[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 157 (Thursday, August 13, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49386-49387]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17516]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Indian Health Service
[Assistance Listing Number 93.933]
Awards Unsolicited Proposal for the Health Communication
Initiative Program
AGENCY: Office of Clinical and Preventive Services, Indian Health
Service, Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice of award of a single-source unsolicited grant to Johns
Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Recipient: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Purpose of the Award: Cooperative agreement to collect, develop,
package and distribute information to American Indian and Alaska Native
(AI/AN) communities to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-
specific recommendations on healthcare, in a culturally sensitive way.
Amount of Award: $127,644 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020.
Period of Performance: April 24, 2020-August 24, 2020.
SUMMARY: The Office of Clinical and Preventive Services (OCPS)
announces the award of a single-source cooperative agreement in
response to an unsolicited proposal from Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, Maryland. The proposal submitted was not solicited either
formally or informally by any federal government official.
OCPS performed an objective review of the unsolicited proposal from
Johns Hopkins University (JHU) to develop information on proper actions
to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, in a culturally sensitive way. The
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) Center for
American Indian Health (CAIH) mission is to work in partnerships with
AI/AN communities to raise their health status, self-sufficiency, and
health leadership to the highest possible level. This mission is
accomplished through research, training and education, and service. The
CAIH has more than nine facilities and approximately 100 staff in the
Southwestern tribal communities to assist the Indian Health Service
(IHS) in containing and mitigating COVID-19, while building a response
model and set of communication materials for all IHS regions
nationwide. The CAIH can draw on broad expertise from JHU for
additional guidance and recommendations on best practices as the
situation evolves.
The materials will be developed from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) guidance. Based on an internal review
of the proposal and the immediate response of the IHS to address the
COVID-19 public health emergency, OCPS determined that the proposal has
merit.
The long history between the federal government and Native American
Tribes and people has often been less than ideal. There are still
barriers to the Native American community accepting instruction or
direction from the federal government. There is great value in having a
third party that has a good history with the community to gather,
package and deliver recommendations, in a culturally sensitive way, on
staying safe from this disease, when those recommendations may run
contrary to cultural norms. This delivery avenue will be more
acceptable to the community, and will be more readily recognized for
implementation within AI/AN communities.
This award is being made noncompetitively because there is no
current, pending, or planned funding opportunity announcement under
which this proposal could be competed. OCPS has identified two
additional key reasons to support rationale for awarding this
unsolicited proposal:
1. The JHU CAIH is well known in the AI/AN communities for robust
[[Page 49387]]
communication/messaging networks, research, training, and subject
matter expertise. The dissemination of critical COVID-19 information
for tribal communities builds trust, credibility, and integrity of
promoting a culturally sensitive public health approach around the
information.
2. The JHU CAIH is uniquely positioned to provide culturally
specific subject matter expertise drawn from a direct care services or
``boots on the ground'' approach. The CAIH has nearly 40 years of
collaboration with Native American tribes and supports public health
interventions in more than 140 tribal communities in over 21 states.
The breadth of knowledge and existing partnerships will enhance
dissemination of information nationally.
Legislative Authority: The Snyder Act, 25 U.S.C. Section 13; the
Indian Health Care Improvement Act, 25 U.S.C. Section 1621b; and
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law
116-136.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Audrey Solimon at
[email protected] or by telephone at 301-590-5421.
Michael D. Weahkee,
RADM, Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service, Director,
Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-17516 Filed 8-12-20; 8:45 am]
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