[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 185 (Friday, September 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58416-58417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-23892]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Statement of Organization, Functions and Delegations of Authority

    This notice amends Part R of the Statement of Organization, 
Functions and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration 
(HRSA) (60 FR 56605, as amended November 6, 1995; as last amended at 75 
FR 57282-57283 dated September 20, 2010).
    This notice reflects organizational changes in the Health Resources 
and Services Administration. Specifically, this notice updates the 
functional statement for the Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and 
Service (RU) to reduce fragmentation and overlap and establish an 
increased emphasis on policy and program development, external 
communication and outreach, customer service and system and analytical 
support.

Chapter RU--Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service

Section RU-10, Organization

    Delete in its entirety and replace with the following:
    The Office of the Associate Administrator (RU) is headed by the 
Associate Administrator, Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service 
(BCRS), who reports directly to the Administrator, Health Resources and 
Services Administration. BCRS includes the following components:

(1) Office of the Associate Administrator (RU);
(2) Office of Legal and Compliance (RU1);
(3) Division of National Health Service Corps (RU5);
(4) Division of Nursing and Public Health (RU6);
(5) Division of External Affairs (RU7);
(6) Office of Policy and Program Development (RU8);
(7) Division of Program Operations (RU9);
(8) Division of Regional Operations (RU10); and
(9) Office of Business Operations (RU11).

Section RU-20, Functions

    (1) Delete the functional statement for the Bureau of Clinician 
Recruitment and Service (RU) and replace in its entirety.
Office of the Associate Administrator (RU)
    Provides overall leadership, direction, coordination, and planning 
in support of Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service (BCRS) 
programs that are designed to improve the health of the Nation's 
underserved communities and vulnerable populations by coordinating the 
recruitment and retention of caring health professionals in the 
healthcare system and supporting communities' efforts to build more 
integrated and sustainable systems of care. Specifically: (1) 
Establishes program goals, objectives and priorities, and provides 
oversight as to their execution; (2) plans, directs, coordinates and 
evaluates Bureau-wide management activities; (3) maintains effective 
relationships within HRSA and with other Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS) organizations, other Federal agencies, State and local 
governments, and other public and private organizations concerned with 
improving the health status of the Nation's underserved communities and 
vulnerable populations by recruiting and retaining health care 
clinicians into service in areas of greatest need; (4) plans, directs 
and coordinates Bureau-wide administrative management activities, i.e., 
budget, personnel, procurements, delegations of authority, and has 
responsibilities related to the awarding of BCRS funds; and (5) 
oversees the development of BCRS program policies.
Office of Legal and Compliance (RU1)
    Serves as the focal point for service obligation issue resolution 
and quality assurance for the Bureau's programs. Specifically: (1) 
Analyzes, administers and manages procedures for the BCRS portfolio of 
scholarship and loan repayment participants who have breached their 
service obligation, requested a waiver or suspension, and/or are in 
default and have requested to serve under a Forbearance, Judgment or 
Settlement Agreement; (2) reviews default recommendations, determines 
the action of default, and initiates and monitors procedures for 
default debt collection; (3) provides programmatic information to 
Agency officials, the Office of the General Counsel, the Office of 
Inspector General, Program Support Center, and the Department of 
Justice for default debt collection, trials, bankruptcy hearings, and 
other activities; (4) reviews requests and makes determinations 
regarding scholarship and loan repayment participants' eligibility for 
a suspension or waiver of their service or default debt obligation; (5) 
implements policies and procedures in conjunction with default 
reduction activities, including return to service arrangements and 
other actions to maximize compliance with scholarship and loan 
repayment service obligations; and (6) serves as the BCRS quality 
assurance function.
Division of National Health Service Corps (RU5)
    Serves as the point of contact for responding to inquiries, 
disseminating program information, providing technical assistance, and 
processing applications and awards pertaining to National Health 
Service Corps (NHSC) scholarship and loan repayment programs and site 
approvals. Specifically: (1) Reviews, ranks and selects participants 
for the scholarship and loan repayment programs; (2) verifies and 
processes loan and lender related payments in prescribed manner and 
maintains current information on scholarship and loan repayment 
applications and awards through automated BCRS information systems; (3) 
provides oversight, processing and coordination of reviews of NHSC site

