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‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Board shall be 
composed of— 
‘‘(i) 15 members appointed by the 
President, by and with the advice and con-
sent of the Senate; and 
‘‘(ii) the Secretary, the Administrator 
of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Serv-
ices, and the Administrator of the Health 
Resources and Services Administration, all 
of whom shall serve ex officio as nonvoting 
members of the Board. 
‘‘(B) QUALIFICATIONS.— 
‘‘(i) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
appointed 
membership of the Board shall include indi-
viduals with national recognition for their 
expertise in health finance and economics, 
actuarial science, health facility manage-
ment, health plans and integrated delivery 
systems, reimbursement of health facilities, 
allopathic and osteopathic physicians, and 
other providers of health services, and other 
related fields, who provide a mix of different 
professionals, broad geographic representa-
tion, and a balance between urban and 
rural representatives. 
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‘‘(ii) 
INCLUSION.—The 
appointed 
membership of the Board shall include (but 
not be limited to) physicians and other 
health professionals, experts in the area of 
pharmaco-economics or prescription drug 
benefit programs, employers, third-party 
payers, individuals skilled in the conduct 
and interpretation of biomedical, health 
services, and health economics research and 
expertise in outcomes and effectiveness re-
search and technology assessment. Such 
membership shall also include representa-
tives of consumers and the elderly. 
‘‘(iii) MAJORITY NONPROVIDERS.—In-
dividuals who are directly involved in the 
provision or management of the delivery of 
items and services covered under this title 
shall not constitute a majority of the ap-
pointed membership of the Board. 
‘‘(C) ETHICAL DISCLOSURE.—The President 
shall establish a system for public disclosure by 
appointed members of the Board of financial and 
other potential conflicts of interest relating to 
such members. Appointed members of the Board 
shall be treated as officers in the executive 
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branch for purposes of applying title I of the 
Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (Public Law 
95–521). 
‘‘(D) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.—No indi-
vidual may serve as an appointed member if 
that individual engages in any other business, 
vocation, or employment. 
‘‘(E) CONSULTATION WITH CONGRESS.—In 
selecting individuals for nominations for ap-
pointments to the Board, the President shall con-
sult with— 
‘‘(i) the majority leader of the Senate 
concerning the appointment of 3 members; 
‘‘(ii) the Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives concerning the appointment of 
3 members; 
‘‘(iii) the minority leader of the Senate 
concerning the appointment of 3 members; 
and 
‘‘(iv) the minority leader of the House 
of Representatives concerning the appoint-
ment of 3 members. 
‘‘(2) TERM OF OFFICE.—Each appointed member 
shall hold office for a term of 6 years except that— 
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‘‘(A) a member may not serve more than 2 
full consecutive terms (but may be reappointed to 
2 full consecutive terms after being appointed to 
fill a vacancy on the Board); 
‘‘(B) a member appointed to fill a vacancy 
occurring prior to the expiration of the term for 
which that member’s predecessor was appointed 
shall be appointed for the remainder of such 
term; 
‘‘(C) a member may continue to serve after 
the expiration of the member’s term until a suc-
cessor has taken office; and 
‘‘(D) of the members first appointed under 
this section, 5 shall be appointed for a term of 
1 year, 5 shall be appointed for a term of 3 
years, and 5 shall be appointed for a term of 6 
years, the term of each to be designated by the 
President at the time of nomination. 
‘‘(3) CHAIRPERSON.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson shall 
be appointed by the President, by and with the 
advice and consent of the Senate, from among 
the members of the Board. 
‘‘(B) DUTIES.—The Chairperson shall be 
the principal executive officer of the Board, and 
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shall exercise all of the executive and administra-
tive functions of the Board, including functions 
of the Board with respect to— 
‘‘(i) the appointment and supervision 
of personnel employed by the Board; 
‘‘(ii) 
the 
distribution 
of 
business 
among personnel appointed and supervised 
by the Chairperson and among administra-
tive units of the Board; and 
‘‘(iii) the use and expenditure of funds. 
‘‘(C) GOVERNANCE.—In carrying out any of 
the functions under subparagraph (B), the 
Chairperson shall be governed by the general 
policies established by the Board and by the deci-
sions, findings, and determinations the Board 
shall by law be authorized to make. 
‘‘(D) REQUESTS
FOR
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
Requests or estimates for regular, supplemental, 
or deficiency appropriations on behalf of the 
Board may not be submitted by the Chairperson 
without the prior approval of a majority vote of 
the Board. 
