Message from the HRSA Administrator: 2009 Performance Review Schedule

Dear HRSA Grantees:

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is the principal Federal agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) charged with increasing access to basic health services for the nation’s underserved, vulnerable and special needs populations. With a budget of over $6 billion, HRSA provides direct financial assistance, in the form of grants or cooperative agreements, to over 3,000 organizations (i.e., grantees) for the purpose of carrying out 80 different programs that improve and expand access to quality health care and reduce disparities in health status.

The Office of Performance Review (OPR) serves as the agency’s focal point for reviewing and enhancing the performance of HRSA funded programs within communities and States.  On a regularly scheduled basis, HRSA grantees are comprehensively reviewed by a review team from one of the ten OPR regional divisions. 

Through performance reviews, OPR works collaboratively with grantees and other HRSA components to measure program performance, analyze the factors impacting performance, and identify effective strategies and partnerships to improve program performance.  Performance reviews are part of an overall agency-wide strategy to enhance the performance of HRSA funded programs, and assist grantees in their ongoing efforts to provide quality service with a focus on improving outcomes for the populations served.

Performance reviews have also been designed to review and enhance the performance of HRSA programs within the context of the grantee’s entire organization, and will therefore eliminate the need for multiple on-site reviews for grantees with one or more HRSA funded programs.  In addition, performance reviews create the opportunity for grantees to provide direct feedback about the impact of HRSA policies on program implementation and performance.

We are pleased to inform you that the grantee performance review schedule and replacement list for Calendar Year (CY) 2009 are now available.  The grantee performance review replacement list is to be used in the event that a scheduled review is postponed and a replacement grantee is needed for review.  Please visit http://www.hrsa.gov/performancereview to determine if your organization has been initially identified to participate in a performance review this upcoming year or is included on the grantee replacement list.

OPR intends to conduct Strategic Partnership Sessions with HRSA grantees from 11 States.  The 11 States selected for CY 2009 are: Maine; New York; Pennsylvania; Florida; Alabama; Michigan; Louisiana; Missouri; Wyoming; California; and Alaska.  In addition, OPR intends to conduct 9 Community Strategic Partnership Sessions.  OPR is in the process of identifying the 9 communities. The purpose of these Strategic Partnership Sessions is to improve the overall health of populations living within communities and States.  Through structured partnership sessions, OPR will convene HRSA grantees from selected States/communities, HRSA project officers and other stakeholders to review key population-level indicators of health, analyze the factors impacting these indicators, and identify effective, collaborative strategies to improve the overall health of populations living within these States and communities.  A copy of the Strategic Partnership Protocol is available on our web site http://www.hrsa.gov/performancereview.

If your organization has been identified for a performance review, you will be contacted at least twelve weeks before your performance review begins in order to provide you with additional information about the scope and process for your review, and to schedule the dates for the on-site phase.  It is important to note, however, that the performance review does not change the relationship between the grantee and the project officer and grants management specialist.  For all matters for which you currently contact these individuals, please continue to do so.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your OPR regional division contact at http://www.hrsa.gov/about/staff/oprstaff.htm.  We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth M. Duke
Administrator