National technical assistance programs (ntap) cooperative agreements - cicatelli associates, INC. (CAI), a national capacity building provider, proposes to serve as the clinical and preventive…

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded Cicatelli Associates, Inc. (CAI) $16 million in project grant funding on August 1, 2026, under the State and Regional Primary Care Associations, National Technical Assistance Programs, and Health Centered Controlled Networks program (CFDA 93.129) to serve as the Clinical and Preventive Excellence National Technical Assistance Program.

CAI will deliver implementation-focused technical assistance to the nation's health centers through three tiers: national audience activities including webinars, implementation guides, toolkits, and digital resources; communities of practice structured around focused clinical or operational priorities in access to comprehensive primary care, chronic disease management, preventive services, postpartum care advancement through two-generation models, mental health services, oral health and prevention, intimate partner violence prevention and human trafficking prevention, and clinical quality improvement and patient safety; and outcomes-focused cohorts providing intensive longitudinal engagement to health centers performing in or below the third quartile on Uniform Data System measures. Outcomes-focused cohorts will address controlled hypertension (two cohorts), weight assessment and counseling for children and adolescents (two cohorts), and cancer screening (one cohort). The tiered model matches technical assistance to health center capacity and need, providing both broad dissemination and tailored support.

The award period runs from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2030. Work is performed in New York, New York.

National technical assistance programs (ntap) cooperative agreements - cicatelli associates, INC. (CAI), a national capacity building provider, proposes to serve as the clinical and preventive excellence national technical assistance program (ntap), delivering a comprehensive, implementation-focused technical assistance (TA) strategy to deliver a coordinated, data-driven approach to improving clinical performance, advancing health outcomes, and supporting clinical practice transformation across the nation's health centers. CAI will deliver TA through a portfolio of: national audience activities (webinars, implementation guides, toolkits, and digital resources that provide broad access to evidence-based, implementation-ready strategies); communities of practice (cops) - peer-based learning activities, structured around a focused clinical or operational priority aligned with ntap objectives and UDS measures or metrics derived from EHR; and outcomes-focused cohorts - intensive, longitudinal engagements supporting health centers in or below the third quartile to achieve measurable improvements in UDS performance. This tiered model ensures that TA is matched to health center capacity and level of need, providing both broad dissemination and tailored, hands-on support. Cops will be utilized as a TA mechanism to support the following objectives: 1) access to comprehensive primary care; 2) chronic disease management; 3) preventive services; 5) emerging issues - advancing comprehensive postpartum care through 2GEN models and quality improvement ; 7) mental health services; 8) oral health and prevention services; 10) prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV) and human trafficking; and 11) clinical quality improvement, assurance, and patient safety. Additionally, outcomes-focused cohorts will address the following areas of focus: controlled hypertension (two cohorts), weight assessment and counseling for children and adolescents (two cohorts), cancer screening (one cohort), and tobacco use screening and cessation intervention (one cohort). Outcomes-focused cohorts will be grounded in the institute for healthcare improvement (IHI) learning collaborative model and supported through structured virtual learning sessions, action periods focused on implementation, ongoing data collection and performance monitoring, and regularly scheduled and on-demand practice facilitation coaching and subject matter expert consultation. CAI brings the national infrastructure, capacity building expertise, and partner network required to successfully serve as the clinical and preventive excellence ntap. For more than 45 years, CAI has developed, delivered, coordinated and evaluated high-impact TA through innovative and evidence-based training, cops, outcomes-focused cohorts, practice facilitation coaching, and dissemination of practical implementation tools and resources, to strengthen health services infrastructure, care models, workforce capacity, and partnerships that result in improved health outcomes for the patients. While many TA providers focus on disseminating best practices, CAI specializes in operationalizing them. Our multidisciplinary team, strong partnerships, and demonstrated track record of delivering data-driven, implementation-focused TA position US to effectively support health centers in achieving measurable, sustained improvements in clinical performance and patient outcomes.