‘‘(4) REMOVAL.—Any appointed member may be 
removed by the President for neglect of duty or mal-
feasance in office, but for no other cause. 
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‘‘(h) VACANCIES; QUORUM; SEAL; VICE CHAIRPERSON; 
VOTING ON REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) VACANCIES.—No vacancy on the Board 
shall impair the right of the remaining members to 
exercise all the powers of the Board. 
‘‘(2) QUORUM.—A majority of the appointed 
members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for 
the transaction of business, but a lesser number of 
members may hold hearings. 
‘‘(3) SEAL.—The Board shall have an official 
seal, of which judicial notice shall be taken. 
‘‘(4) VICE CHAIRPERSON.—The Board shall an-
nually elect a Vice Chairperson to act in the absence 
or disability of the Chairperson or in case of a va-
cancy in the office of the Chairperson. 
‘‘(5) VOTING ON PROPOSALS.—Any proposal of 
the Board must be approved by the majority of ap-
pointed members present. 
‘‘(i) POWERS OF THE BOARD.— 
‘‘(1) HEARINGS.—The Board may hold such 
hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take 
such testimony, and receive such evidence as the 
Board considers advisable to carry out this section. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORITY TO INFORM RESEARCH PRIOR-
ITIES FOR DATA COLLECTION.—The Board may ad-
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vise the Secretary on priorities for health services re-
search, particularly as such priorities pertain to nec-
essary changes and issues regarding payment reforms 
under Medicare. 
‘‘(3) OBTAINING
OFFICIAL
DATA.—The Board 
may secure directly from any department or agency 
of the United States information necessary to enable 
it to carry out this section. Upon request of the 
Chairperson, the head of that department or agency 
shall furnish that information to the Board on an 
agreed upon schedule. 
‘‘(4) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Board may use the 
United States mails in the same manner and under 
the same conditions as other departments and agen-
cies of the Federal Government. 
‘‘(5) GIFTS.—The Board may accept, use, and 
dispose of gifts or donations of services or property. 
‘‘(6) OFFICES.—The Board shall maintain a 
principal office and such field offices as it determines 
necessary, and may meet and exercise any of its pow-
ers at any other place. 
‘‘(j) PERSONNEL MATTERS.— 
‘‘(1) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS AND CHAIR-
PERSON.—Each appointed member, other than the 
Chairperson, shall be compensated at a rate equal to 
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the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level III 
of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 
5, United States Code. The Chairperson shall be com-
pensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the 
annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level II of the 
Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
‘‘(2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The appointed mem-
bers shall be allowed travel expenses, including per 
diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for 
employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 
57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from 
their homes or regular places of business in the per-
formance of services for the Board. 
‘‘(3) STAFF.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson may, 
without regard to the civil service laws and regu-
lations, appoint and terminate an executive di-
rector and such other additional personnel as 
may be necessary to enable the Board to perform 
its duties. The employment of an executive direc-
tor shall be subject to confirmation by the Board. 
‘‘(B) 
COMPENSATION.—The 
Chairperson 
may fix the compensation of the executive direc-
tor and other personnel without regard to chap-
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ter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 
5, United States Code, relating to classification 
of positions and General Schedule pay rates, ex-
cept that the rate of pay for the executive direc-
tor and other personnel may not exceed the rate 
payable for level V of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5316 of such title. 
‘‘(4) DETAIL
OF
GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEES.— 
Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to 
the Board without reimbursement, and such detail 
shall be without interruption or loss of civil service 
status or privilege. 
‘‘(5) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTER-
MITTENT SERVICES.—The Chairperson may procure 
temporary and intermittent services under section 
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for in-
dividuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of 
the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of 
the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such 
title. 
‘‘(k) CONSUMER ADVISORY COUNCIL.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established a con-
sumer advisory council to advise the Board on the 
impact of payment policies under this title on con-
sumers. 
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‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(A) NUMBER
AND
APPOINTMENT.—The 
consumer advisory council shall be composed of 
10 consumer representatives appointed by the 
Comptroller General of the United States, 1 from 
among each of the 10 regions established by the 
Secretary as of the date of enactment of this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(B) QUALIFICATIONS.—The membership of 
the council shall represent the interests of con-
sumers and particular communities. 
