cdc-rfa-eh15-1502.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Environmental Health

National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) - National Environmental Public Health

Tracking Network

CDC-RFA-EH15-1502

Application Due Date: 05/26/2015

National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) - National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network

CDC-RFA-EH15-1502

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I. Overview Information

Federal Agency NameA.

Funding Opportunity TitleB.

Announcement TypeC.

Agency Funding Opportunity NumberD.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) NumberE.

Dates F.

Executive Summary G.

Part II. Full Text

Funding Opportunity Description A.

Award Information B.

Eligibility Information C.

Required Registrations D.

Review and Selection Process E.

Award Administration Information F.

Agency Contacts G.

Other Information H.

Glossary I.

Part I. Overview Information Applicants must go to the synopsis page of this announcement at www.grants.gov and click on the "Send Me Change Notifications Emails" link to ensure they receive notifications of any changes to CDC-RFA-EH15-1502. Applicants also must provide an e-mail address to www.grants.gov to receive notifications of changes.

A. Federal Agency Name:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) B. Funding Opportunity Title:

National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) - National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network C. Announcement Type: New - Type 1 This announcement is only for non-research domestic activities supported by CDC. If research is proposed, the application will not be considered Research for this purpose is defined at http://www.cdc.gov/od/science /integrity/docs/cdc-policy-distinguishing-public-health-research-nonresearch.pdf.

D. Agency Funding Opportunity Number:

CDC-RFA-EH15-1502

E. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

93.070 F. Dates:

1. Due Date for Letter of Intent (LOI): N/A

2. Due Date for Applications: 05/26/2015, 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern

Standard Time, at www.grants.gov.

3. Date for Informational Conference Call: N/A

G. Executive Summary:

1. Summary Paragraph:

This cooperative agreement will support the ongoing collaboration with the National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) to develop standards and principles to effectively administer or integrate public health statistics and information systems into the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network). Through this collaboration, NAHDO will work with CDC to identify and overcome barriers in access to health data and increase accessibility to health data.

a. Eligible Applicants: Single

b. FOA Type: Cooperative Agreement

c. Approximate Number of Awards: 1 One award.

d. Total Project Period Funding: $375,000

e. Average One Year Award Amount: $125,000 $125,000 per year.

f. Number of Years of Award: 3

g. Estimated Award Date: 07/01/2015

h. Cost Sharing and / or Matching Requirements: N https://foa.grantsolutions.gov/announcementmodule/www.grants.gov https://foa.grantsolutions.gov/announcementmodule/www.grants.gov http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/integrity/docs/cdc-policy-distinguishing-public-health-research-nonresearch.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/od/science/integrity/docs/cdc-policy-distinguishing-public-health-research-nonresearch.pdf http://www.grants.gov

N/A

Part II. Full Text A. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Background

a. Overview

In September 2000, the Pew Environmental Health Commission issued a report entitled “America’s Environmental Health Gap: Why the Country Needs a Nationwide Health Tracking Network.” In this report, the Commission documented that the existing environmental health systems were inadequate and fragmented and recommended a “Nationwide Health Tracking Network for disease and exposures.” In response to the report, Congress appropriated funds in the fiscal year 2002’s budget for the CDC to address this issue.

What is Environmental Public Health Tracking?

Environmental Public Health Tracking (Tracking) is the integrated surveillance of health, exposure, and hazard information and data from a variety of national, state, and local sources. These systems are critical in preventing and controlling disease in populations. Having accurate and timely tracking data permits public health authorities to determine temporal and spatial trends in disease and potential environmental exposures, identify populations most affected, and develop and assess the effectiveness of policy and environmental public health interventions. Tracking involves the utilization of data and information regarding health outcomes, environmental hazards, and human exposures, or a combination of them, and provides important information for public health practice. The availability of these types of data in a standardized network will enable researchers, public health authorities, healthcare practitioners, and the public to have a better understanding about the possible associations between the environment and adverse health effects.

What is the National Tracking Network?

A key characteristic of Tracking is the emphasis on data integration across health, human exposure, and hazard information systems. The National Tracking Network (Tracking Network) provides the United States with standardized data from multiple health, exposure, and hazard information systems that includes linkage of these data as part of regular tracking activities. The Tracking Network builds on separate ongoing efforts within the public health and environmental sectors to improve health tracking, hazard monitoring, and response capacity. Development of the Tracking Network depends on the availability, quality, timeliness, compatibility, and utility of existing hazard, exposure, and health outcome data.

The major functions of the Tracking Network are to:

• Enable compilation of a core set of nationally consistent health and environmental data and measures

• Discover, describe, exchange, analyze, and manage data

• Make tools available for managing and analyzing the data

• Provide environmental public health information to the public

Building a network to carry out these functions requires that many individuals and organizations coordinate efforts to develop and integrate various components to make data and information more accessible and more usable. Currently, CDC’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program) funds 26 states/cities and works collaboratively with several prominent national partners to maintain and enhance the capabilities and reach of the Tracking Network.

The CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking Program and NAHDO

Since 2002, the CDC Tracking Program has developed workforce capacity to address the abovementioned issues and provided tools and infrastructure to support this workforce. Data that was previously disjointed is now available in a nationally standardized format (i.e., Tracking Network) allowing programs to begin bridging the gap between health and the environment. To be successful, Tracking must work with data related to hospitalization and emergency department visitation.

This cooperative agreement will support the ongoing collaboration with the National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) to develop standards and principles to effectively administer or integrate public health statistics and information systems into the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network). Through this collaboration, NAHDO will work with CDC to identify and overcome barriers in access to health data and increase accessibility to health data.

b. Statutory Authorities

This program is authorized under Section 317(k)(2) of the Public Health Service Act, (42 U.S.C. Section 247b(k)(2)), as amended.

c. Healthy People 2020

Healthy People 2020 contains national objectives to improve the health of all Americans by encouraging collaborations across sectors, guiding people toward making informed health decisions, and measuring the impact of prevention activities. This FOA supports the Healthy People 2020 focus topic area(s) of:

• Environmental Health https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/environmental-health

• Public Health Infrastructure https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/public-health-infra structure

Additional information on Healthy People 2020 is available at http://www.healthypeople.gov

d. Other National Public Health Priorities and Strategies

This announcement is consistent with priorities and strategies in the Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( http ://www.cdc.gov/nceh/tracking/partners.htm). This FOA also aligns and supports other relevant CDC program strategies including the National Asthma Control Program, the Climate and Health Program, and ATSDR’s Program to Promote Localized Efforts To Reduce Environmental Exposure (http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/tracking /related.htm). These programs address core public health areas such as environmental health, chronic disease, and health communication that contribute to prevention and health promotion efforts utilizing Tracking data.

Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with the following performance goals for the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Strategic Plan:

• implement environmental health programs and interventions to protect and promote health; and

• identify, characterize, and monitor health outcomes and environmental exposures to guide actions that protect and promote health.

This program also aligns with priorities set by NCEH/ATSDR which include: reducing asthma morbidity and mortality, protecting children from the health risks of harmful exposures and conditions, and ensuring safe drinking water.

In addition, this program address’ aspects of CDC’s Vision of “Health Protection…Health Equity” by collaborating with partners to create the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/environmental-health https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/public-health-infrastructure https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/public-health-infrastructure http://www.healthypeople.gov http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/tracking/partners.htm http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/tracking/partners.htm http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/tracking/related.htm http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/tracking/related.htm protect their health – through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats.

e. Relevant Work

This cooperative agreement will build on previous work completed by NAHDO under CDC-RFA-EH07-703 and CDC-RFA-EH10-1003. NAHDO facilitates the access to and use of hospital discharge and claims databases for creating standardized health indicators measuring morbidity and health outcomes related to environmental exposures. One example of NAHDO’s leadership in this area is an assessment it completed of current barriers inhibiting access to hospital inpatient and emergency department data and through conducting a multi-state data sharing demonstration project. The assessment of data sharing practices and issues, in the context of the tracking program, has proven useful to identify common and unique barriers to the exchange of hospital inpatient and emergency department data. The multi-state demonstration project has allowed for the identification of unique and cross-cutting issues inherent in the data recruitment and acquisition process and has begun the development of a common data sharing template for multi-state collection.

Similarly, NAHDO has been providing technical expertise to CDC and grantees of the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program. For instance, NAHDO's Executive Director, Denise Love, was selected as a Co-Lead of the hospital data team within the CDC Content Workgroup (CWG). The mission of CWG is to promote collaboration among CDC, its grantees, and other partners about content for the national Tracking network, and to establish necessary methodologies for collecting and organizing that content. Accessing health data is a primary concern of the CWG and having a NAHDO representative in the group is critical.

NAHDO has also actively participated in Tracking Program conferences and has included the Tracking Network as a subject matter represented at the annual national meeting of their organization.

2. CDC Project Description

a. Approach

i. Purpose

The purpose of this FOA is to continue a collaboration with the National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) that will facilitate access to existing statewide electronic hospital discharge and emergency department data and reduce barriers to access. NAHDO projects worked with various data sources that could be appropriate mechanisms for facilitating linkages between health outcome and environmental data. The NAHDO-Tracking collaboration has proven to be an important step to establishing access to existing hospital and emergency department data. Through this collaboration, NAHDO will identify and overcome barriers in access to health data and increase accessibility to health data.

ii. Outcomes

The Awardee is expected to achieve the short- and mid-term outcomes specified in the logic model within the three-year project period. These outcomes will be achieved as a result of the Awardee's collaborative efforts with Tracking Program staff and grantees.

