ARRA Public Health

ARRA--Public Health

FFIS Reports

Issue Brief 09-08 ARRA Continues Health Centers Expansion, March 11, 2009

Agency Announcements

July 1, 2010: HHS Awards $96 Million to Train Health Care Professionals The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $96 million in awards, funded by ARRA and FY 2010 appropriations, to support the training of nursing students. For more information and to view the awards by state, see: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/07/20100701d.html

June 3, 2010: HHS Awards $83.9 Million for HIT Systems HHS announced $83.9 million in grants to help networks of health centers adopt electronic health records (EHR) and other health information technology (HIT) systems. To view the awards by state, see:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/06/20100603a.html

May 26, 2010: Additional Beacon Community Funding Opportunity HHS announced that $30.3 million is available to fund additional Beacon Community cooperative agreement awards. This program, funding under ARRA, provides communities with funding to build and strengthen their health information technology infrastructure and exchange capabilities. For more information, see: http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=1422&parentname=CommunityPage&parentid=67&mode=2&in_hi_userid=11673&cached=true

May 14, 2010: HHS Awards $1 Billion in National Institutes of Health ARRA Awards HHS announced $1 billion in awards to construct or improve biomedical research facilities. To view the awards by state, go to:
http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/the_american_recovery_and_reinvestment_act/construction_programs/

May 4, 2010: HHS Announces ARRA Health IT Awards HHS announced awards for the Beacon Community Program, which provides funding to communities to build and strengthen their health information technology (health IT) infrastructure, and exchange capabilities. To view the awards, go to: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/05/20100504a.html

April 6, 2010: HHS Announces ARRA Funds for New Health IT Regional Extension Centers HHS announced that more than $267 million has been awarded to 28 additional non-profit organizations to establish Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers (RECs). Additional information, including a list of awardees, is available at:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/04/20100406a.html

April 2, 2010: HHS Awards $144 Million in ARRA Health Information Technology (HIT) Funds to IHEs HHS awarded funds to Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) and major research centers to assist with the widespread adoption and meaningful use of HIT. To view the awards, see:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/04/20100402a.html

March 30, 2010: HHS Awards $27 Million for Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs for Older Americans HHS announced the award of ARRA funds for the Communities Putting Prevention to Work Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, which will allow 45 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia to provide self-management programs to older adults with chronic diseases, build statewide delivery systems, and develop the workforce that delivers these programs. For more information and awards by state, go to:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/03/20100330a.html

March 19, 2010: HHS Awards $372 Million in ARRA Prevention and Wellness Grants HHS announced awards of more than $372 million to 44 communities to support public health efforts to reduce obesity and smoking, increase physical activity, and improve nutrition. For more information, including a listing of grant awardees, see:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/03/20100319a.html

March 15, 2010: HHS Awards an Additional $162 Million for Health IT HHS awarded $162 million in ARRA funds to help states facilitate health information exchange and advance health information technology (IT). Every state has now been awarded funds under this program. For additional information and to view the awards, go to:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/03/20100315a.html

March 2, 2010: ONC Issues Proposed Rule for HIT Certification The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology (HIT) released the last of three rules required by the HITECH Act provisions included in ARRA. The latest rule explains the processes for organizations to apply for temporary or permanent authorization to become certification bodies. The proposed rule is available at: http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_11673_910783_0_0_18/ONC_NPRM_FINAL.pdf

February 12, 2010: HHS Awards Grants to Support Health Information Technology (HIT), Job Training HHS announced the award of ARRA grants totaling $975 million for HIT related initiatives, including the use of electronic health records and training workers for health care jobs. The listing of awards to states and non-profit organizations is available at:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/02/20100212a.html

February 5, 2010: HHS Awards $119 Million to States for Prevention and Wellness Initiatives HHS awarded ARRA funds to states and territories to support public health efforts to reduce obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease smoking. More information is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/recovery/

To view the awards by state, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/recovery/docs/State_prevention_and_wellness_ARRA_awards_fact_sheet.pdf

December 30, 2009: CMS Proposes Requirements for EHR Medicare and Medicaid Incentive Payment Programs The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposed rule to implement the provisions of ARRA that provide incentive payments to eligible professionals and hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs that adopt and meaningfully use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. The rule includes a 60-day comment period. To view the proposed rule, see: http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2009-31217_PI.pdf

The following fact sheet summarizes the provisions in the proposed rule affecting state Medicaid programs and Medicaid providers: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=3562&intNumPerPage=10&checkDate=&checkKey=&srchType=
1&numDays=3500&srchOpt=0&srchData=&keywordType=All&chkNewsType
=6&intPage=&showAll=&pYear=&year=&desc=&cboOrder=date

The following fact sheet summarizes CMS's proposed definition of meaningful use: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=3564&intNumPerPage=10&checkDate=&checkKey=&srchType=
1&numDays=3500&srchOpt=0&srchData=&keywordType=All&chkNewsType
=6&intPage=&showAll=&pYear=&year=&desc=&cboOrder=date

