Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request; Shortage Designation Management System

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Published

January 4, 2023

Issuing agencies

Health and Human Services DepartmentHealth Resources and Services Administration

Abstract

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 2 (Wednesday, January 4, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 4, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 360-361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-28572]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection:
Public Comment Request; Shortage Designation Management System

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department
of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public
comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection
Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the
public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the
ICR.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than March 6,
2023.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3b4b5a4b5e494c5449507b5349485a155c544d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d1a1b0a1b4a3a6bea3ba91b9a3a2b0ffb6bea7">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or mail to:
Samantha Miller, HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room
14N39, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and
draft instruments, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2c5c4d5c495e5b435e476c445e5f4d024b435a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="83f3e2f3e6f1f4ecf1e8c3ebf1f0e2ade4ecf5">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or call Samantha Miller,
the acting HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 594-
4394.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting
information, please include the information request collection title
for reference.
Information Collection Request Title: Shortage Designation
Management System OMB No. 0906-0029--Extension.
Abstract: HRSA is committed to improving the health of the nation's
underserved communities and vulnerable populations by developing,
implementing, evaluating, and refining programs that strengthen the
nation's health workforce. The Department of Health and Human Services
relies on two federal shortage designations to identify and dedicate
resources to areas and populations in greatest need of providers:
Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations and Medically
Underserved Area/Medically Underserved Population (MUA/P) designations.
HPSA designations are geographic areas, population groups, and
facilities that are experiencing a shortage of health professionals.
The authorizing statute for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC)
created HPSAs to fulfill the statutory requirement that NHSC personnel
be directed to areas of greatest need. To further differentiate areas
of greatest need, HRSA calculates a score for each HPSA. There are
three categories of HPSAs based on health discipline: primary care,
dental health, and mental health. Scores range from 1 to 25 for primary
care and mental health and from 1 to 26 for dental, with higher scores
indicating greater need. HRSA uses these scores to prioritize
applications for NHSC Loan Repayment Program award funding, and
determine service sites eligible to receive NHSC Scholarship and
Students-to-Service participants.
MUA/P designations are geographic areas, or population groups
within geographic areas, that are experiencing a shortage of primary
care health care services based on the Index of Medical Underservice.
MUAs are designated for the entire population of a particular
geographic area. MUA/P designations are limited to particular subset of
the population within a geographic area. Both designations were created
to aid the federal government in identifying areas with healthcare
workforce shortages.
As part of HRSA's cooperative agreement with the state Primary Care
Offices (PCOs), the PCOs conduct needs assessment in their states,
determine what areas are eligible for designations, and submit
designation applications for HRSA review via the Shortage Designation
Management System (SDMS). Requests that come from other sources are
referred to the PCOs for their review, concurrence, and submission via
SDMS. To obtain a federal shortage designation for an area, population,
or facility, PCOs must submit a shortage designation application
through SDMS for HRSA's review and approval. Both the HPSA and MUA/P
application request local, state, and national data on the population
that is experiencing a shortage of health professionals and the number
of health professionals relative to the population covered by the
proposed designation. HRSA uses the information collected on the
applications to determine which areas, populations, and facilities have
qualifying shortages.
In addition, HRSA notifies interested parties, including the
governor, the state primary care association, state professional
associations, etc., of each designation request submitted via SDMS for
their comments and recommendations.
HRSA reviews the HPSA applications submitted by the PCOs, and--if
they meet the designation eligibility criteria--designates the HPSA or
MUA/P on behalf of the Secretary. HPSAs are statutorily required to be
annually reviewed and revised as necessary after initial designation to
reflect current data. HPSA scores, therefore, may and do change from
time to time. Currently, MUA/Ps do not have a statutorily mandated
review period.
The lists of designated HPSAs are published annually in the Federal
Register. In addition, lists of HPSAs are updated on the HRSA website,
<a href="https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area">https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area</a>.
Need and Proposed Use of the Information: In 2014, SDMS was
launched to facilitate the collection of information needed to
designate HPSAs and MUA/Ps. The information obtained from the SDMS
application is used to determine which areas, populations, and
facilities have critical shortages of health professionals per PCO
application submission. The SDMS HPSA application and SDMS MUA/P
application are used for these designation determinations. Applicants
must submit a SDMS application to HRSA to obtain a federal shortage
designation. The application asks for local, state, and national data
required to determine the application's eligibility to obtain a federal
shortage designation. In addition, applicants must enter detailed
information explaining how the area, population, or facility faces a
critical shortage of health professionals.
Likely Respondents: PCOs interested in obtaining a primary care,
dental, or mental HPSA designation or a MUA/P in their state.
Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by
persons to generate, maintain, retain,

[[Page 361]]

disclose or provide the information requested. This includes the time
needed to review instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and
utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting,
validating and verifying information, processing and maintaining
information, and disclosing and providing information; to train
personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information; to
search data sources; to complete and review the collection of
information; and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information. The
total annual burden hours estimated for this ICR are summarized in the
table below.

Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of Average burden
Form name Number of responses per Total per response Total burden
respondents respondent responses (in hours) hours
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Designation Planning and 54 48 2,592 8.00 20,736
Preparation....................
SDMS Application................ 54 83 4,482 4.00 17,928
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Total....................... 54 .............. 7,074 .............. 38,664
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HRSA specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and
utility of the proposed information collection for the proper
performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of the
estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology to
minimize the information collection burden.

Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2022-28572 Filed 1-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P

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