18912 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 65 / Friday, April 4, 2014 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality 

Opportunity To Co-sponsor an AHRQ 

Research Conference 

AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research 

and Quality (AHRQ), HHS. 

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to cosponsor an AHRQ Conference. 

SUMMARY: AHRQ announces the 

opportunity for non-Federal public and 

private sector entities to co-sponsor an 

AHRQ conference in the Washington, 

DC area in early March, 2015. Potential 

co-sponsors must have a demonstrated 

interest and experience in health 

services research, implementation, and 

evaluation. Potential co-sponsors must 

also be capable of sponsoring and 

managing various discrete sessions or 

events associated with the conference 

and be willing to participate 

substantively in the co-sponsored 

activity. 

DATES: To receive consideration for this 

opportunity, a proposal to participate as 

a co-sponsor must be received by AHRQ 

by 5 p.m. EDT May 5, 2014 at the 

address listed below. Proposals will 

meet the deadline if they are either (1) 

received or (2) postmarked on or before 

the deadline. Privately metered 

postmarks will not be accepted as proof 

of timely mailing. Proposals received 

after the established deadline will not 

be considered. 

ADDRESSES: Proposals for cosponsorship should be sent to Ms. Jaime 

Zimmerman, Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, 

Room 3006, Rockville, Maryland 20850. 

Proposals may also be emailed to 

Jaime.zimmerman@ahrq.hhs.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Jaime Zimmerman, Agency for 

Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 

Gaither Road, Rockville, Maryland, 

20850; (301) 427–1456; 

Jaime.zimmerman@ahrq.hhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Description 

AHRQ was originally created as the 

Agency for Health Care Policy and 

Research on December 19, 1989, under 

the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 

of 1989, as a Public Health Service 

Agency in the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS). The 

agency was reauthorized on December 

6, 1999, by the Healthcare Research and 

Quality Act of 1999, and re-named the 

Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality. 

AHRQ’s mission is to produce 

evidence to make health care safer, 

higher quality, more accessible, 

equitable, and affordable, and to work 

with HHS and other partners to make 

sure that the evidence is understood and 

used. 

AHRQ’s priority areas of focus are: 

• Improve health care quality by 

accelerating implementation of patientcentered outcomes research. 

• Make health care safer and reduce 

the number of patients who experience 

preventable harm in the course of 

receiving care. 

• Increase accessibility by providing 

evidence on the effects of expanding 

insurance coverage. 

• Improve health care affordability, 

efficiency, and cost transparency. 

The purpose of the conference, 

consistent with AHRQ’s mission, is to 

bring together grantees, contractors, and 

others who produce AHRQ-supported 

research and products with stakeholders 

who can use those findings and 

products to achieve measurable 

improvements in the health care 

services patients receive. The 

conference provides additional 

opportunities to ensure that AHRQsupported research is delivering the 

expected results—namely, independent, 

user-driven research that can help 

people and organizations at all levels of 

health care. The conference’s goal is to 

focus on the results of AHRQ’s research, 

share best practices, and demonstrate 

how these findings provide solutions for 

the challenges facing today’s health care 

system. The conference also provides 

opportunities to interact with grantees, 

contractors, and users who can 

implement research-based solutions to 

improve care. 

The co-sponsors will assist with 

conference and agenda development, 

strategic messaging, coordination, 

financial management, and meeting 

logistics in conjunction with AHRQ 

staff. A co-sponsor can charge 

registration fees to recover costs 

associated with its sponsored events; 

however, a co-sponsor may not set 

registration fees at an amount higher 

than necessary to recover a co-sponsor’s 

related conference expenses. Further, 

the co-sponsor is solely responsible for 

collecting, holding and disbursing any 

registration fees it collects. 

Eligibility for Co-Sponsorship: To be 

eligible, a potential co-sponsor shall: (1) 

Have a demonstrated understanding, 

commitment, and experience in 

conducting and/or sponsoring health 

services research, especially as it relates 

to one or more of AHRQ’s priority areas; 

(2) be knowledgeable about strategies for 

disseminating and implementing 

research findings, products, and tools 

and fostering changes in practice and 

health care policy; (3) have a track 

record in using a variety of methods for 

evaluating research impact; (4) 

participate substantively in the cosponsored activity, not just provide 

funding or logistical support; and (5) 

have an organizational or corporate 

mission that is consistent with AHRQ 

and HHS. 

The selected co-sponsoring 

organization(s) shall furnish the 

necessary personnel, materials, services, 

and facilities to administer its 

responsibility for the conference. These 

duties will be outlined in a cosponsorship agreement with AHRQ that 

will set forth the details of the cosponsored activity, including the 

requirements that any fees collected by 

the co-sponsor shall be limited to the 

amount necessary to cover the cosponsor’s related conference expenses. 

A co-sponsorship agreement may 

include the following language: 

Model Co-Sponsorship Agreement 

The Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) [or name of 

subcomponent] and [name of cosponsor] agree to co-sponsor [name of 

event], according to the terms expressed 

below: 

1. Background 

[Provide the following information: 

(a) The nature and purpose of the event; 

(b) the identity and background of the 

co-sponsor(s); (c) the importance of the 

event to both HHS and the co-sponsor; 

(d) the substantive interest and special 

expertise of the co-sponsor in the 

subject matter of the event; (e) any other 

relevant background information that 

may explain the mutual interest of HHS 

and the co-sponsor in working together 

on the event.] 

2. Responsibilities for Developing the 

Event 

[Provide the following information: 

(a) The respective responsibilities of 

HHS and the co-sponsor for developing 

the substantive aspects of the event, 

such as the agenda and speakers; (b) the 

respective responsibilities of HHS and 

the co-sponsor for logistics and 

finances, such as arranging and paying 

for conference facilities, advertising, 

food, and any other event expenses. 

