Final Minimum Percentages for ``High Rate'' and ``Significant Increase in the Rate'' for Implementation of the General Statutory Funding Preference for Grants for Nurse Anesthetist Education Programs for Fiscal Year 1994

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 Anesthetist Education Programs

for Fiscal Year 1994

The Health Resources 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 for fiscal year (FY) 1994 Grants for Nurse

Anesthetist Education Programs funded under the authority of section

831(a), title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, as amended by the

Nurse Education and Practice Improvement Amendments of 1992, title II

of the Health Professions Education Extension Amendments of 1992,

Public Law 102-408, dated October 13, 1992.

Purpose

Section 831(a) of the Public Health Service Act authorizes the

Secretary to make grants to cover the costs of projects to develop and

operate programs for the education of nurse anesthetists.

Statutory Funding Preference

In making awards of grants under this section, 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.

Minimum Percentages for ``High Rate'' and ``Significant Increase in the

Rate''

A notice which announced this grant cycle was published in the

Federal Register on January 6, 1994 at 59 FR 769, and proposed minimum

percentages for ``high rate'' and ``significant increase in the rate''

for implementation of the general statutory funding preference. No

comments were received during the 30 day comment period. Therefore, the

percentages for ``high rate'' and ``significant increase in the rate''

remain as proposed. The final minimum percentages are shown below.

``High rate'' is defined as a minimum of 20 percent of graduates in

academic years 1990-91, 1991-92 or 1992-93 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 in 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:

Ms. Donna English, Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Professions,

Health Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn Building, room

9-35, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301)

443-5763 FAX: (301) 443-8586.

This program, Grants for Nurse Anesthetist Education Programs, is

listed at 93.916 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 System

Reporting Requirements.

Dated: May 20, 1994.

Ciro V. Sumaya,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 94-12857 Filed 5-25-94; 8:45 am]

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