1 August 2006
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[Federal Register: August 1, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 147)]
[Notices]
[Page 43500-43501]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01au06-64]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
[CFDA 93.996]
Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program;
Notification of Exception to Competition
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Notification of exception to competition.
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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA)
Healthcare Systems Bureau, Division of Healthcare Preparedness
Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program (BTCDP) will
provide supplemental funding to approximately five fiscal year (FY)
2006 BTCDP awardees to plan, test and evaluate the expansion of
regional healthcare preparedness training efforts to a nationwide
focus. A limited competition within the existing 19 awardees will be
used to identify the recipients.
Authority: This activity is under that authority of the Public
Health Service Act, Title III, Section 319F(g), 42 U.S.C. 247d-6(g).
Purpose: The purpose of supplemental awards is to expand the reach
of the originally approved BTCDP awards from the currently approved
geographic region to include the entire Nation. The intended recipients
of this limited eligibility program expansion will be the successfully
competed and objectively reviewed applicants from the already supported
19 regional BTCDP awardees. The program expansion will enhance
consistency in preparedness training by providing proven training
through a nationwide
[[Page 43501]]
focus. Previous efforts have consisted of a more limited approach
focusing training at a local/regional level.
Amount: The anticipated award amount of $1.8 million will be
distributed among the 4 or 5 most highly ranked (by objective review)
applicants from the existing 19 BTCDP awardees. Awards will average
$360,000.
Project Period: The period of support is from September 30, 2006,
to August 31, 2007, and will align with the existing budget period.
Justification for the Exception to Competition: Open competition
applications for the BTCDP program were received and reviewed by an
objective review panel in the summer of FY 2005, at which time BTCDP's
local and regional training plans, curriculum and evaluation strategies
were reviewed and approved. A total of 74 Continuing Education
applications were reviewed and 50 applications were approved. Nineteen
projects were funded after careful review from a strongly competitive
pool of applicants, emerging as the strongest entities with proven
experience and track records to expand their accomplishments to a
nationwide target of healthcare providers. Since that time, the
awardees have continued to use Federal funds to align their training
with the National Preparedness Goal and to deliver training consistent
with HRSA's goals.
BTCDP funded programs are uniquely suited to participate in this
geographic expansion based upon their authorship and mastery of tested
curriculum. BTCDP awardees have been awarded funds specifically to
develop training strategies for all healthcare professionals. Their
experiences have made them uniquely aware of potential pitfalls to be
overcome in developing and testing a national training plan and have
the expertise to respond to such barriers as they arise. Since the
inception of the program in FY 2003, BTCDP awardees have been
responsible for the training of 225,000 healthcare providers on a
locality-by-locality basis and stand ultimately poised to deploy and
evaluate national training strategies.
BTCDP awardees are highly regarded academic institutions which have
dedicated staff and infrastructure to create quality training
opportunities for healthcare providers. Curriculum created with BTCDP
dollars has already been approved by the academic institutions from
which they emanate and has already secured the approval of healthcare
professional continuing education accreditation bodies. Awardees
possess the building blocks of the infrastructure necessary to
efficiently test a national training system, and they have the
knowledge and experience necessary to ensure the efficient use of funds
for healthcare preparedness training.
The BTCDP is the only Federal program solely committed to the
preparedness training of healthcare providers. As such, BTCDP awardees
share curriculum, accomplishments and lessons learned through an
established network on a regular basis, a network vital to the
development of a national plan. Awardees stand uniquely prepared to
respond to congressional demand for an efficient and effective national
training strategy within the fiscal and time constraints of this
supplement. This supplement is the first step in meeting this demand
through the efficient use of proven curriculum by experienced trainers
on a national basis.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, please
contact Terri Spear, Chief, Emergency Training Branch, 5600 Fishers
Lane, Room 13-103, Rockville, Maryland 20857. E-mail: tspear@hrsa.gov.
Dated: July 25, 2006.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-12267 Filed 7-31-06; 8:45 am]
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