2013-18825. Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; Notice of Meeting

In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), notice is hereby given of the following meeting:

Name: Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation.

Date and Time: September 13, 2013, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).

Place: The meeting will be via audio conference call and Adobe Connect Pro.

Status: The meeting will be open to the public.

Purpose: Pursuant to Public Law 109-129, 42 U.S.C. 274k (section 379 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended), the Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation (ACBSCT) advises the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration on matters related to the activities of the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program (Program) and the National Cord Blood Inventory Program.

Agenda: The Council will hear reports from ACBSCT Work Groups including: Cord Blood Thawing and Washing; Access to Transplantation; and Advancing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Hemoglobinopathies. The Council also will hear presentations and discussions on topics including: Accreditation; Adverse Event Reporting; and Unmet Need. Agenda items are subject to change as priorities indicate.

After Council discussions, members of the public will have an opportunity to provide comments. Because of the Council's full agenda and the time frame in which to cover the agenda topics, public comment will be limited. All public comments will be included in the record of the ACBSCT meeting. Meeting summary notes will be posted on the HRSA's Program Web site at http://bloodcell.transplant.hrsa.gov/​ABOUT/​Advisory_​Council/​index.html.

The draft meeting agenda will be posted on http://www.acbsctmeeting.com. Those participating in this meeting should register by visiting http://www.acbsctmeeting.com. The deadline to register for this meeting is Wednesday, September 11, 2013. For all logistical questions and concerns, please contact Deborah Jones, Meeting Planner, by calling [phone] or by sending an email to [e-mail].

The public can join the meeting by:

1. (Audio Portion) Calling the conference number at 800-857-9638 and providing the Participant Code 75841, AND

2. (Visual Portion) Connecting to the ACBSCT Adobe Connect Pro Meeting using the following URL and entering as GUEST: https://hrsa.connectsolutions.com/​acbsct_​advisory/​ (copy and paste the link into your browser if it does not work directly, and enter as a guest).

Participants should call and connect 15 minutes prior to the meeting in order for logistics to be set up. If you have never attended an Adobe Connect meeting, please test your connection using the following URL: https://hrsa.connectsolutions.com/​common/​help/​en/​support/​meeting_​test.htm and get a quick overview by following URL: http://www.adobe.com/​go/​connectpro_​overview.

Call [phone] or send an email to [e-mail] if you are having trouble connecting to the meeting site.

Public Comment: It is preferred that persons interested in providing an oral presentation submit a written request, along with a copy of their presentation to: Passy Tongele, MBA, Division of Transplantation, Healthcare Systems Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Room 12C-06, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857 or email at [e-mail]. Requests should contain the name, address, telephone number, email address, and any business or professional affiliation of the person desiring to make an oral presentation. Groups having similar interests are requested to combine their comments and present them through a single representative.

The allocation of time may be adjusted to accommodate the level of expressed interest. Persons who do not file an advance request for a presentation, but desire to make an oral statement, may request it at the time of the public comment period. Public participation and ability to comment will be limited to time as it permits.

For Further Information Contact: Patricia Stroup, MBA, MPA, Executive Secretary, Healthcare Systems Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 12C-06, Rockville, Maryland 20857; telephone [phone].

Dated: July 30, 2013.

Bahar Niakan,

Director, Division of Policy and Information Coordination.