OpportunityTitle: Regional Collaborative for the Pacific Basin
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Eligible applicants are public or private non-profit entities that are part of an established network representing the six U.S.-affiliated Pacific Basin jurisdictions (U.S. flag territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the three freely associated states of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau) which is responsible to support, and provide for, the delivery of health care services and health workforce development, and will work together to complete the proposed project.  Applicants must have significant, documented experience in successfully addressing issues affecting the delivery of health care in the six Pacific Basin jurisdictions.  Applications that fail to show such experience will not be considered.
Description: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces the availability of fiscal year 2010 funds for a grant program to support a Regional Collaborative for the Pacific Basin (RCPB) to serve as a regional health policy body organized to improve the health of residents in the six U.S.-affiliated Pacific Basin jurisdictions (American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau). The Regional Collaborative is intended to serve as a formal mechanism to discuss common health interests, problems and concerns; to promote and enhance a regional approach for cost-effective sharing of resources, data, health information, and human expertise to advance health care improvements in the Pacific Basin; and to provide technical assistance to the Pacific Basin jurisdictions to improve the health of the residents in the six U.S.-affiliated Pacific Basin jurisdictions. The RCPB program has the following goals for the Pacific Basin: (1) serve as the a regional Primary Care Office (PCO) representing the six jurisdictions; (2) develop and advance a dynamic strategic plan that addresses the primary care and public health needs of the jurisdictions; (3) promote partnerships across different regions, disciplines, funding sources, and sectors; (4) assure a continuous process of community engagement; (5) provide technical and grant-writing assistance to the Pacific Basin jurisdictions. A goal of this funding opportunity is to support a regional Primary Care Office (PCO) for the Pacific Basin to address the following overarching goals: 1. Fostering Collaboration. 2. Providing Technical Assistance to organizations/communities wishing to expand access to primary care for underserved populations. 3. Providing Technical Assistance to support Needs Assessment/Data Sharing. 4. Providing Technical Assistance for Workforce Development for the NHSC and Safety Net/Health Center Network. 5. Providing Technical Assistance to improve Shortage Designation. Another goal is to develop and advance a dynamic strategic plan that addresses the primary care and public health needs. As stated in the Institute of Medicine&apos;s (IOM) study on Pacific Partnerships for Health: Charting a Course for the 21st Century, improving the health of the six USAPIs will require a four-pronged approach: 1. Adopt and support a viable system of community-based primary care and preventive services. 2. Improve coordination within and between the jurisdictions and the United States. 3. Increase community involvement and investment in health care. 4. Promote the education and training of the health care workforce. Any strategic plan should incorporate clear goals, strategies, measurable metrics, timelines, and entities accountable in tracking, addressing, and improving these critical need areas. Another goal is to promote coordination and partnerships across different regions, disciplines, sectors, and funding sources. Many federal and community partners in the region identified a need to promote collaboration, sharing, and leveraging of resources amongst the different regional councils and associations whether they represent different disciplines (e.g., Pacific Basin Medical Association, Pacific Basin Dental Association, American Pacific Nursing Leaders Council), different conditions (e.g., Pacific Islands TB Controllers Association, Pacific Substance Abuse and Mental Health Collaborating Council, Cancer Council of the Pacific Islands, Tobacco Council, Pacific Chronic Disease Coalition), different sectors (e.g., Pacific Islands Primary Care Association, Pacific Basin Area Health Education Centers), or different funding sources (e.g., HRSA, CDC, SAMHSA, NIH). Within the framework of promoting partnerships across different disciplines and sectors, HRSA is very interested in the integration of behavioral health, oral health, and public health with primary care. Thus, a trans-disciplinary and trans-sectoral approach to improving health in the Pacific Basin should be an integral part of a strategic plan. Spread across 107 inhabited islands covering an expanse of ocean larger than the continental US, the six USAPIs are diverse and community involvement and engagement is very challenging. Based on feedback from federal and community partners in the region, many reinforced and emphasized the need to assure and increase community engagement and involvement. There was a clearly identified need for technical assistance with a special emphasis on grant-writing assistance towards filling gap funding opportunities and increasing the number of approvable applications for HHS funding (e.g., high-need eligible Pacific Island(s) that have not been able to successfully compete for grant programs that other eligible high-need Pacific Islands have been able to obtain). Based on a recent analysis of funding in the Pacific, identified gap funding opportunities include but are not limited to strengthening the primary care and public health delivery systems, supporting regional laboratory capacities, enhancing regional human resources capacities, supporting rural health outreach and network activities, enhancing telehealth and distance education capacities, supporting health workforce development, community-based participatory research, health disparities research, and different categorical funding streams in a variety of chronic, infectious, and behavioral conditions. Successful applications and awards for these grants could potentially lead to consistent sources of funding which can help to further improve and stabilize the primary care and public health infrastructure of the Pacific Basin. In summary, the purpose of this funding opportunity is to improve the health of the Pacific by focusing on planning, partnerships, community engagement, technical/grant-writing assistance, and the creation of a regional PCO for the six USAPI jurisdictions.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Contact HRSA Call Center at 877-Go4-HRSA/877-464-4772;301-998-7373 or email
GrantorContactText: CallCenter@HRSA.GOV&lt;br/&gt;CallCenter@HRSA.GOV&lt;br/&gt;