[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 151 (Wednesday, August 6, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45816-45817]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-18549]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program: Request for Single-
Case Deviation
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS.
ACTION: Notice of Exception from Competition Requirements to Extend
Duration of Grant for Remaining Project Period.
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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)'s
Bureau of Health Workforce is issuing a single-case deviation from
competition requirements for the Virginia Health Workforce Development
Authority (VHWDA) Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Point of Service
Maintenance and Enhancement (POSME) Award (Grant #U77HP26289)
to extend the duration of the grant, through August 31, 2017.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Intended Recipient of the Award: Virginia Health Workforce
Development Authority (VHWDA).
Amount of Funding Requested through Remaining 3-Year Project
Period: $2,640,543. The estimated award for fiscal year 2014 is
approximately $800,000.
Authority: Section 751 of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 294a), as amended by Section 5403 of the Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111-148.
CFDA Number: 93.107.
Remaining Project Period: September 1, 2014, through August 31,
2017.
Justification: The VHWDA is uniquely qualified to carry out the
programmatic activities as described in the approved AHEC work plan for
Virginia.
The mission of the VHWDA, as defined in the Code of Virginia, is
``to facilitate the development of a statewide health professions
pipeline that identifies, educates, recruits, and retains a diverse,
appropriately geographically distributed and culturally competent
quality workforce.\1\ The mission of the Authority is accomplished by:
(i) Providing the statewide infrastructure required for health
workforce needs assessment and planning that maintains engagement by
health professions training programs in decision making and program
implementation; (ii) serving as the advisory board and setting
priorities for the Virginia Area Health Education Centers Program . .
.'' The VHWDA's authorizing legislation also includes specific language
allowing it to serve as a consortium of medical schools in order to
meet the AHEC Program eligibility requirement as outlined in Section
751(b) of the Public Health Service Act.\2\
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\1\ VA. CODE ANN. Sec. 32.1-122.7:2 (2010).
\2\ 42 U.S.C. 294a(b).
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There will be no significant change in the scope or objectives of
the originally approved project. The same geographic area and
population will be served as stated in the original grant. This project
timeline is consistent with all other AHEC Program awardees. A full
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competitive application process for the remaining project period for
only one applicant would be a waste of very limited federal resources,
and an inefficient and cumbersome process. Additionally, competing a
grant to serve the state of Virginia would interrupt and jeopardize the
Virginia AHEC Program's approved work plan that has been in progress
for almost 2 years. Disrupting this plan would affect the currently
established partnerships with medical schools and community partners,
which could impact the ability to place students in medically
underserved communities, offer health careers enrichment programs, and
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carryout ongoing data collection and reporting activities.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jamie Weng, MPH, Project Officer, AHEC
Branch, Health Resources and Services Administration, Division of
Public Health and Interdisciplinary Education, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room
9C-05, Rockville, Maryland 20857, phone: (301) 443-0186, or email:
[email protected].
Dated: July 29, 2014.
Mary K. Wakefield,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-18549 Filed 8-5-14; 8:45 am]
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