Basic/Core Area Health Education Centers (93.824)

 

Program

93.824 Basic/Core Area Health Education Centers

 

Federal Agency

HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

Authorization

Public Health Service Act, Title VII, Section 751(a)(l), as amended; Health Professions Education Partnerships Act of 1998, Public Law 105-392.

 

Program Number

93.824

 

Last Known Status

Active

 

Objectives

To assist schools to improve the distribution, supply and quality of health personnel in the health services delivery system by encouraging the regionalization of health professions schools and also includes health careers programs for 9-12 grade students. Emphasis is placed on community-based training of primary care oriented students, residents, and providers and also includes health careers programs for 9-12 grade students. The Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) program assists schools in planning, developing and operation of AHECs to initiate education system incentives to attract and retain health care personnel in scarcity areas. By linking the academic resources of the university health sciences center with local planning, educational and clinical resources, the AHEC program establishes a network of community-based training sites to provide educational services to students, faculty and practitioners in underserved areas and ultimately, to improve the delivery of health care in the service area. The program embraces the goal of increasing the number of health professions graduates who ultimately will practice in underserved areas.

 

Types of Assistance

Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements).

 

Uses and Use Restrictions

Cooperative Agreements may not be used for construction, patient services, nor student tuition or stipends.

 

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Eligible applicants for Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program cooperative agreements under Section 751(a)(1) include accredited public or nonprofit schools of medicine or osteopathic medicine, and osteopathic medicine and incorporated consortia made up of such schools, or the parent institutions of such schools. Also, in States in which no AHEC program is in operation, an accredited school of nursing is an eligible applicant.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Accredited public or nonprofit schools of allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine, the parent institution on behalf of such schools.

Credentials/Documentation

None are required.

 

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Not applicable. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

The new URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for the Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr) Grants Page is www.hrsa.gov/bhpr/grants.html. This year BHPr has decided to use Adobe Acrobat to publish the grants documents on the Web page. In order to download, view and print these grants documents, you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. This can be obtained without charge from the Internet by going to the Adobe Web page www.adobe.com and downloading the version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader which is appropriate for your operating system, i.e., Windows, Unix, Macintosh, etc. A set of more detailed instructions on how to download and use the Adobe Acrobat Reader can be found on the BHPr Grants Web page under "Notes on this WWW Page."

Award Procedure

Notification is made in writing by a Notice of Grant Award issued from the Headquarters Office.

Deadlines

Application deadlines are available on the World Wide Web at address: www.hrsa.gov/bhpr/grants.html.

 

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Appeals

Appeal are available only to grantees.

Renewals

Progress reports must be submitted each year beginning with the second year of support. Competitive continuations may be submitted during the terminal year of support.

 

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Awardees shall make available (directly through contributions from State, county or municipal government, or the private sector) non-Federal contributions in cash in an amount not less than 50 percent of the operating costs of the AHEC Program, except that the Secretary may grant a waiver for up to 75 percent of the amount required in the first 3 years in which an awardee receives funds under this section: Section 751 (a)(1) of the PHS Act as amended.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Funds are available for expenditure during appropriate budget period.

 

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

A Uniform Progress Report must be submitted annually. A financial status report must be submitted within 90 days after the end of each budget period.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In addition, grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspection and audits by DHHS and other Federal government officials.

Records

Financial records must be kept available for 3 years after submission of expense report and three years after final disposition of nonexpendable property. If questions remain such as those raised as a result of audit, records must be retained until the matter is resolved.

 

Program Accomplishments

In fiscal year 2002, 18 awards were made. It is anticipated that 16 awards will be made in fiscal year 2003.

 

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-0350-0-1-550.

Obligations

(Grants) FY 02 $16,953,693; FY 03 est $15,800,000; and FY 04 est $15,800,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

$232,885 to $2,666,999; $1,027,944.

 

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Pertinent information may be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Health Professions Grants Office, Grants Management Branch, Room 8C-26, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD. Telephone: (301) 443-6880.

 

Related Programs

None.

 

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Program Contact: Louis D. Coccodrilli, M.P.H., Chief, AHEC Branch, Division of State Community and Public Health, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 9-105, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Telephone: (301) 443-6950. Grants Management Contact: Director, Division of Grants Management Operations, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, Parklawn Building, Room 11-03, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

Web Site Address

http://www.hrsa.gov/bhpr

 

Examples of Funded Projects

All projects are funded to meet the objectives as stated above. Community-based primary care training is provided at three levels: (1) Undergraduate medical students plus at least two associated health professions, e.g., nursing dentistry, mental health, pharmacy, allied health; (2) graduate-primary care residents, e.g., family medicine, general internal medicine or general pediatrics: (3) continuing education- to full range of local providers, including NHSC personnel. Health career training experiences to be provided to elementary or secondary students from medically underserved areas.

 

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

In determining funding of applications, consideration is given to: (1) The overall relative technical merit of the application; (2) the extent for which substantial opportunities for the education of individuals from minority or low-income backgrounds is provided; (3) overall relative cost to the government including the number of proposed centers to be involved; (4) annual program cost share from nonfederal sources; and (5) the size of the population to be served. Review Criteria: The following review criteria apply to the Basic/Core AHEC Programs, section 746(a)(1). The review of applications will take into consideration the following criteria: (1) The degree to which the proposed project adequately provides for the program requirements set forth in sections 751(a)(1), (2) The capability of the applicant to carry out the proposed project activities in a cost-efficient manner; (3) The extent of the need of the area to be served by the proposed area health education center; (4) The potential of the proposed AHEC program and participating centers to continue on a self-sustaining basis; and (5) The extent to which the proposed project adequately responds to AHEC program performance measures and outcome indicators.

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