Program Announcement for Cooperative Agreements for the Model State-Supported Area Health Education Centers Program

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

[RIN-0905-ZA11; PN 2191]

Program Announcement for Cooperative Agreements for the Model

State-Supported Area Health Education Centers Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces

that applications for fiscal year (FY) 1994 Cooperative Agreements for

the Model State-Supported Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program

are being accepted under the authority of section 746(a)(3) of the

Public Health service (PHS) Act, title VII, as amended by the Health

Professions Education Extension Agreements of 1992, Public Law 102-408,

dated October 13, 1992.

Purpose and Eligibility

Section 746(a)(3) authorizes Federal assistance to any school of

medicine or osteopathic medicine that is operating an area health

education centers program and that is not receiving financial

assistance under section 746(a)(1) (previously section 781(a)(1)) of

title VII of the PHS Act. In general, an area health education centers

program shall be a cooperative program of one or more medical (M.D. and

D.O.) school(s) and one or more nonprofit private regional area health

education centers.

The statutory authority for the Model State-Supported AHEC Program

contains explicit language regarding activities and agreements between

the medical and osteopathic schools which develop AHEC programs and the

free-standing, community-based area health education centers which

provide training sites and resources for the activities. To accomplish

these specific tasks, a system of subcontracts is developed between the

health professions schools and the independent centers in the

communities.

Funding

Approximately $3.2 million will be available for this program for

FY 1994. It is anticipated that 16 competing awards averaging $200,000

will be made. This funding will be for a one-year project period.

To receive support, programs must meet the requirements of section

746(a)(3) and program regulations as set forth in 42 CFR part 57,

subpart MM.

Matching Funds Requirement: Non-Federal Contributions in Cash

With respect to the costs of operating the area health education

center program of the school, the school will make available (directly

or through donations from public or private entities) non-Federal

contributions in cash toward such costs in an amount that is not less

than 50 percent of such costs. These funds must be for the express use

of the AHEC Program and Centers, and not funds designated for other

categorical or specific purposes. Amounts provided by the Federal

Government may not be included in determining the amount of non-Federal

contributions in cash.

Section 746(a)(3)(D) states that schools must maintain expenditures

of non-Federal amounts at a level that is not less than the level of

such expenditures for the fiscal year preceding the first fiscal year

for which the school receives an award.

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 fiscal year 1993,

HRSA reviewed 14 applications for Cooperative Agreements for the Model

State-Supported Area Health Education Centers Program. Of those

applications 85.7 percent were approved and 14.3 percent were

disapproved. Twelve projects or 85.7 percent of the applications

received, were funded.

Programmatic Agreements of Model State-Supported AHEC Programs

Certain programmatic agreements are required for the operation of a

model State-supported AHEC program. In operating this program, the

school must agree to:

a. Coordinate the activities of the program with the activities of

any office of rural health established by the State or States in which

the program is operating;

b. Conduct health professions education and training activities

consistent with national and State priorities in the area served by the

program in coordination with the National Health Service Corps,

entities receiving funds under section 329 or 330, and public health

departments; and

c. Cooperate with any entities that are in operation in the area

served by the program and that receive Federal or State funds to carry

out activities regarding the recruitment and retention of health care

providers.

National Health Objectives for the Year 2000

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the

health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People

2000, a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas.

Cooperative Agreements for Area Health Education Centers programs,

including the Model State-Supported AHEC program, is related to the

priority area of Educational and Community-Based Programs. 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, DC 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 Area Health Education Centers

programs and programs which provide comprehensive community-based

services to the underserved.

Review Criteria

The review of applications will take into consideration the

following criteria:

1. The degree to which the proposed project adequately provides for

the program requirements set forth in section 746(a)(3) and program

regulations as cited above.

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

project; and

3. The extent of the need of the area to be served by the proposed

model State-supported area health education center program.

Degree of Federal Involvement in the Planning, Development and

Operation of Model State-Supported Area Health Education Centers

Program

Personnel of the Bureau of Health Professions have substantial

programmatic involvement with the planning, developing, and

administering of the AHEC projects by:

1. Reviewing and approving plans, upon which continuation of the

cooperative agreement is contingent, to permit appropriate direction

and redirection of activities.

2. Reviewing and approving all contracts and agreements among

recipient medical or osteopathic schools, other health professions

schools and community-based centers.

3. Participating with project staff in the development of funding

projections.

4. Developing with project staff individual project data collection

systems and procedures.

5. Participating with project staff in the design of project

evaluation protocols and methodologies.

Other Considerations

Applicants in States where more than one eligible entity exists are

encouraged to collaborate in the submission of a single application,

which reflects a consortium of Statewide programs to coordinate

community-based health professions training activities.

The principal objective of this new legislation is to encourage

State coordination and support for AHEC activities. The most effective

approach for obtaining support from State legislatures is to present a

unified plan showing how all the programs are working together to

provide the needed services in the State. Competitive applications from

one State tend to be devisive rather than unifying in reaching common

goals.

Criteria for Allocation of Available Funds

The following criteria for allocation of funds were established in

the Federal Register on September 14, 1993, 58 FR 48068 after public

comment and are being continued in FY 1994.

As a condition of receiving funding:

(1) Applicants must meet the eligibility conditions of programs as

set forth in section 746(b), and the AHEC centers they wish to have

included must meet eligibility requirements in accordance with section

746(d);

(2) The State contribution to the AHEC program(s) in the current

year is at least equal to the amount to be received from the Federal

program as required by section 746(a)(3)(B); and

(3) The program activities for which support is requested are

determined by peer reviewers to be qualitatively acceptable.

Programs that submit acceptable applications, in accordance with

the above criteria, will receive funding based on the following

allocation of funds:

1. The total amount available for funding under section 746(a)(3)

will be divided by the total number of qualifying AHEC centers in

approved applications. This will yield the per center allocation. The

coordinating AHEC applicant for each State will receive an amount equal

to the number of qualifying centers in the approved application times

the per center allocation.

2. In accordance with the provisions of section 746(e)(1)(A), the

award will clearly indicate that 75 percent of the awarded funds are to

be spent in approved centers. The remaining 25 percent may be allocated

to the AHEC program office and/or other participating schools.

The State matching provision was included in this new legislation

to promote State funding. The allocation of Federal funds to all

qualifying AHEC programs is intended to provide as broad as possible a

base for the accomplishment of this purpose. The number of qualifying

AHEC centers provides the means for distribution of funds because the

statute requires that 75 percent of the funds are designated to go to

these entities.

Application Requests

Requests for application materials and questions regarding grants

policy and business management issues should be directed to: Ms. Diane

Murray, Grants Management Specialist (U-76), Centers and Formula Grants

Section, Bureau of Health Professions, HRSA, 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.

Questions regarding programmatic information should be directed to:

Ms. Cherry Tsutsumida, Chief, AHEC and Special Programs Branch,

Division of Medicine, Bureau of Health Professions, HRSA, Parklawn

Building, room 4C-03, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857,

Telephone: (301) 443-6817, FAX: (301) 443-8890.

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

Grant Application, General Instructions and supplement have been

approved by the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork

Reduction Act. The OMB clearance number is 0915-0060.

The deadline date for receipt of applications is May 6, 1994.

Applications shall 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 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 is listed at 93.107 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: February 10, 1994.

William A. Robinson,

Acting Administrator.

[FR Doc. 94-7411 Filed 3-29-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-15-P-M