[Federal Register: June 11, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 111)]
[Notices]
[Page 32125-32126]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11jn07-57]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Response to Solicitation of Comments on a Funding Priority for
Multiple Counties Under the Fiscal Year 2007 New Access Points in High
Poverty Counties Grant Opportunity
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS.
ACTION: Response to Solicitation of Comments.
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SUMMARY: A notice was published in the Federal Register (FR) on
December 6, 2006, (Vol. 71, No. 234, pp. 70780-70781), describing a
funding priority to be included in the fiscal year (FY) 2007 New Access
Points in High Poverty Counties grant opportunity. The notice requested
public comments on the proposed funding priority to be sent to HRSA no
later than January 5, 2007.
Comments were received from over 30 organizations and/or
individuals in response to the notice of the proposed funding priority.
The majority of comments received did not pertain specifically to the
proposed funding priority, but rather the President's High Poverty
Counties Initiative (``the Initiative'') and grant opportunity;
therefore this notice presents a summary of the general comments
received with HRSA's corresponding responses including references to
the FY 2007 New Access Points in High Poverty Counties (HRSA-07-069)
funding opportunity, as well as a summary of the final funding
priority.
Summary of Comments Received
Issue: Methodology and List of Eligible Counties
Comments: Over 25 of the comments received requested additional
information on the poorest counties that would be eligible for the
grant opportunities offered under the Initiative. A number of comments
offered suggestions for the methodology of determining the eligible
counties, while others solely requested a list of the eligible
counties.
Agency Response: Specific eligibility requirements for the New
Access Points in High Poverty Counties (HRSA-07-069) opportunity, as
well as the Planning Grants in High Poverty Counties (HRSA-07-066)
funding opportunity, are detailed within the respective grant
announcements available online through the HRSA Web site at: http://www.hrsa.gov/grants.
Eligibility for both opportunities is limited to
the 200 eligible high poverty counties that have been determined using
two cohorts with no section 330 grantee site and a high percentage of
people living below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level. One
cohort consists of counties with populations at or above 100,000 (high
population) and makes up approximately 25 percent of the total eligible
counties. The other cohort consists of counties with populations below
100,000 (low population) and constitutes approximately 75 percent of
the eligible counties. The low population counties were also screened
by a provider need criteria. To be eligible, low population counties
were required to exhibit a need of at least one additional primary care
provider (PCP), using a standard of one PCP for every 3,000 persons.
The list of eligible counties is included within each of the grant
announcements.
Issue: Focusing on County Level for Eligibility
Comments: Comments expressed specific concern over the decision to
limit eligibility for the Initiative to the county level, especially
since counties differ significantly in geographic size, population
density, diversity, etc. Suggestions included opening the competition
to all communities, with a priority instead to the defined high poverty
counties.
Agency Response: The Initiative was established to further the
success of the President's Health Center Initiative by focusing support
and increasing access to quality health services in the Nation's
poorest counties without a health center. Counties were selected as the
focus of this particular initiative because they are a recognized
boundary for the delivery of public health and social services in many
communities, and the Initiative will help support county level efforts
to provide needed primary care services to their populations.
Issue: Guidance information
Comments: Comments requested further information on the application
guidance release date, funding levels, and how to apply for the funding
opportunities.
Agency Response: The New Access Point in High Poverty Counties
(HRSA-07-069) and Planning Grants in High Poverty Counties (HRSA-07-
066) opportunities were both released March 14, 2007, and were made
available on
[[Page 32126]]
the HRSA Web site at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants, or through Grants.gov at: http://www.grants.gov. In FY 2007, up to 120 New Access Points in
High Poverty Counties are estimated to be funded. HRSA anticipates
awarding a minimum of $24 million for this activity in FY 2007 and
applications were due May 23, 2007. Subject to the availability of
funds, up to 25 Planning Grants in High Poverty Counties will be
funded, with applications that were due May 16, 2007. All applications
were to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by the
established due dates.
Summary of the Funding Priority
A funding priority is defined as the favorable adjustment of
combined review scores of individually approved applications when
applications meet specified criteria. An adjustment is made by a set,
pre-determined number of points. The New Access Point in High Poverty
Counties funding opportunity has one funding priority of five (5)
points for ``Multi-County Applications.'' In order to be considered for
this funding priority, applicants must demonstrate that a minimum of 15
percent of the total target population will come from a county(ies)
other than the eligible high poverty county in which the new access
point will be located. Applicants requesting consideration of a funding
priority must initiate the request and provide the expected
distribution of the target population among the counties to be served
by the high poverty county new access point project.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Preeti Kanodia, Division of Policy and
Development, Bureau of Primary Health Care, Health Resources and
Services Administration. Ms. Kanodia may be contacted by e-mail at
PKanodia@hrsa.gov or via telephone at (301) 594-4300.
Dated: June 5, 2007.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E7-11220 Filed 6-8-07; 8:45 am]
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