Final Minimum Percentages for ``High Rate'' and ``Significant Increase in the Rate'' for Implementation of the Statutory General Funding Preference for Grants for Graduate Training in Family MedicineFiscal Year 1994

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

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

Increase in the Rate'' for Implementation of the Statutory General

Funding Preference for Grants for Graduate Training in Family

Medicine--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 statutory general

funding preference for fiscal year (FY) 1994 for Grants for Graduate

Training in Family Medicine authorized under the authority of section

747(a), title VII of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended by

the Health Professions Education Extension Amendments of 1992, Public

Law 102-408, dated October 13, 1992.

Purpose

Section 747(a) of the Public Health Service Act authorizes the

Secretary to award grants to assist in meeting the costs of planning,

developing and operating or participating in approved graduate training

programs in the field of family medicine. In addition, Section 747(a)

authorizes assistance in meeting the cost of supporting trainees in

such programs who plan to specialize or work in the practice of family

medicine.

Statutory General Funding Preference

As provided in section 791(a) of the PHS Act, 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 an

award is sought, has achieved a significant increase in the rate of

placing graduates in such settings. This preference will only be

applied to applications that rank above the 20th percentile that have

been recommended for approval by the peer review group.

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

Increase in the Rate''

A proposed notice was published in the Federal Register on October

5, 1993 at 58 FR 51834 for public comment. No comments were received

during the 30-day comment period. Therefore, the proposed minimum

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

for this program will be retained as follows:

High rate is defined as a minimum of 25 percent of combined

graduates of the residency training program in academic years 1990-91

through 1992-93.

Significant increase in the rate means that, between academic years

1991-92 through 1992-93, the rate of placing graduates in the specified

settings has increased by a minimum of 50 percent and not less than 15

percent of graduates from the most recent year are working in these

areas.

Additional Information

If additional programmatic information is needed, please contact:

Ms. Elsie Quinones, Program Specialist, Primary Care Medical Education

Branch, Division of Medicine, Bureau of Health Professions, Health

Resources and Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Parklawn

Building, Room 9A-20, Rockville, Maryland 20857, Telephone: (301) 443-

6820, FAX : (301) 443-8890.

This program is listed at 93.379 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: April 20, 1994.

Ciro V. Sumaya,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 94-9958 Filed 4-22-94; 8:45 am]

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