‘‘(3) DUTIES.—The consumer advisory council 
shall, subject to the call of the Board, meet not less 
frequently than 2 times each year in the District of 
Columbia. 
‘‘(4) OPEN MEETINGS.—Meetings of the consumer 
advisory council shall be open to the public. 
‘‘(5) ELECTION OF OFFICERS.—Members of the 
consumer advisory council shall elect their own offi-
cers. 
‘‘(6) APPLICATION OF FACA.—The Federal Advi-
sory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to 
the consumer advisory council except that section 14 
of such Act shall not apply. 
‘‘(l) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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‘‘(1) 
BOARD; 
CHAIRPERSON; 
MEMBER.—The 
terms ‘Board’, ‘Chairperson’, and ‘Member’ mean the 
Independent Medicare Advisory Board established 
under subsection (a) and the Chairperson and any 
Member thereof, respectively. 
‘‘(2) MEDICARE.—The term ‘Medicare’ means the 
program established under this title, including parts 
A, B, C, and D. 
‘‘(3) MEDICARE BENEFICIARY.—The term ‘Medi-
care beneficiary’ means an individual who is entitled 
to, or enrolled for, benefits under part A or enrolled 
for benefits under part B. 
‘‘(4) MEDICARE PROGRAM SPENDING.—The term 
‘Medicare program spending’ means program spend-
ing under parts A, B, and D net of premiums. 
‘‘(m) FUNDING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are appropriated to 
the Board to carry out its duties and functions— 
‘‘(A) for fiscal year 2012, $15,000,000; and 
‘‘(B) for each subsequent fiscal year, the 
amount appropriated under this paragraph for 
the previous fiscal year increased by the annual 
percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index 
for All Urban Consumers (all items; United 
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States city average) as of June of the previous 
fiscal year. 
‘‘(2) FROM
TRUST
FUNDS.—Sixty percent of 
amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) shall be 
derived by transfer from the Federal Hospital Insur-
ance Trust Fund under section 1817 and 40 percent 
of amounts appropriated under such paragraph shall 
be derived by transfer from the Federal Supple-
mentary Medical Insurance Trust Fund under section 
1841.’’. 
(2) LOBBYING COOLING-OFF PERIOD FOR MEM-
BERS
OF
THE
INDEPENDENT
MEDICARE
ADVISORY 
BOARD.—Section 207(c) of title 18, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) MEMBERS OF THE INDEPENDENT MEDICARE 
ADVISORY BOARD.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Paragraph (1) shall 
apply to a member of the Independent Medicare 
Advisory Board under section 1899A. 
‘‘(B) AGENCIES AND CONGRESS.—For pur-
poses of paragraph (1), the agency in which the 
individual described in subparagraph (A) served 
shall be considered to be the Independent Medi-
care Advisory Board, the Department of Health 
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and Human Services, and the relevant commit-
tees of jurisdiction of Congress, including the 
Committee on Ways and Means and the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Finance 
of the Senate.’’. 
(b) GAO STUDY AND REPORT ON DETERMINATION 
AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PAYMENT AND COVERAGE POLI-
CIES UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.— 
(1) INITIAL STUDY AND REPORT.— 
(A) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States (in this section referred to as 
the ‘‘Comptroller General’’) shall conduct a study 
on changes to payment policies, methodologies, 
and rates and coverage policies and methodolo-
gies under the Medicare program under title 
XVIII of the Social Security Act as a result of 
the recommendations contained in the proposals 
made by the Independent Medicare Advisory 
Board under section 1899A of such Act (as added 
by subsection (a)), including an analysis of the 
effect of such recommendations on— 
(i) Medicare beneficiary access to pro-
viders and items and services; 
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(ii) the affordability of Medicare pre-
miums 
and 
cost-sharing 
(including 
deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments); 
(iii) the potential impact of changes on 
other government or private-sector pur-
chasers and payers of care; and 
(iv) quality of patient care, including 
patient experience, outcomes, and other 
measures of care. 
(B) REPORT.—Not later than July 1, 2015, 
the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress 
a report containing the results of the study con-
ducted under subparagraph (A), together with 
recommendations for such legislation and ad-
ministrative action as the Comptroller General 
determines appropriate. 
