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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

93.824:  Basic/Core Area Health Education Centers

Popular Name:  AHEC

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. Emphasis is placed on community-based training of primary care oriented students, residents, and providers. 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.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

93.824 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.

93.824 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:  From 4 to 6 months from receipt of application.

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.

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 746(a)(1) and 746(a) (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.

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.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  The range is from $260,000 to $2,200,000; $1,184,195.

93.824 RELATED PROGRAMS:

93.824 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

93.824 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants.

Obligations:  (Grants) FY 99 $19,017,377; FY 00 est $19,496,333; and FY 01 est $19,496,333.

Budget Account Number:  75-0350-0-1-550.

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

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. Phone number (301) 443-6880.

93.824 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  None.

Headquarters Office:  Program Contact: Louis D. Coccodrilli, M.P.H., Deputy Branch Chief, AHEC Branch, Division of Medicine, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Room 9A-05, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Phone: (301) 443-6950. Grants Management Contact: Wilma Johnson, Grants Management Officer, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Parklawn Bldg., Room 8C26, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Phone: (301) 443-6880. Use the same numbers for FTS.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

93.824 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  The recipient shall participate in the cost of the project such that of funds awarded under Section 746(a)(1) and 746(a)(2), the matching funds shall be at least 25 percent from nonfederal sources for each year of the project.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Funds are available for expenditure during appropriate budget period.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  Cooperative Agreements may not be used for construction, patient services, nor student tuition or stipends.

93.824 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  A 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 Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive 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.