Note: This is the core paragraph of the 

co-sponsorship agreement, and it should 

reflect as much detail as HHS and the 

co-sponsor reasonably can provide.] 

3. Registration Fees and Other Charges 

[Provide the following information: 

(a) State whether the co-sponsor intends 

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 65 / Friday, April 4, 2014 / Notices 18913 

to charge registration fees, and, if so, 

state that the co-sponsor agrees to set a 

fee no higher than necessary to recover 

its share of the costs of the event; (b) 

state whether HHS and the co-sponsor 

agree that HHS employees will be 

allowed free attendance at the event; (c) 

state whether the co-sponsor intends to 

sell educational materials pertaining to 

the event or transcripts or recordings of 

the event, and, if so, state that the cosponsor agrees to sell such items at 

cost.] 

4. Independently Sponsored Portions of 

Event 

[Provide the following information: 

(a) State whether either HHS or the cosponsor intends to sponsor any discrete 

portion of the event independently; (b) 

describe any separately sponsored 

portion; (c) state that HHS resources, 

including staff, will not be used to 

develop, promote or otherwise support 

a portion of the event that is 

independently sponsored by the cosponsor, although official 

announcements and brochures may 

contain factual references to the 

schedule of the entire event, including 

portions sponsored solely by the cosponsor.] 

5. Fundraising 

[Name of co-sponsor] will make clear, 

in any solicitation for funds to cover its 

share of the event costs, that it, not 

HHS, is asking for the funds. [Name of 

co-sponsor] will not imply that HHS 

endorses any fundraising activities in 

connection with the event. [Name of cosponsor] will make clear to donors that 

any gift will go solely toward defraying 

the expenses of [name of co-sponsor], 

not HHS. 

6. Promotional Activity 

[Name of co-sponsor] will not use the 

event primarily as a vehicle to sell or 

promote products or services. [Name of 

co-sponsor] will ensure that any 

incidental promotional activity does not 

imply that HHS endorses any products 

or services. [Name of co-sponsor] will 

make reasonable efforts, subject to HHS 

review, to segregate any incidental 

promotional activity from the main 

activities of the event. 

7. Event Publicity and Endorsements 

[Name of co-sponsor] will not use the 

name of HHS or any of its components, 

except in factual publicity for the 

specific event. Factual publicity 

includes dates, times, locations, 

purposes, agendas, fees, and speakers 

involved with the event. Such factual 

publicity shall not imply that the 

involvement of HHS in the event serves 

as an endorsement of the general 

policies, activities, or products of [name 

of co-sponsor]; where confusion could 

result, publicity should be accompanied 

by a disclaimer to the effect that no 

endorsement is intended. [Name of cosponsor] will clear all publicity 

materials for the event with HHS to 

ensure compliance with this paragraph. 

8. Records 

Records concerning the event shall 

account fully and accurately for the 

financial commitments and 

expenditures of HHS and [name of cosponsor]. Such records shall reflect, at a 

minimum, the amounts, sources, and 

uses of all funds. 

9. Public Availability 

This co-sponsorship agreement, as 

well as the financial records described 

in paragraph 8, shall be publicly 

available. 

10. Co-Sponsorship Guidance 

HHS and [name of co-sponsor] will 

abide by the legal memorandum of 

August 8, 2002, entitled ‘‘CoSponsorship Guidance,’’ issued by the 

HHS Designated Agency Ethics Official. 

Co-Sponsorship Proposal: Each cosponsorship proposal shall contain a 

description of: (1) The entity or 

organization’s background and history, 

(2) its ability to satisfy the cosponsorship criteria detailed above, and 

(3) its proposed involvement in the cosponsored activity. 

Evaluation Criteria: After engaging in 

exploratory discussions with potential 

co-sponsors that respond to this notice, 

AHRQ will select the co-sponsor or cosponsors using the following evaluation 

criteria: 

(1) Qualifications and capability to 

fulfill co-sponsorship responsibilities; 

(2) Creativity related to enhancing the 

conference, including options for 

interactive sessions and ideas for 

improving the event based on the 2012 

conference offerings; 

(3) Potential for reaching and 

generating attendees from among key 

stakeholders, including Federal, State 

and local policymakers, health care 

providers, consumers and patients, 

purchasers and payers, and other health 

officials and underserved/special 

populations; 

(4) Experience administering 

conferences; 

(5) Past or current work specific to 

health services research; 

(6) Personnel names, professional 

qualifications, and specific expertise 

with conference planning; 

(7) Availability and description of 

facilities needed to participate in and 

support the conference planning 

process, including office space, 

information technology, and 

telecommunication resources; 

(8) Description of financial 

management expertise, including 

demonstration of experience in 

developing a budget and collecting and 

managing monies from organizations 

and individuals; and, 

(9) Proposed plan for managing a 

conference with AHRQ. 

Dated: March 28, 2014. 

Richard Kronick, 

Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality. 

[FR Doc. 2014–07562 Filed 4–3–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4160–90–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services 

[Document Identifier: CMS–10421] 

Emergency Clearance: Public 

Information Collection Requirements 

Submitted to the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) 

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services, HHS. 

In compliance with 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 a summary of 

this proposed information collection for 

public comment. Interested persons are 

invited to send comments regarding this 

collection’s proposed burden estimates 

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. 

In compliance with section 

3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, we have also 

submitted to the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) the proposed 

information collection for their 

emergency review. While the 

information collection request (ICR) is 

necessary to ensure compliance with an 

initiative of the Administration, we are 

requesting emergency review of the ICR 

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