(2) SUBSEQUENT STUDIES AND REPORTS.—The 
Comptroller General shall periodically conduct such 
additional studies and submit reports to Congress on 
changes to Medicare payments policies, methodologies, 
and rates and coverage policies and methodologies as 
the Comptroller General determines appropriate, in 
consultation with the Committee on Ways and Means 
and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
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House of Representatives and the Committee on Fi-
nance of the Senate. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 1805(b) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395b–6(b)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (8) 
as paragraphs (5) through (9), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) REVIEW
AND
COMMENT
ON
THE
INDE-
PENDENT
MEDICARE
ADVISORY
BOARD
OR
SECRE-
TARIAL PROPOSAL.—If the Independent Medicare Ad-
visory Board (as established under subsection (a) of 
section 1899A) or the Secretary submits a proposal to 
the Commission under such section in a year, the 
Commission shall review the proposal and, not later 
than March 1 of that year, submit to the Committee 
on Ways and Means and the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Finance of the Senate written com-
ments on such proposal. Such comments may include 
such recommendations as the Commission deems ap-
propriate.’’. 
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HR 3590 EAS/PP 
Subtitle F—Health Care Quality 
Improvements 
SEC. 3501. HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM RESEARCH; 
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT TECHNICAL ASSIST-
ANCE. 
Part D of title IX of the Public Health Service Act, 
as amended by section 3013, is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘Subpart II—Health Care Quality Improvement 
Programs 
‘‘SEC. 933. HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM RESEARCH. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purposes of this section are to— 
‘‘(1) enable the Director to identify, develop, 
evaluate, disseminate, and provide training in inno-
vative methodologies and strategies for quality im-
provement practices in the delivery of health care 
services that represent best practices (referred to as 
‘best practices’) in health care quality, safety, and 
value; and 
‘‘(2) ensure that the Director is accountable for 
implementing a model to pursue such research in a 
collaborative manner with other related Federal agen-
cies. 
‘‘(b) GENERAL FUNCTIONS
OF
THE CENTER.—The 
Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety of the 
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Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (referred to 
in this section as the ‘Center’), or any other relevant agency 
or department designated by the Director, shall— 
‘‘(1) carry out its functions using research from 
a variety of disciplines, which may include epidemi-
ology, health services, sociology, psychology, human 
factors engineering, biostatistics, health economics, 
clinical research, and health informatics; 
‘‘(2) conduct or support activities consistent with 
the purposes described in subsection (a), and for— 
‘‘(A) best practices for quality improvement 
practices in the delivery of health care services; 
and 
‘‘(B) that include changes in processes of 
care and the redesign of systems used by pro-
viders that will reliably result in intended health 
outcomes, improve patient safety, and reduce 
medical errors (such as skill development for 
health care providers in team-based health care 
delivery and rapid cycle process improvement) 
and facilitate adoption of improved workflow; 
‘‘(3) identify health care providers, including 
health care systems, single institutions, and indi-
vidual providers, that— 
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‘‘(A) deliver consistently high-quality, effi-
cient health care services (as determined by the 
Secretary); and 
‘‘(B) employ best practices that are adapt-
able and scalable to diverse health care settings 
or effective in improving care across diverse set-
tings; 
‘‘(4) assess research, evidence, and knowledge 
about what strategies and methodologies are most ef-
fective in improving health care delivery; 
‘‘(5) find ways to translate such information 
rapidly and effectively into practice, and document 
the sustainability of those improvements; 
‘‘(6) create strategies for quality improvement 
through the development of tools, methodologies, and 
interventions that can successfully reduce variations 
in the delivery of health care; 
‘‘(7) identify, measure, and improve organiza-
tional, human, or other causative factors, including 
those related to the culture and system design of a 
health care organization, that contribute to the success 
and sustainability of specific quality improvement 
and patient safety strategies; 
‘‘(8) provide for the development of best practices 
in the delivery of health care services that— 
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‘‘(A) have a high likelihood of success, based 
on structured review of empirical evidence; 
‘‘(B) are specified with sufficient detail of 
the individual processes, steps, training, skills, 
and knowledge required for implementation and 
incorporation into workflow of health care prac-
titioners in a variety of settings; 
‘‘(C) are designed to be readily adapted by 
health care providers in a variety of settings; 
and 
‘‘(D) where applicable, assist health care 
providers in working with other health care pro-
viders across the continuum of care and in en-
gaging patients and their families in improving 
the care and patient health outcomes; 
‘‘(9) provide for the funding of the activities of 
organizations with recognized expertise and excellence 
in improving the delivery of health care services, in-
cluding children’s health care, by involving multiple 
disciplines, managers of health care entities, broad de-
velopment and training, patients, caregivers and fam-
ilies, and frontline health care workers, including ac-
tivities for the examination of strategies to share best 
quality improvement practices and to promote excel-
lence in the delivery of health care services; and 
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‘‘(10) build capacity at the State and commu-
nity level to lead quality and safety efforts through 
education, training, and mentoring programs to 
carry out the activities under paragraphs (1) through 
(9). 
