04-13293. Notice of Meetings

In accordance with section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), announcement is made of a Health Care Policy and Research Special Emphasis Panel (SEP) meetings.

A Special Emphasis Panel is a group of experts in fields related to health care research who are invited by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and agree to be available, to conduct on an as needed basis, scientific reviews of applications for AHRQ support. Individual members of the Panel do not attend regularly-scheduled meetings and do not serve for fixed terms or a long period of time. Rather, they are asked to participate in particular review meetings which require their type of expertise.

Substantial segments of the upcoming SEP meetings listed below will be closed to the public in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, section 10(d) of 5 U.S.C., Appendix 2 and 5 U.S.C. 522b(c)(6). Grant applications for Health Information Technology (HIT) Awards to promote and improve patient safety and the quality of healthcare are to be reviewed and discussed at these meetings. These discussions are likely to reveal personal information concerning individuals associated with the applications. This information is exempt from mandatory disclosure under the above-cited statutes.

SEP Meeting on: Demonstrating the Value of Health Information Technology (R01) Awards.

Date: June 30-July 2, 2004 (Open July 1 from 8 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and closed for the remainder of the meeting).

Place: John M. Eisenberg Building, AHRQ Conference Center, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

SEP Meeting on: Transforming Healthcare Quality Through Information Technology (THQIT)—Implementation Grants (U01).

Date: July 18-21, 2004 (Open July 19 from 8 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and closed for the remainder of the meeting).

Place: John M. Eisenberg Building, AHRQ Conference Center, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

SEP Meeting on: Transforming Healthcare Quality Through Information Technology (THQIT)—Planning Grants (P20).

Date: August 4-6, 2004 (Open August 5 from 8 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and closed for the remainder of the meeting).

Place: John M. Eisenberg Building, AHRQ Conference Center, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

Contact Person: Anyone wishing to obtain a roster of members, agenda or minutes of the nonconfidential portions of these meetings should contact Mrs. Bonnie Campbell, Committee Management Officer, Office of Extramural Research, Education and Priority Populations, AHRQ, 540 Gaither Road, Room 2038, Rockville, Maryland 20850, Telephone [phone].

Agenda items for these meetings are subject to change as priorities dictate.

Dated: June 7, 2004.

Carolyn M. Clancy,

Director.