Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Shortage Designation Management System (SDMS)

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

March 23, 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

<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 56 (Thursday, March 23, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 56 (Thursday, March 23, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17584-17585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-05986]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

[OMB No. 0906-0029--Extension]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection:
Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Shortage
Designation Management System (SDMS)

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

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 April 24,
2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under Review--Open for
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a copy of the clearance
requests submitted to OMB for review, email Samantha Miller, the Acting
HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8cfcedfce9fefbe3fee7cce4feffeda2ebe3fa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="80f0e1f0e5f2f7eff2ebc0e8f2f3e1aee7eff6">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or
call 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 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

[[Page 17585]]

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. They are used 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. MUP designations are limited to a 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 State PCOs conduct needs assessments 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. In order to obtain a federal shortage designation for an area,
population, or facility, PCOs must submit a shortage designation
application through SDMS for review and approval by HRSA. 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. The information collected on the
applications is used to determine which areas, populations, and
facilities have qualifying shortages.
In addition, interested parties, including the Governor, the State
PCO, state professional associations, etc. are notified of each
designation request submitted via SDMS for their comments and
recommendations.
HRSA reviews the HPSA applications submitted by the State PCOs,
and--if they meet the designation eligibility criteria for the type of
HPSA or MUA/P in the application--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. 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,
so that interested parties can access the information.
A 60-day Notice was published in the Federal Register, 88, FR pp.
360-361 (January 4, 2023). There were no public comments.
Need and Proposed Use of the Information: 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 the HRSA
Bureau of Health Workforce 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: State 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, 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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Average burden
Form name Number of responses per Total per response Total burden
respondents respondent responses (in hours) hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designation Planning and 54 48 2,592 8 20,736
Preparation....................
SDMS Application................ 54 83 4,482 4 17,928
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................... 54 .............. 7,074 .............. 38,664
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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. 2023-05986 Filed 3-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P

</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>

View on FederalRegister.gov →Plain-text source

Indexed from Federal Register on March 23, 2023.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.