### 13543 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 54 / Monday, March 22, 2010 / Notices

its predecessor agencies, and their contractors and subcontractors.

Period of Employment: January 1, 1948 through December 31, 1955.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Stuart L. Hinnefeld, Interim Director, Division of Compensation Analysis and Support, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 4676 Columbia Parkway, MS C–46, Cincinnati, OH 45226, Telephone 877–222–7570. Information requests can also be submitted by e-mail to
OCAS@CDC.GOV.

John Howard, Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

[FR Doc. 2010–6224 Filed 3–19–10; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4150–19–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES** 

**Decision To Evaluate a Petition To Designate a Class of Employees for**  **the Simonds Saw and Steel Co., Lockport, New York, To Be Included in**  **the Special Exposure Cohort**

**AGENCY :**  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  HHS gives notice as required by 42 CFR 83.12(e) of a decision to evaluate a petition to designate a class of employees for Simonds Saw and Steel Co., Lockport, New York, to be included in the Special Exposure Cohort under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. The initial proposed definition for the class being evaluated, subject to revision as warranted by the evaluation, is as follows:

Facility: Simonds Saw and Steel Co.

Location: Lockport, New York. Job Titles and/or Job Duties: All employees who worked in any area during the applicable covered thorium operational and residual periods.

Period of Employment: January 1, 1951 through December 31, 2006.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Stuart L. Hinnefeld, Interim Director, Division of Compensation Analysis and Support, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 4676 Columbia Parkway, MS C–46, Cincinnati, OH 45226, Telephone 877–222–7570. Information requests can also be submitted by e-mail to
OCAS@CDC.GOV.

John Howard, Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

[FR Doc. 2010–6221 Filed 3–19–10; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4163–19–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES** 

**Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services** 

**[Document Identifier: CMS–10315]**

**Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;**  **Comment Request**

**AGENCY :**  Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS.

In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is publishing the following summary of proposed collections for public comment. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (1) The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency’s functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

1. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection; Title of Information Collection: Patient Safety Survey Under the 9th Scope of Work: Nursing Home in Need (NHIN) Use: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is requesting OMB clearance for the Nursing Homes in Need (NHIN) Survey. The NHIN is a component of the Patient Safety Theme of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program’s 9th Scope of Work (SOW). The statutory authority for this scope of work is found in Part B of Title XI of the Social Security Act (the Act) as amended by the Peer Review Improvement Act of 1982. The Act established the Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organization Program, now known as the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program. The QIO in each State will provide special technical assistance to a small number of nursing homes in need of assistance with quality improvement efforts. This special technical assistance will be for the QIO to conduct a root cause analysis (RCA) with one nursing home in its State per year (three over three years). Under this component, it is expected that within the first quarter of the contract period, CMS will assign one nursing home to each QIO. The determination of which nursing homes are eligible under this component will be made by CMS. Some of these facilities may meet criteria for Special Focus Facilities (SFF). The intent of this component is that each State QIO will work with three nursing homes over the three-year contract period; these assignments are expected to be spaced out so that each State QIO will get one nursing home assigned approximately every 12 months.

The NHIN Survey is a new information collection to be used by CMS to obtain information on nursing home satisfaction with technical assistance strategies delivered as a component of the NHIN. The NHIN Survey will be a census of 53 nursing homes working with their respective QIOs. The survey will be conducted one time for each of the nursing homes assisted in the first two years under the 9th SOW and it will be conducted twice with nursing homes assisted in the third year. The information collected through this survey will allow CMS to help focus the NHIN task to maximize the benefit to participating nursing homes. The NHIN Survey will be administered via telephone by trained and experienced interviewers. Responses will be entered into a pre-programmed Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) interface.

The NHIN Survey will include questions to determine if the QIO has conducted a root cause analysis and developed an action plan. These will be followed by questions about their satisfaction with the QIO and their perceived value of the QIO’s assistance. The NHIN Survey will address the following:

• Background information;

• Current work—information and
assessment;

• Satisfaction with QIOs;

• Value of QIO assistance;

• Sources of information; and

• Respondent comments. All survey protocol and correspondencewill be translated into Spanish and bilingual telephone interviewers will be used as needed. Form Number: CMS– 10315 (OMB#: 0938–New); Frequency:


### 13544 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 54 / Monday, March 22, 2010 / Notices

Occasionally; Affected Public:Businesses and other for-profit and notfor-profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 53; Total Annual Responses: 106; Total Annual Hours: 17.5 hours (years 1 and 2), 35 hours (year 3). (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Bob Kambic 410– 786–1515. For all other issues call 410– 786–1326.)