December 18, 2009: HHS Announces $60 Million for Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) HHS announced plans to make $60 million available to support SHARP projects, which focuses on the following areas: security of health information technology, patient-centered cognitive support, health care application and network platform architectures, secondary use of electronic health record data. Authorized by ARRA, these cooperative agreements are part of a series of grants to help strengthen and support the use of health information technology. Applications are due on January 25, 2010, with awards anticipated in March 2010. Additional information is available at:
http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=1436&mode=2

December 16, 2009: HHS Announces $27 Million in ARRA Funds to Help Older Individuals Fight Chronic Disease HHS announced the availability of $27 million to help older individuals with chronic conditions improve their health and reduce their use of costly medical care. States and territories are eligible for this competitive grant opportunity. The application deadline is February 12, 2010. For more details, see:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/12/20091216a.html

December 9, 2009: Administration Releases Almost $600 Million in ARRA Funds for Community Health Centers The administration announced the release of nearly $600 million in ARRA funding to support capital improvement projects at community health centers (CHC) and to help CHCs adopt health information technology systems. Of the total, $509 million is for the Facility Investment Program and $88 million is for Health Center Controlled Networks. For a list of awards, go to:
http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/hrsa/recovery_health_cntr_awards.html

December 8, 2009: HRSA to Hold Technical Assistance Call on Health Centers The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will hold a technical assistance call on ARRA Health Centers Section 1512 reporting for the January 2010 submission. Details on the call are available below: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/recovery/hcqr/

HHS Announces Plans for Beacon Community Program HHS announced plans to make available $235 million from health information technology funds included in ARRA to support an innovative Beacon Community Program. The program will provide grants to build and strengthen health IT infrastructure and health information exchange capabilities within 15 communities. Awards will be made to 15 non-profit or government entities representing geographic health care communities. For more information on the program, including the funding announcement, go to:
http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=1422&parentname=CommunityPage&parentid=102&mode=2&in_hi_userid=11113&cached=true

December 1, 2009: Updated Health Center Quarterly Reporting Manual The Health Resources and Services Administration updated its Health Center Quarterly Reporting Manual. To view the manual, go to: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/recovery/hcqr/

November 24, 2009: HHS Plans to Make $80 Million Available to Support Health IT Workforce HHS announced that it will make available $70 million for community college training programs and $10 million to develop educational materials to support these programs. Both grant opportunities are aimed at addressing the need for skilled health information technology professionals. To view the press release and access the grant application, go to: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/11/20091124a.html

November 23, 2009: HHS Awards Health IT Funds to First State HHS announced that Iowa's Medicaid program is the first to receive federal matching funds for planning activities necessary to implement the electronic health record (EHR) incentive program established by ARRA. Iowa will receive approximately $1.16 million in federal matching funds. Additional information on implementation of the Medicaid-related provisions of the Recovery Acts EHR incentive payment program may be found at:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Recovery/11_HealthIT.asp#TopOfPage

November 17, 2009: ARRA Faculty Loan Repayment Funds Awarded HHS announced $1.2 million to help health professions faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds repay their student loans. These funds are part of the $500 million in ARRA to address workforce shortages. For amounts by state, go to: http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2009/flrprelease.htm

November 10, 2009: ARRA Funding to Improve Care in Ambulatory Surgical Centers HHS announced the availability of up to $9 million in ARRA funding for state survey agencies targeted at reducing health care-associated infections (HAIs) in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). Additional information is available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/11/20091110a.html

October 1, 2009: HHS Announces Awards for Health Care Recruitment HHS announced 63 awards totaling more than $7.6 million to help states recruit new health care clinicians and alleviate their debt burden. The funds are part of the $500 million included in ARRA to address workforce shortages and encourage diversity in the health professions. A list of grants by state is available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/09/20090930c.html

September 29, 2009: HHS Releases ARRA Funds to Health Centers HHS released $27.8 million in ARRA funds to health centers to expand the use of health information technology (HIT). These funds are part of the $2 billion in ARRA to expand health centers. For a list of grant recipients, see:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/09/20090929a.html

September 29, 2009: HHS Releases Funds for Prevention, Wellness Programs HHS announced the release of $120 million in cooperative agreements approved as part of ARRA for prevention and wellness programs for states and territories. The cooperative agreements will be awarded to states and territories for three components: statewide policy and environmental change, tobacco cessation through quit lines and media campaigns, and special initiatives to create health-promoting policies and environments. The application deadline is November 24, 2009. For more information, see:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/09/20090929b.html

September 17, 2009: Funding for Prevention and Wellness HHS announced that $650 million in funding included in ARRA would be used to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, decrease obesity, and decrease smoking in U.S. communities. HHS released information on a funding opportunity for communities and tribes to apply for $373 million in cooperative agreements for the comprehensive public health initiative, Communities Putting Prevention to Work, to be led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/09/20090917a.html

September 11, 2009: Additional Training Funds for Health Professions HHS announced an additional $33 million in ARRA funds to train health professions. These funds are part of the $500 million to address workforce shortages under ARRA. The press release and awards by state are available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/09/20090911b.html

