Notice2021-16255
Notice of a Supplemental Award to the University of Arkansas System Telehealth Focused Rural Health Research Center
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 30, 2021
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentHealth Resources and Services Administration
Abstract
HRSA announces a supplemental award in the amount of $100,000 annually through fiscal year 2024. This funding will support the University of Arkansas Telehealth Focused Rural Health Research Center (TF RHRC), a current HRSA-funded cooperative agreement. The supplemental request is for the remaining period of performance of the current cooperative agreement, subject to the availability of funds and successful performance of the activities in a given budget year.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 144 (Friday, July 30, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 144 (Friday, July 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41043-41044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16255]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Notice of a Supplemental Award to the University of Arkansas
System Telehealth Focused Rural Health Research Center
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: HRSA announces a supplemental award in the amount of $100,000
annually through fiscal year 2024. This funding will support the
University of Arkansas Telehealth Focused Rural Health Research Center
(TF RHRC), a current HRSA-funded cooperative agreement. The
supplemental request is for the remaining period of performance of the
current cooperative agreement, subject to the availability of funds and
successful performance of the activities in a given budget year.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding this
request, please contact Nicole Hewitt, (<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#87e9efe2f0eef3f3c7eff5f4e6a9e0e8f1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b0ded8d5c7d9c4c4f0d8c2c3d19ed7dfc6">[email protected]</span></a>), (301) 443-
3893.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Intended Recipient of Award: University of Arkansas System.
Amount of Award Increase Non-Competitive Award: $100,000 annually.
Period of Supplemental Funding: 9/1/2021-08/31/2024.
CFDA Number: 93.155.
Authority: Section 711(b)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
912(b)(5)).
Justification: The TF RHRC program is authorized by Section
711(b)(5) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 912(b)(5)), as amended.
This program is within HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's
(FORHP) Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT), which
administers grants, cooperative
[[Page 41044]]
agreements, and contracts to provide technical assistance and other
activities as necessary to support activities related to improving
health care in rural areas. Such activities include the evaluation of
telehealth programs in rural and underserved areas.
Under the TF RHRC Program, one of the two research centers was
selected to receive supplemental funding to evaluate all of OAT's
programs. The University of Arkansas was awarded a cooperative
agreement on September 1, 2020, to conduct evaluation-focused research
and maintain a thorough and comprehensive evaluation of nationwide
telehealth investments in rural areas and populations.
The University of Arkansas is presently in the first year of
evaluating OAT's programs, and the current research is evaluating the
impact of investments in telehealth services funded by the FORHP. In
Year 1 of the grant, they have been working on evaluating OAT's
Licensure and Portability Program and the Telehealth Resource Centers.
All program evaluation research falls under the jurisdiction of the
University of Arkansas.
Consistent with fiscal year 2021 Departmental appropriations
language, HRSA's FORHP has funded telehealth research that impacts
rural areas and underserved rural populations. In addition, per the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260), the HHS
Secretary is required to develop a strategic plan to research and
evaluate the evidence for such technology-enabled collaborative
learning and capacity building models.\1\
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\1\ Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. <a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20201221/BILLS-116HR133SA-RCP-116-68.pdf">https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20201221/BILLS-116HR133SA-RCP-116-68.pdf</a> (pages 2102-2106).
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As part of that directive, FORHP intends to work in consultation
with the University of Arkansas who can evaluate the Telehealth
Technology Enabled Learning Program (TTELP). TTELP connects specialists
at academic medical centers with primary care providers in rural,
frontier, and underserved populations providing evidence-based training
and support to help them treat patients with complex conditions in
their communities. TTELP is also tasked with developing appropriate
methodologies to evaluate and identify outcomes associated with
learning community model initiatives.
The proposed activities for the supplemental funding are within the
scope of the University of Arkansas' current TF RHRC cooperative
agreement. This funding will allow HRSA to demonstrate whether or not
this congressionally mandated program was effective. The University of
Arkansas will be asked to submit a Request for Information and include
a work plan, budget and budget narrative for the funding increase that
incorporates this new TTELP evaluation project.
The supplemental funds are being requested for the remaining years
of the cooperative agreement, subject to the availability of funds. The
supplemental funds will be awarded prior to the end of the current
fiscal year. The cooperative agreement ends on August 31, 2024.
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FY 2021
FY 2021 estimated
Grantee/organization name Grant number State authorized supplemental
funding level funding
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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences..... U3GRH40001 AR $950,000 $100,000
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FY 2022
FY 2022 estimated
Grantee/organization name Grant number State authorized supplemental
funding level funding
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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences..... U3GRH40001 AR $950,000 $100,000
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FY 2023
FY 2023 estimated
Grantee/organization name Grant number State authorized supplemental
funding level funding
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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences..... U3GRH40001 AR $950,000 $100,000
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Diana Espinosa,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2021-16255 Filed 7-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P
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