$918,730 to assist schools improve the quality of health personnel!

Content provided by the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
93.824 Area Health Education Centers Infrastructure Development Awards

AUTHORIZATION:

Public Health Service Act, Title VII, Section 751(a)(l), as amended; Health Professions Education Partnerships Act of 2010, Public Law 105-392.

OBJECTIVES:

The Basic/Core Area Health Education Centers (BAHEC) Program and Model State Supported Area Health Education Centers (MAHEC) Program goals are to assist schools to improve the distribution, diversity, supply, and quality of health personnel in the health services delivery system, and to attract and retain health personnel in underserved areas. The AHEC Program awardees link the academic resources of medical schools and participating health professions schools with local educational and clinical sites, and thereby establish a network of community-based training sites to provide educational services to health professions students, faculty-preceptors and health care providers in underserved areas, and ultimately, to improve the delivery of health care in an underserved region or in an entire state. Emphasis is placed on community-based training of health professions students, primary care-oriented medical residents, local providers, and also 9-12 grade students. The BAHEC program assists schools in the initial planning, development and implementation of community-based Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) which assist schools and organize the training of at least three health professions disciplines at training-service delivery sites in rural and underserved areas, of a region or an entire state. Schools which complete Basic AHEC Program development, then compete for Model AHEC Program awards in partnership with affiliated (contracted) AHEC Centers to maintain and enhance/expand training programs and training sites responsive to local, State and Federal needs and priorities. The BAHEC and MAHEC programs embrace the goal of increasing the number of health professions graduates who ultimately practice in underserved areas. Both AHEC programs carry out health careers recruitment and enhancement activities to attract high school students from underserved areas into health careers.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants
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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 public or private nonprofit accredited schools of 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, and also, accredited schools of nursing in States in which no AHEC program is in operation.
Credentials/Documentation:   Applicants should review the individual HRSA funding opportunity announcement issued under this CFDA program for any required proof or certifications which must be submitted prior to or simultaneous with submission of an application package. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

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APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Pre-application Coordination:   Preapplication coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure:   This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. HRSA requires all applicants to apply electronically through Grants.gov.
Award Procedure:   All qualified applications will be forwarded to an objective review committee. Based on the advice of the objective review committee, the HRSA program official with delegated authority is responsible for final selection and funding decisions. Notification is made in writing by a Notice of Award.

Deadlines:   Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:
From 3 to 4 months from receipt of application.
Appeals:
Not Applicable.
Renewals:
Competitive continuations may be submitted during the final budget year of the approved project.

Formula and Matching Requirements:
Statutory Formula: Title Section 751(a)(1), Public Law PHS Act. Awardees shall make available (directly through contributions from State, county or municipal governments, 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. Matching Requirements: Percent: 50.%. This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:
Funds are available for expenditure during appropriate budget period. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Grantees drawdown funds, as necessary, from the Payment Management System (PMS). PMS is the centralized web based payment system for HHS awards.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   No program reports are required. No cash reports are required. 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. Final progress and financial reports must be submitted within 90 days after the end of the project period. No expenditure reports are required. No performance monitoring is required.

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records:   Grantees are required to maintain grant accounting records 3 years after the date they submit the Federal Financial Report (FFR). If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the award has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records shall be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:

75-0350-0-1-550.

Obligations:   (Cooperative Agreements) FY 09 not reported.; FY 10 est $13,000,000; FY 11 est not reported.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance:
$120,001 to $1,271,355; $918,730.

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PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: It is expected that 15 awards will be made in FY 10. Fiscal Year 2011: No Current Data Available

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

This program is subject to the provisions of 45 CFR Part 92 for State, local and tribal governments and 45 CFR Part 74 for institutions of higher education, hospitals, other nonprofit organizations and commercial organizations.
HRSA awards are subject to the requirements of the HHS Grants Policy Statement (HHS GPS) that are applicable based on recipient type and purpose of award. The HHS GPS is available at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   See Regional Agency Offices. Lou Coccodrilli, M.P.H, Branch Chief, or CAPT Norma Hatot, Program Officer, AHEC Branch, Division of Diversity and Interdisciplinary Education, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9-36, Rockville, MD 20857. Telephone: 301-443-6950.
Headquarters Office:   Norma Hatot 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 9-36, Rockville, Maryland 20857 Phone: (301) 443-6950
Web Site Address:   http://www.hrsa.gov

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2011: No Current Data Available

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

In determining the funding of applications, consideration is given to:
(1) NEED Demonstrates an understanding of the purpose of the AHEC program, and demonstrates an understanding of the identified need(s) as evidenced by the applicant's description of target population(s) and geographic areas validated with supporting data, demographics, health status of the target population(s), and associated contributing factors which the proposed AHEC project intends to address in the area(s) to be served by the area health education center(s);
(2) RESPONSE The degree to which the proposed project responds to the program requirements as set forth in Sections 751(a)(l) and 751(a)(2) of the PHS Act, as amended; degree to which project activities address the AHEC Project and Center requirements; clarity of the project objectives and their relationship to the identified need(s); extent to which project objectives are measurable and attainable within the stated timeframe; clarity of the proposed work plan and mechanisms to assure that satisfactory progress is attained; extent to which the project fulfills the cost sharing/matching requirements; degree to which project challenges and plans to overcome barriers are addressed; and degree to which the project meets the Medical School 10 Percent Requirement;
(3) EVALUATIVE MEASURES The adequacy of the evaluation strategy to monitor and evaluate project results: potential of evaluative measures to assess the extent to which project objectives are met and to what extent these can be attributed to the project; clarity of methods and techniques that will be used to measure, analyze, and report the outcomes of each objective; and the extent to which the proposed project adequately responds to AHEC Program performance measures and outcome indicators; the points will be allocated across the performance measures of Distribution, Diversity, and Quality;
(4) IMPACT The potential of the proposed AHEC program and participating center(s) to continue on a self-sustaining basis; identification of plans for effective, efficient dissemination of project results; potential of project results to be of national significance; and potential for replication of project activities;
(5) RESOURCES/CAPABILITIES Evidence of qualifications in key personnel bio-sketches; evidence of adequate staffing plan for proposed project; evidence of ability to implement complex programs with similar requirements; evidence of institutional support, e.g., resources and letters of support; and evidence of successful partnerships and linkages with academic and community-based organizations;
(6) SUPPORT REQUESTED Evidence of a reasonable detailed budget and budget rationale to accomplish the project objectives; evidence of fiscal capability to successfully manage cooperative agreements and contracts; and evidence of efforts to become self-sufficient, e.g., other sources of income, income generation plans, and future funding strategies.

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