September 1, 2009: HIT Provisions The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a State Medicaid Director Letter on the Health Information Technology (HIT) provisions in ARRA. ARRA allows for 100% federal financial participation (FFP) for state expenditures for Medicaid provider incentive payments to encourage electronic health record (EHR) technologyand for demonstrating meaningful use. According to the letter, upon receipt, states may immediately request the 90% FFP match for administrative planning activities. The letter also advises states to immediately contact their CMS regional office for further guidance and maintain ongoing communication while initiating planning activities. The guidance statesthat planning activities are for the purposes of administering the incentive payments to providers, ensuring their proper payments, auditing and monitoring of such payments, and participating in statewide efforts to promote interoperability and meaningful use of EHRs. CMS indicated the agency is developing rulemaking that will provide more detailed instruction on provider eligibility and rules for participation. The proposed rulemaking is expected by the end of this year. The letter is available at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/SMDL/SMD/itemdetail.asp?filterType=none&filterByDID=0&sortByDID=1&sortOrder=descending&itemID=CMS1228276&intNumPerPage=1

August 2009: HAI Prevention Funding ARRA included $50 million to support states in the prevention and reduction of health care-associated infections (HAI). Recovery.gov recently posted a website on this initiative: http://www.cdc.gov/hai/recoveryact/

August 20, 2009: HHS Announces HITECH Grants HHS announced the first two HITECH priority grant programs. Specifically, $564 million is being made available under the State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program and $598 million through the Health Information Technology Extension Program. The grant announcement and program fact sheets are available at:
http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/hitech/index.html

August 19, 2009: HIPAA Update HHS released interim final regulations requiring health care providers, health plans, and other entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to notify individuals when their health information is breached. These regulationsimplement provisions of ARRA. The rule and additional information are available at:
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/coveredentities/breachnotificationifr.html

August 12, 2009: Loan Repayments to Nurses HHS announced $8.1 million for loan repayments to nurses who agree to practice in facilities with critical shortages and $5.3 million for schools of nursing to provide loans to students who will become nurse faculty.
Press Release: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/08/20090812a.html

For a list of institutions receiving awards:
http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2009/nflp_arra.htm
http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2009/nelrprecips.htm

August 12, 2009: NIH Grants A list of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants funded by ARRA for each state is available at:
http://report.nih.gov/recovery/arragrants.cfm

August 12, 2009: CMS FAQ Website The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services now has a frequently asked questions website for ARRA Health IT:
https://questions.cms.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/cmshhs.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_pv=3.1058&p_prods=21%2C26%2C1058

July 30, 2009: ARRA Funding for Ambulatory Surgical Centers HHS announced that 12 states would receive $572,250 in ARRA funding to survey more than 125 ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) to ensure that the facilities are following Medicare's health and safety standards. A list of awards and additional information is available by clicking here.

July 28, 2009: ARRA Funds Available for Health Professions Training HHS announced the availability of $200 million in ARRA funds to expand health professions training programs. The funds will be directed to several programs and awarded on a competitive basis. Additional information is available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/07/20090728c.html
and http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/recovery/ 

June 16, 2009: Electronic Health Records (EHRs) The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology released the preliminary definition of meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). ARRA included incentive payments for eligible Medicare and Medicaid providers to increase the adoption of EHRs. To receive the incentive payments, providers must demonstrate "meaningful use" of a certified EHR. The public comment period on the preliminary definition of meaningful use is open through close of business Friday, June 26, 2009. Instructions on how to submit public comment can be found at: http://healthit.hhs.gov

Additional information on the Health Information Technology component of ARRA, including a fact sheet and question and answer document is available at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Recovery/11_HealthIT.asp#TopOfPage

June 5, 2009: Loan Repayments Funds for Clinicians HHS announced the availability of $200 million in ARRA funds to support student loan repayments for primary care medical, dental, and mental health clinicians who want to work at National Health Service Corps (NHSC) sites. In exchange for the loan repayments, clinicians serve for two years with the Corps. Primary care practitioners interested in applying for loan repayments should visit http://nhsc.hrsa.gov

To see a list of opportunities available by state, go to
http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/nhsc/vacancies.html

April 17, 2009: Patient Privacy Guidance HHS published guidance regarding technologies and methodologies to secure health information and protect patient privacy. The guidance, required by ARRA, builds on the existing requirements of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. The guidance is available at: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/

Program Information and Allocations for Section 317 Immunization Grants http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/cdc/immunizationgrant.html

Program Information and Allocations for Community Heath Centers http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/hrsa/healthcentergrants.html

DSH Allotments HHS Announces FY 2009 DSH Allotments, including ARRA funds: http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/cms/dshstates.html

NIH Grants The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced the availability of $1.5 billion in grants funded by ARRA. The grants provide $1 billion for construction and improvement of research facilities, $200 million for scientific research and $300 million for the purchase of scientific equipment. More information and grant applications are available at:
http://grants.nih.gov/recovery

Indian Health The Indian Health Service will release $500 million in ARRA funds allocated for improvements in Indian health. Funds will be used for health facilities construction and maintenance, equipment and health information technology. http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/ihs/fundingdescription.html