[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 96 (Thursday, May 19, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-12152]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: May 19, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Final Minimum Percentages for ``High Rate'' and ``Significant
Increase in the Rate'' for Implementation of the General Statutory
Funding Preference for Grants for Nurse Practitioner and Nurse-
Midwifery Programs for Fiscal Year 1994
The Health Reserves and Services Administration (HRSA) announces
the final minimum percentages for ``high rate'' and ``significant
increase in the rate'' for implementation of the general statutory
funding preference, Grants for Nurse Practitioner and Nurse-Midwifery
Programs, for fiscal year (FY) 1994, funded under the authority of
section 822, title VIII of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as
amended by the Nurse Education and Practice Improvement Amendments of
1992, title II of Public Law 102-408, Health Professions Education
Extension Amendments of 1992, dated October 13, 1992.
Purpose
Section 822 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended,
authorizes grants to meet the costs of projects to:
(1) Plan, develop and operate new programs; or
(2) Maintain or significantly expand existing programs for the
training of nurse practitioners and/or nurse-midwives who will, upon
completion of their studies, be qualified to effectively provide
primary health care, including primary health care in homes and in
ambulatory care facilities and other health care institutions.
Statutory General Preference
As provided in section 860(e)(1) of the PHS Act, preference will be
given to any qualified applicant that--
(A) Has a high rate for placing graduates in practice settings
having the principal focus of serving residents of medically
underserved communities; or
(B) During the 2-year period preceding the fiscal year for which
such an award is sought, has achieved a significant increase in the
rate of placing graduates in such settings.
This preference will only be applied to applications that rank
above the 20th percentile of proposals recommended for approval by the
peer review group.
Final Minimum Percentages for ``High Rate'' and ``Significant
Increase in the Rate''
A proposed notice was published in the Federal Register on
September 30, 1993 at 58 FR 51092. Two comments were received prior to
the end of the comment period. The comments will be discussed below.
Comments on issues that were not specifically proposed for public
comment are not addressed in this notice.
One respondent suggested that ``significant increase in the rate''
should be defined as a 25 percent increase rather than a 50 percent
increase as was proposed, because a large program would have a
difficult time showing a 50 percent increase. The definition of
``significant increase in the rate'' will remain at 50 percent because
a program is required to meet only one of the two criteria in the
statutory preference in order to receive the funding preference. If a
large program can demonstrate that 30 percent of the graduates have
been placed in medically underserved communities (``high rate''), the
application can receive the funding preference without any increase in
the rate of placing students in medically underserved communities.
The respondent also recommended deletion of the requirement that 15
percent of graduates from the most recent year should be working in
these settings to receive the preference based on ``significant
increase in the rate,'' because the statute does not require this
provision. The 15 percent requirement is intended to emphasize
provision of substantial care in medically underserved communities and
will be retained.
The final minimum percentages for ``high rate'' and ``significant
increase in the rate'' remain as proposed and are presented below.
``High rate'' is defined as a minimum of 30 percent of graduates in
academic year 1991-92 or academic year 1992-93, whichever is greater,
who spend at least 50 percent of their worktime in clinical practice in
the specified settings. Graduates who are providing care in a medically
underserved community as a part of a fellowship or other educational
experience can be counted.
``Significant increase on the rate'' means that, between academic
years 1991-92 and 1992-93, the rate of placing graduates in the
specified settings has increased by a minimum of 50 percent and that
not less than 15 percent of graduates from the most recent year are
working in these settings.
Additional Information
If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact:
Dr. Thomas P. Phillips, Chief, Advanced Nursing Education Branch,
Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and
Services Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 9-36, 5600 Fishers
Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443-6333, FAX: (301)
443-8586.
This program, Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwifery Programs, is
listed at 93.298 in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. It 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 not subject to the Public Health
Service Reporting Requirements.
Dated: May 12, 1994.
John H. Kelso,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 94-12152 Filed 5-18-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-P
