Change Memo - OMB PPR 2020_HRSA BPHC 11-24-2020

Health Resources and Services DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Administration Bureau of Primary Health Care Rockville, MD 20857

DATE: xx/xx/xxxx

TO: Josh Brammer, OMB Desk Officer

FROM: Lisa Wright-Solomon, HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer

______________________________________________________________________________

Request: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Strategic Initiatives and Planning Division requests approval for non-substantive changes to the COVID19 Progress Report (OMB No.: 0915-0285 expiration date 03/31/2023) to support oversight of funding provided to health centers is response to the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America initiative.

Purpose: The purpose of this request is to modify the Capital Semi-Annual Progress Report (SAPR) to collect reporting elements for the Ending the HIV Epidemic - Primary Care HIV Prevention (PCHP) grant awards to health centers. As part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America initiative, HRSA has and will provide Health Center Program awardees with supplemental funding to increase access to HIV prevention services, including access to pre-exposure prophylaxis(PrEP), through enhanced outreach, HIV testing and workforce development. Health centers will also use funds to support care coordination and linkage to treatment within the health center or to a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program-supported provider as necessary for those diagnosed with HIV in the high priority targeted areas currently served by health centers.

This request seeks the modification of progress report questions to track PCHP funding activities. These changes closely mirror non-substantive changes previously approved by OMB on June 2, 2020 related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PCHP progress reports provided to HRSA on a triannual basis will allow for timely and appropriate oversight and efficient program monitoring of the PCHP funding provided by HRSA to health centers. These changes are necessary at this time to support HRSA in its efforts to effectively track the progress of health centers in implementing their PCHP-supported activities in comparison with their use of the PCHP funding. HRSA will not be able to adequately perform oversight activities for the PCHP awardees consistent with the oversight strategies recently adopted by HRSA in response to recent OIG findings¹ without the collection of this information. This memo explains the proposed changes and supporting rationale.

HRSA is requesting OMB’s permission to modify the SAPR to capture data on the planned and implemented activities using PCHP supplemental funding. The overall proposed change of scope in data collected for the progress report is minimal and represents an update of existing content, closely mirroring the non-substantive changes OMB previously approved on June 2, 2020 Given the heightened focus on the efforts associated with the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America initiative these changes are required.

Time Sensitivity: The PCHP data collection changes must be approved by January 6, 2021 to support the development and implementation of the changes in the data collection system by the June 25, 2021 scheduled release.

Burden: This data collection is not expected to substantially increase the estimated burden for this progress report. These proposed changes will allow HRSA to perform appropriate monitoring and oversight of health centers’ activities performed using PCHP supplemental funding.

PROPOSED CLARIFICATIONS AND NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

PCHP Progress Report SF-PPR

1. Question 0, page 1 – Modification

Modified answer choices to add “PCHP”

Rationale: This will permit the capturing of progress report information specific to the PCHP funding opportunity.

2. Question 2 – Modification

Updated the activity areas as follows:

Current

• Staff and Patient Safety

• Testing

• Maintaining or Increasing Health Center Capacity and Staffing Levels

• Telehealth

• Minor A/R (when applicable)

Proposed

• PrEP Prescribing

• Outreach

• Testing

• Workforce Development

Rationale: This will allow for the capture of information on the status of activities supported with the PCHP supplemental funding, allowing HRSA to properly oversee and monitor PCHP grantees.

Attachments:

1. SAPR Mark Up

1 https://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region2/21902001.asp