) to (R)ead a file and
type the name of the file. Press (D) to (D)ownload a file to your
computer. You need to know how your communications software
accomplishes downloading.
When you have completed your tour of BHPr's Bulletin Board for this
session, press (G) for (G)oodbye and press .
If you have difficulty accessing the BHPr Bulletin Board, please
try the Internet address listed above. If you do not have Internet
capability and need assistance in accessing the BHPr Bulletin Board or
technical assistance with any aspect of the BHPr Bulletin Board, please
call Mr. Larry DiGiulio, Systems Operator for the BHPr Bulletin Board
at (301) 443-2850 or ldigiuli@hrsa.ssw.dhhs.gov''.
Questions regarding grants policy and business management issues
should be directed to Ms. Wilma Johnson, Acting Chief, Centers and
Formula Grants Section (wjohnson@hrsa.ssw.dhhs.gov), Grants Management
Branch, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services
Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8C-26, 5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, Maryland 20857. If you are unable to obtain the application
materials electronically, you may obtain application materials in the
mail by sending a written request to the Grants Management Branch at
the address above. Written requests may also be sent via FAX (301) 443-
6343 or via the Internet listed above. Completed
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applications should be returned to the Grants Management Branch at the
above address.
If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact
Dr. Ciriaco Q. Gonzales, Director, Division of Disadvantaged
Assistance, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services
Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 8A-17, 5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, Maryland 20857.
Paperwork Reduction Act
The standard application form PHS 6025-1, HRSA Competing Training
Grant Application, and General Instructions have been approved by the
Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The
OMB Clearance Number is 0915-0060.
The deadline date for receipt of applications is July 12, 1996.
Applications will be considered to be ``on time'' if they are either:
(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 request a legibly dated
U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a
commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service. Private metered postmarks
shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.)
Late applications not accepted for processing will be returned to
the applicant. In addition, applications which exceed the page
limitation and/or do not follow format instructions will not be
accepted for processing and will be returned to the applicant.
This program is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order
12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (as implemented
through 45 CFR part 100). This program is also not subject to the
Public Health System Reporting Requirements.
Dated: April 17, 1996.
Ciro V. Sumaya,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-10483 Filed 4-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P
