Ryan White HIV/AIDS Part C Capacity Development Program
This announcement solicits applications for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part C Capacity Development Program to assist current Part C recipients in their efforts to strengthen their organizational infrastructure and to increase their capacity to develop, enhance, or expand access to high quality HIV primary health care services for low-income, uninsured, underinsured, and underserved people living with HIV (PLWH). The FY 2016 RWHAP Part C Capacity Development Program provides one-time funds to build local capacity of RWHAP Part C recipients to support a system-wide activity that addresses a gap in their local HIV care continuum. Funding under this program is not intended to support long-term activities. Instead, the proposed activity should be of a short-term nature and should be completed by the end of the one-year project period for this funding opportunity. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is for existing RWHAP Part C recipients only. Applicants may submit proposals for one of the following categories to address the gaps and need for a comprehensive continuum of outpatient HIV primary care services: 1) HIV Care Innovation or 2) Infrastructure Development. Applicants must select one category and one type of activity from the selected category.  Applicants may propose an expansion of activities currently supported with Part C Capacity funding; however, the same activity proposed and funded in FY 2015 will not be considered for funding in FY 2016. 1) HIV Care Innovation HIV Care Innovation activities should identify and address a specific point or points along the HIV care continuum to target for maximum impact. This funding will assist RWHAP Part C Early Intervention Services (EIS) recipients in supporting a system-wide activity that addresses a gap or gaps in the local HIV care continuum. In addition, HIV Care Innovation activities support the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Updated to 2020 (NHAS 2020) goals by funding focused activities to address identified gaps in the HIV care continuum. The following types of activities are allowable for funding under this announcement.  Applicants applying under this category should select only one of the four activities listed below: HIV Case Finding - Train designated staff in HIV case finding techniques through local health departments and/or through CDC-funded training centers (http://nnptc.org/) and apply these skills in the clinical setting to link persons into care after HIV testing to address one or both of the following stages of the HIV care continuum: (1) Linkage to HIV medical care or (2) Retention in HIV medical care. Motivational Interviewing - Train staff in Motivational Interviewing through the local AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETCs) or other resources to engage patients in care. Work with both staff and patients on retention and facilitate staff application of the training in the clinical setting to address one or more of the following stages of the HIV care continuum: (1) Linkage to HIV medical care, (2) Retention in HIV medical care, or (3) Appropriate prescription of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). Patient-Based Treatment Adherence - Implement an innovative, patient-based treatment adherence program to provide long-term adherence support for chronically non-adherent patients and apply the program to address the one or both of the following stages of the HIV care continuum: (1) Appropriate prescription of ART or (2) HIV viral suppression. Patient Chronic Disease Self-Management - Institute a clinic-wide Chronic Disease Management Program for HIV/AIDS based on the Stanford program or other resources for patient self-management (e.g., http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/final-reports/ptmgmt/index.html) to engage patients in long-term disease control and apply the program to address one or both of the following stages of the HIV care continuum: (1) Retention in HIV medical care or (2) HIV viral suppression. b) Infrastructure Development Infrastructure development activities should identify and address a specific point or points along the HIV care continuum to be targeted for maximum impact. This funding opportunity will assist RWHAP Part C EIS recipients by promoting organizational infrastructure development and increasing the capacity of organizations to enhance their ability to meet the changing health care landscape. Funding is intended to increase the capacity of the organization to respond to Affordable Care Act opportunities, which leads to the delivery or improvement of HIV primary care services, supports the Presidentâ₏™s HIV Continuum of Care Initiative and addresses one or more of the NHAS 2020 goals. Applicants applying under this category should select only one of the four activities listed below: Electronic Health Records (EHR) - Purchasing and implementing EHRs to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient health care. Describe the plan to implement the EHR and the specific linkages to the HIV care continuum stage(s) that will be addressed: (1) Linkage to HIV medical care, (2) Retention in HIV medical care, (3) Appropriate prescription of ART, or (4) Achieving a high HIV viral load suppression rate. HAB requires that any EHR or EHR component purchased, in whole or in part, with Federal funds meets the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) requirements for certification. To improve the quality of clinical data collected, HAB further requires that any EHR or EHR component be configured to report appropriate clinical data electronically for HAB reporting (http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/ehrguidelines.html). Additionally, HHS has released standards for the meaningful use of EHRs. This is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) with an incentive program for both Medicaid and Medicare providers. Clinical care providers under RWHAP Parts A [Section 2604 (g)(1) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act], B [Section 2617 (b)(5)(F) of the PHS Act] and C [Section 2652 (b)(1) of the PHS Act] are required to participate in state Medicaid programs. Consequently, it is expected that such RWHAP recipients and providers will begin to use a certified EHR in the provision of care (http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/index.html?redirect=/EHRincentiveprograms/). Financial Management Systems - Purchasing and implementing a financial accounting system or software capable of managing multiple sources of funding for HIV primary care services, as well as actual expenses by line item and enhancing the billing process for third party reimbursement. The proposed system can address, but is not to be limited to, budget management topics, such as fiscal oversight, subrecipient monitoring, and tracking expenditures by cost categories. Applicants are expected to develop protocols and billing policies based on the use of this enhanced system and illustrate how the activity will address one or more of the following stages of the HIV care continuum: (1) Linkage to HIV medical care, (2) Retention in HIV medical care, (3) appropriate prescription of ART, or (4) Achieving a high HIV viral load suppression rate. Management Information System - Identifying, establishing and strengthening administrative, managerial, and management information system (MIS) structures to offer, enhance, or expand comprehensive HIV primary healthcare especially in the context of the Affordable Care Act. In addition, another activity can be the purchase of software to interface CAREWare with existing electronic health records to specifically improve data collection, reporting, and/or quality improvement activities that will address one or more of the following stages of the HIV care continuum: (1) Linkage to HIV medical care, (2) Retention in HIV medical care, (3) Appropriate prescription of ART, or (4) Achieving a high HIV viral load suppression rate. According to statute, HRSA shall give preference to entities that provide primary care services in rural areas or to underserved populations in making awards for this program. More information about these preferences can be found in Section V of this FOA.
Office: Health Resources and Services Administration
mli@hrsa.gov