‘‘(c) RESEARCH FUNCTIONS OF CENTER.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Center shall support, 
such as through a contract or other mechanism, re-
search on health care delivery system improvement 
and the development of tools to facilitate adoption of 
best practices that improve the quality, safety, and ef-
ficiency of health care delivery services. Such support 
may include establishing a Quality Improvement Net-
work Research Program for the purpose of testing, 
scaling, and disseminating of interventions to im-
prove quality and efficiency in health care. Recipients 
of funding under the Program may include national, 
State, multi-State, or multi-site quality improvement 
networks. 
‘‘(2) RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS.—The research 
conducted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall— 
‘‘(A) address the priorities identified by the 
Secretary in the national strategic plan estab-
lished under section 399HH; 
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‘‘(B) identify areas in which evidence is in-
sufficient to identify strategies and methodolo-
gies, taking into consideration areas of insuffi-
cient evidence identified by the entity with a 
contract under section 1890(a) of the Social Se-
curity Act in the report required under section 
399JJ; 
‘‘(C) address concerns identified by health 
care institutions and providers and commu-
nicated through the Center pursuant to sub-
section (d); 
‘‘(D) reduce preventable morbidity, mor-
tality, and associated costs of morbidity and 
mortality by building capacity for patient safety 
research; 
‘‘(E) support the discovery of processes for 
the reliable, safe, efficient, and responsive deliv-
ery of health care, taking into account discov-
eries from clinical research and comparative ef-
fectiveness research; 
‘‘(F) allow communication of research find-
ings and translate evidence into practice rec-
ommendations that are adaptable to a variety of 
settings, and which, as soon as practicable after 
the establishment of the Center, shall include— 
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‘‘(i) the implementation of a national 
application of Intensive Care Unit improve-
ment projects relating to the adult (includ-
ing geriatric), pediatric, and neonatal pa-
tient populations; 
‘‘(ii) practical methods for addressing 
health care associated infections, including 
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus 
and Vancomycin-Resistant Entercoccus in-
fections and other emerging infections; and 
‘‘(iii) practical methods for reducing 
preventable hospital admissions and re-
admissions; 
‘‘(G) expand demonstration projects for im-
proving the quality of children’s health care and 
the use of health information technology, such as 
through 
Pediatric 
Quality 
Improvement 
Collaboratives and Learning Networks, consistent 
with provisions of section 1139A of the Social 
Security Act for assessing and improving qual-
ity, where applicable; 
‘‘(H) identify and mitigate hazards by— 
‘‘(i) analyzing events reported to pa-
tient safety reporting systems and patient 
safety organizations; and 
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‘‘(ii) using the results of such analyses 
to develop scientific methods of response to 
such events; 
‘‘(I) include the conduct of systematic re-
views of existing practices that improve the qual-
ity, safety, and efficiency of health care delivery, 
as well as new research on improving such prac-
tices; and 
‘‘(J) include the examination of how to 
measure and evaluate the progress of quality and 
patient safety activities. 
‘‘(d) DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS.— 
‘‘(1) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Director shall 
make the research findings of the Center available to 
the public through multiple media and appropriate 
formats to reflect the varying needs of health care pro-
viders and consumers and diverse levels of health lit-
eracy. 
‘‘(2) LINKAGE TO HEALTH INFORMATION TECH-
NOLOGY.—The Secretary shall ensure that research 
findings and results generated by the Center are 
shared with the Office of the National Coordinator of 
Health Information Technology and used to inform 
the activities of the health information technology ex-
tension program under section 3012, as well as any 
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relevant standards, certification criteria, or imple-
mentation specifications. 
