Program Announcement and Proposed 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

Program Announcement and Proposed 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

that applications will be accepted for fiscal year (FY) 1994 Grants for

Nurse Anesthetist Education Programs 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. Comments are invited on the

proposed minimum percentages for ``high rate'' and ``significant

increase in the rate'' for implementation of the general statutory

funding preference.

Approximately $1,791,000 will be available in FY 1994 for this

program. Total continuation support recommended is $1,316,000. It is

anticipated that approximately $475,000 will be available to support 5

competing awards averaging $95,000.

Previous Funding Experience

Previous funding experience information is provided to assist

potential applicants to make better informed decisions regarding

submission of an application for this program. In FY 1993, HRSA

reviewed 16 eligible applications for Grants for Nurse Anesthetist

Education Programs. Of those applications, 88 percent were approved and

12 percent were disapproved. Eight projects or 57 percent of the

competing applications approved, were funded. In FY 1992, HRSA reviewed

3 applications for Grants for Nurse Anesthetist Education Programs. Of

those applications, 67 percent were approved and 33 percent were

disapproved. Two projects, or 67 percent of the applications received,

were funded.

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. The period of

Federal support may not exceed 3 years.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants for Grants for Nurse Anesthetist Education

Programs are public or private nonprofit institutions, accredited by an

entity or entities designated by the Secretary of Education. Grants may

be awarded to develop and operate a new nurse anesthetist program.

Grants may also be awarded to maintain or expand an existing program.

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.

Review Criteria

The review of applications will take into consideration the

following criteria:

1. The national or special local need which the particular project

proposes to serve with special emphasis on meeting shortages in

underserved areas;

2. The potential effectiveness and impact of the proposed project

including its potential contribution to nursing;

3. The administrative and managerial capability of the applicant to

carry out the proposed project;

4. The appropriateness of the plan, including the timetable for

carrying out the activities of the proposed project and achieving and

measuring the project's stated objectives;

5. The capability of the applicant to carry out the proposed

project;

6. The reasonableness of the budget for the proposed project,

including the justification of the grant funds requested; and

7. The potential of the nurse anesthetist program to continue on a

self-sustaining basis after the period of grant support.

Other Considerations

In addition, the following funding factors may be applied in

determining funding of approved applications.

A funding preference is defined as the funding of a specific

category or group of approved applications ahead of other categories or

groups of approved applications.

A funding priority is defined as the favorable adjustment of

aggregate review scores of individual approved applications when

applications meet specified criteria.

It is not required that applicants request consideration for a

funding factor. Applications which do not request consideration for

funding factors will be reviewed and given full consideration for

funding.

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. Preference will be given only for

applications ranked above the 20th percentile of applications that have

been recommended for approval by the appropriate peer review group.

Proposed Minimum Percentages for ``High Rate'' and ``Significant

Increase in the Rate''

``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 concerning the implementation of this

preference has been published in the Federal Register at 58 FR 40659,

July 29, 1993.

Established Funding Priority

The following funding priority was established in FY 1993 following

public comment (58 FR 40657, July 29, 1993) and the Administration is

extending this funding priority in FY 1994. A funding priority will be

given to programs which demonstrate either substantial progress over

the last 3 years or a significant experience of 10 or more years in

enrolling and graduating students from those minority populations

identified as at-risk of poor health outcomes.

Information Requirements Provision

Under section 860(e)(2) of the Act, the Secretary may make an award

under the Grants for Nurse Anesthetist Education Programs only if the

applicant for the award submits to the Secretary the following

information:

1. A description of rotations of preceptorships for students, or

clinical training programs for residents, that have the principal focus

of providing health care to medically underserved communities.

2. The number of faculty on admissions committees who have a

clinical practice in community-based ambulatory settings in medically

underserved communities.

3. With respect to individuals who are from disadvantaged

backgrounds or from medically underserved communities, the number of

such individuals who are recruited for academic programs of the

applicant, the number of such individuals who are admitted to such

programs, and the number of such individuals who graduate from such

programs.

4. If applicable, the number of recent graduates who have chosen

careers in primary health care.

5. The number of recent graduates whose practices are serving

medically underserved communities.

6. A description of whether and to what extent the applicant is

able to operate without Federal assistance under this title.

Additional details concerning the implementation of this information

requirement have been published in the Federal Register at 58 FR 43642,

August 17, 1993 and will be provided in the application materials.

Paperwork Reduction Act

The standard application form PHS 6025-1, HRSA Competing Training

Grant Application, General Instructions and supplement for this program

have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under the

Paperwork Reduction Act. This approval includes the burden for

collection of information for the statutory general preference and for

the information requirement provision. (OMB #0915-0060, expiration date

July 31, 1995)

Additional Information

Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed minimum

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

for implementation of the general statutory funding preference. The

comment period is 30 days. All comments received on or before February

7, 1994 will be considered before the final minimum percentages for

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

implementation of the general statutory funding preference are

established. Written comments should be addressed to: Marla Salmon,

ScD, RN, FAAN, Director, Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health

Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn

Building, room 9-35, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

All comments received will be available for public inspection and

copying at the Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Professions, at

the above address, weekdays (Federal holidays excepted) between the

hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Application Requests

Requests for application materials and questions regarding grants

policy and business management issues should be directed to: Jacquelyn

Whitaker (A-22), Grants Management Specialist, Bureau of Health

Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Parklawn

Building, room 8C-26, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857,

Telephone: (301) 443-6857, FAX: (301) 443-6343.

Completed applications should be returned to the Grants Management

Branch at the above address.

If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact:

Mary S. Hill, R.N., Ph.D., Chief, Nursing Education Practice Resources

Branch, 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-

6193, FAX: (301) 443-8586.

The deadline date for receipt of applications is March 15, 1994.

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.

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: December 6, 1993.

William A. Robinson,

Acting Administrator.

[FR Doc. 94-179 Filed 1-5-94; 8:45 am]

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