To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, access CMS’ Web site

at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ PaperworkReductionActof1995, or email your request, including your address, phone number, OMB number, and CMS document identifier, to Paperwork@cms.hhs.gov, or call the Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786–

1326.

In commenting on the proposed information collections please reference the document identifier or OMB control number. To be assured consideration, comments and recommendations must be submitted in one of the following ways by May 21, 2010 :

1. Electronically. You may submit your comments electronically to http:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for ‘‘Comment or Submission’’ or ‘‘More Search Options’’ to find the information collection document(s) accepting comments.

2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following address:

CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, Division of Regulations Development, Attention: Document Identifier/OMB Control Number, Room C4–26–05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244–

1850.

Dated: March 15, 2010. Michelle Shortt, Director, Regulations Development Group, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.

[FR Doc. 2010–6238 Filed 3–19–10; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4120–01–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES** 

**Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services** 

**[Document Identifier: CMS–10053, CMS–906 and CMS–10294]** 

**Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB**  **Review; Comment Request**

**AGENCY :**  Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, HHS. In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services, is publishing the following summary of proposed collections for public comment. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (1) The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the Agency’s function; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

1. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Paid Feeding Assistants in Long Term Care Facilities and Supporting Regulations at 42 CFR
483.160; Use: Section 42 CFR 483 permits long-term care facilities to use paid feeding assistants to supplement the services of certified nurse aides. If facilities choose this option, feeding assistance must complete a specified training program. In addition, a facility must maintain a record of all individuals, used by the facility as feeding assistants, who have successfully completed the training course for paid feeding assistants. This information is used as part of the process to determine facility compliance with this requirement. Form Number: CMS–10053 (OMB#: 0938–0916); Frequency: Reporting—Yearly; Affected Public: Private Sector: Business or other for-profits and Not-for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents:
13,280; Total Annual Responses: 4,250; Total Annual Hours: 25,500. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Susan Joslin at 410–786–3516. For all other issues call 410–786–1326.)

2. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: The Fiscal Soundness Reporting Requirements;
Use: CMS is assigned responsibility for overseeing all Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAO), Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) sponsors, 1876 Cost Plans, Demonstration Plans and PACE organizations on-going financial performance. Specifically, CMS needs the requested collection of information to establish that contracting entities within those programs maintain fiscally sound organizations. Refer to the supporting documents for a list of changes to this collection. Form Number: CMS–906 (OMB#: 0938–0469); Frequency: Reporting—Yearly and Quarterly; Affected Public: Private Sector: Business or other for-profits and Not-for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 514; Total Annual Responses: 1,039; Total Annual Hours: 346. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Robert Ahern at 410– 786–0073. For all other issues call 410– 786–1326.)

3. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection; Title of Information Collection: Program Evaluation of the Eighth and Ninth Scope of Work Quality Improvement Organization Program; Use: The statutory authority for the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program is found in Part B of Title XI of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Peer Review Improvement Act of 1982. The Social Security Act established the Utilization and Quality Control Peer Review Organization Program, now known as the QIO Program. The statutory mission of the QIO Program, as set forth in Title XVIII—Health Insurance for the Aged and Disabled, Section 1862(g) of the Social Security Act—is to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, economy, and quality of services delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. The quality strategies of the Medicare QIO Program are carried out by specific QIO contractors working with health care providers in their state, territory, or the District of Columbia. The QIO contract contains a number of quality improvement initiatives that are authorized by various provisions in the Act. As a general matter, Section 1862(g) of the Act mandates that the secretary enter into contracts with QIOs for the purpose of determining that Medicare services are reasonable and medically necessary and for the purposes of promoting the effective, efficient, and economical delivery of health care services and of promoting the quality of the type of services for which payment may be made under Medicare. CMS interprets the term ‘‘promoting the quality of services’’ to involve more than QIOs reviewing care on a case-by-case basis, but to include a broad range of proactive initiatives that will promote higher quality. CMS has, for example, included in the SOW tasks in which the QIO will provide technical assistance to Medicare-participating providers and practitioners in order to help them improve the quality of the care they furnish to Medicare beneficiaries.