‘‘(e) PRIORITIZATION.—The Director shall identify 
and regularly update a list of processes or systems on which 
to focus research and dissemination activities of the Center, 
taking into account— 
‘‘(1) the cost to Federal health programs; 
‘‘(2) consumer assessment of health care experi-
ence; 
‘‘(3) provider assessment of such processes or sys-
tems and opportunities to minimize distress and in-
jury to the health care workforce; 
‘‘(4) the potential impact of such processes or 
systems on health status and function of patients, in-
cluding vulnerable populations including children; 
‘‘(5) the areas of insufficient evidence identified 
under subsection (c)(2)(B); and 
‘‘(6) the evolution of meaningful use of health in-
formation technology, as defined in section 3000. 
‘‘(f) COORDINATION.—The Center shall coordinate its 
activities with activities conducted by the Center for Medi-
care and Medicaid Innovation established under section 
1115A of the Social Security Act. 
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‘‘(g) FUNDING.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for fiscal years 
2010 through 2014. 
‘‘SEC. 934. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT TECHNICAL ASSIST-
ANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director, through the Center 
for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety of the Agency 
for Healthcare Research and Quality (referred to in this 
section as the ‘Center’), shall award— 
‘‘(1) technical assistance grants or contracts to 
eligible entities to provide technical support to insti-
tutions that deliver health care and health care pro-
viders (including rural and urban providers of serv-
ices and suppliers with limited infrastructure and fi-
nancial resources to implement and support quality 
improvement activities, providers of services and sup-
pliers with poor performance scores, and providers of 
services and suppliers for which there are disparities 
in care among subgroups of patients) so that such in-
stitutions and providers understand, adapt, and im-
plement the models and practices identified in the re-
search conducted by the Center, including the Quality 
Improvement Networks Research Program; and 
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‘‘(2) implementation grants or contracts to eligi-
ble entities to implement the models and practices de-
scribed under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
‘‘(1) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AWARD.—To be eli-
gible to receive a technical assistance grant or con-
tract under subsection (a)(1), an entity— 
‘‘(A) may be a health care provider, health 
care provider association, professional society, 
health care worker organization, Indian health 
organization, quality improvement organization, 
patient safety organization, local quality im-
provement collaborative, the Joint Commission, 
academic health center, university, physician- 
based research network, primary care extension 
program established under section 399W, a Fed-
eral Indian Health Service program or a health 
program operated by an Indian tribe (as defined 
in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improve-
ment Act), or any other entity identified by the 
Secretary; and 
‘‘(B) shall have demonstrated expertise in 
providing information and technical support 
and assistance to health care providers regarding 
quality improvement. 
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Office shall be headed by a Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Women’s Health who may report to the Secretary. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Secretary, acting through the Of-
fice, with respect to the health concerns of women, shall— 
‘‘(1) establish short-range and long-range goals 
and objectives within the Department of Health and 
Human Services and, as relevant and appropriate, 
coordinate with other appropriate offices on activities 
within the Department that relate to disease preven-
tion, health promotion, service delivery, research, and 
public and health care professional education, for 
issues of particular concern to women throughout 
their lifespan; 
‘‘(2) provide expert advice and consultation to 
the Secretary concerning scientific, legal, ethical, and 
policy issues relating to women’s health; 
‘‘(3) monitor the Department of Health and 
Human Services’ offices, agencies, and regional ac-
tivities regarding women’s health and identify needs 
regarding the coordination of activities, including in-
tramural and extramural multidisciplinary activi-
ties; 
‘‘(4) establish a Department of Health and 
Human Services Coordinating Committee on Wom-
en’s Health, which shall be chaired by the Deputy As-
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‘‘(I) through an interactive telephonic or 
web-based program that meets the standards es-
tablished under subparagraph (B); 
‘‘(II) during an encounter with a health 
care professional; 
‘‘(III) through community-based prevention 
programs; or 
‘‘(IV) through any other means the Sec-
retary determines appropriate to maximize ac-
cessibility and ease of use by beneficiaries, while 
ensuring the privacy of such beneficiaries. 
‘‘(B) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this subsection, the Secretary shall establish standards 
for interactive telephonic or web-based programs used to 
furnish health risk assessments under subparagraph 
(A)(ii)(I). The Secretary may utilize any health risk assess-
ment developed under section 4004(f) of the Patient Protec-
tion and Affordable Care Act as part of the requirement 
to develop a personalized prevention plan to comply with 
this subparagraph. 
‘‘(C)(i) Not later than 18 months after the date of en-
actment of this subsection, the Secretary shall develop and 
make available to the public a health risk assessment model. 
Such model shall meet the guidelines under subparagraph 
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