[[Page 58417]]

applications and vacancy management activities; (4) manages scholar in-
school activities; (5) facilitates scholar placement; and (6) provides 
oversight, processing and coordination for the Ready Responder program.
Division of Nursing and Public Health (RU6)
    Serves as the point of contact for responding to inquiries, 
disseminating program information, providing technical assistance, and 
processing applications and awards pertaining to work force related 
scholarship and loan repayment programs. Specifically: (1) Reviews, 
ranks and selects participants for the scholarship and loan repayment 
programs; (2) verifies and processes loan and lender related payments 
in prescribed manner and maintains current information on scholarship 
and loan repayment applications and awards through automated BCRS 
information systems; (3) manages scholar in-school activities; and (4) 
facilitates scholar placement.
Division of External Affairs (RU7)
    Serves as the focal point for the development of all messaging both 
internal and external and dissemination of promotional materials, 
brochures, speeches, and articles. Specifically: (1) Leads, 
coordinates, and conducts student, clinician and site recruitment, 
retention and outreach strategies and related activities; (2) 
coordinates all Bureau conferences and clinician and site training; (3) 
establishes and manages partner collaboration, NHSC alumni and the 
State Primary Care Offices (PCOs); (4) performs marketplace analysis; 
(5) maintains a speaker for the Bureau communicating clinician and site 
success stories and promotes the Bureau's programs; and (6) maintains 
responsibility for all communication functions including but not 
limited to the Bureau Web site, BCRS Call Center and customer service 
portal, and newsletters.
Office of Policy and Program Development (RU8)
    Serves as the focal point for the development of BCRS programs and 
policies. Specifically: (1) Leads and coordinates the analysis, 
development and drafting of policy impacting BCRS programs; (2) 
coordinates program planning and tracking of legislation and other 
information related to BCRS programs; (3) leads and monitors the 
development of workforce projections relating to BCRS program; (4) 
provides oversight, processing and coordination for the J1-visa 
program; (5) works collaboratively with other components within HRSA 
and HHS, and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, 
and other public and private organizations on issues affecting BCRS 
programs and policies; (6) performs environmental scanning on issues 
that affect BCRS programs and assesses the impact of programs on 
underserved communities; (7) monitors BCRS activities in relation to 
HRSA's Strategic Plan; (8) develops budget projections and 
justifications; and (9) serves as the Bureau's focal point for program 
information.
Division of Program Operations (RU9)
    Serves as the organizational focal point for the Bureau's 
centralized, comprehensive customer service function to support program 
participants. Provides regular and ongoing communication, technical 
assistance and support to program participants through the period of 
obligated service and closeout. Specifically: (1) Manages the staff and 
daily operations of the Bureau's Call Center and centralized customer 
service function; (2) initiates contact with and monitors program 
participants throughout their service; (3) manages clinician support, 
site transfers, in-service reviews and recommends suspensions, waivers 
and defaults; (4) manages the 6-month verification process; (5) 
conducts closeout activities for each program participant and issues 
completion certificates; and (6) maintains program participants' case 
files in the Bureau's management information system.
Division of Regional Operations (RU10)
    Serves as the regional component of BCRS cutting across all 
Divisions and working with BCRS programs as a whole. Specifically, the 
Regional Offices will support BCRS by: (1) Completing NHSC site visits; 
(2) providing support for recruitment and retention of primary health 
care providers in Health Professions Shortage Areas; (3) providing 
ongoing surveillance and analysis of workforce trends and making 
recommendations on ways to improve the effectiveness of policies and 
programs; (4) understanding needs of the States as it relates to 
recruitment and retention of clinicians to improve public health and 
health care systems; and (5) conducting other activities designed to 
improve access to quality care, reduce disparities and improve public 
health in accordance with HRSA authorities and in partnership with 
related public and private sector organizations.
Office of Business Operations (RU11)
    Serves as the focal point for the Bureau's management information 
systems and reports, data analysis, and automation of business 
processes to support the recruitment and retention of health 
professionals in underserved areas and supporting communities' efforts 
to build more integrated and sustainable systems of care. Specifically: 
(1) Provides leadership for implementing BCRS systems development, 
enhancement and administration; (2) designs and implements data systems 
to assess and improve program performance; (3) provides user support 
and training to facilitate the effectiveness of the Bureau's 
information systems; (4) coordinates quality and performance reporting 
activities; (5) identifies, provides and coordinates assistance to BCRS 
programs to support performance reporting activities; and (6) 
continuously identifies, reduces or eliminates suboptimal business 
processes throughout the Bureau.

Section RU-30, Delegations of Authority

    All delegations of authority and re-delegations of authority made 
to HRSA officials that were in effect immediately prior to this 
reorganization, and that are consistent with this reorganization, shall 
continue in effect pending further re-delegation.
    This reorganization is upon date of signature.

    Dated: September 20, 2010.
Mary K. Wakefield,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2010-23892 Filed 9-23-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P