Short- and Mid-term Outcomes -

• Subject matter experts use National Consistent Data and Measures (NCDM) from Tracking Network.

• Increased state and local capacity to support stronger environmental public health programs/departments.

• Increased number of informed environmental public health workforce and public users.

• Increased efficiency in identifying trends and potential associations between health and hazard data.

• Data informs public health actions and policy by public health decision makers, policy makers, and community groups.

• Public health and environmental professionals develop and deliver strong informed programs, targeted interventions, and policies to address environmental health issues

It is expected that the short- and mid-term outcomes achieved under this FOA will contribute beyond the project period to the following long-term outcome:

• Communities improve their health outcomes

NAHDO will help the Tracking Program and its grantees achieve these intended effects by following the strategies and activities listed in the subsequent section (iii. Strategies and Activities).

iii. Strategies and Activities

The logic model presents the strategies and activities to be undertaken to achieve the project period outcomes.

The following presents a more detailed description of suggested awardee activities for this FOA:

Maintenance and enhancement of the CDC Tracking Network:

- Assist in the development of content and indicators for CDC Tracking Network by:

• Collaborating with CDC to identify new potential indicators, measures and/or relevant information that could be included into the Tracking Network and participating as a member of designated CDC workgroups (including the Content Workgroup and related teams, and the Standards and Network Development workgroup). The workgroups advise CDC on developing and recommending content information for inclusion on the national and state tracking networks.

- Display and distribute environmental and health outcomes data on the National Tracking Portal by:

• Providing feedback to CDC about the information displayed by the Tracking Network which is related to current indicators and data about hospitalizations and emergency department visitations.

Engage partners and promote awareness of the CDC Tracking Network:

- Encourage data sharing and data distribution among program partners by:

• Facilitating the development of positive working relationships between Tracking grantees and their hospitalization and emergency department data stewards; and

• Providing education and assistance in transition to ICD-10.

- Promote awareness and use of the Tracking Network by:

• Assisting CDC in disseminating program information from the Tracking Network to educate and inform policy makers, other network stakeholders, and the public using a variety of media channels.

• Utilizing the NAHDO newsletter, Website, its national conference, and mailing lists to communicate Tracking Network activities, research projects, and developing practices; and

• Participating in appropriate national conferences on behalf of the Tracking Program

- Increase access to environmental, health care, and hospitalization and emergency department data by:

• Promoting access to, and sharing of hospital and emergency department data for use in the state and National Environmental Public Health Tracking Networks (Tracking Network) and promoting increased participation of its members in the development of nationally consistent data and measures for the state and national Tracking Networks; and

• Serving as an information resource on environmental public health data and hospitalization and emergency department data for its members.

Identify, develop, and distribute Tracking-relevant tools and messaging:

- Identify, develop, and distribute tools for data utilization and practices that integrate information from a variety of sources by:

• Collaborating with CDC to identify and overcome barriers that limit access to hospital and emergency department data, including identifying and resolving issues of access to secure records; and

• Assisting with the acquisition of health care data and promote improvement in data quality.

- Develop and distribute relevant guidance and messaging by:

• Disseminating Tracking Program materials at NAHDO workshops that focus on the role of hospital and emergency department data in the Tracking Network and conduct education sessions at all national and regional NAHDO meetings;

• Assisting CDC in disseminating program information from the Tracking Program to educate and inform policy makers, stakeholders, and the public using a variety of media channels; and

• Participating at the national Tracking Network Conference and workshops, and develop sessions focusing on the use of hospital and emergency department records in the Tracking Network.

Collaborate to develop, implement, and advance public health programs and policies:

• Participate in conference calls with CDC and other funded Tracking Network programs, and collaborating national organizations to advance public health programs and policies relevant to the CDC Tracking Program.

As indicated in the logic model, these grantee activities will produce a series of powerful outputs that will drive these project period outcomes. The outputs for this FOA consist of the following:

• Standardized national environmental and health surveillance data

• Enhanced partnerships across state and federal partners

• Robust inventory of standardized tools, resources, and messages; and

• Increased number of evidence based interventions and programs using Tracking data

1.Collaborations

Applicant is required to provide technical expertise to CDC Tracking Program and Tracking Network funded grantees during the pre-implementation, implementation, and maintenance phases of the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program.

a. With CDC-funded programs:

Applicant is required to provide technical expertise to CDC Tracking Program and Tracking Network funded grantees during the pre-implementation, implementation, and maintenance phases of the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network. Several grantees are in various stages of the implementation and maintenance phases of the Tracking Network, including two newly funded state partners who are working through the pre-implementation and implementation phases. Therefore, the technical expertise required by grantees will vary greatly depending on their needs and progress.

It is optional for the applicant to collaborate with other CDC-funded programs that focus on related issues and activities when interests align. These may include, but are not limited to, participants in the National Center for Health Statistics, National Asthma Control Program, the Climate and Health Program, and ATSDR’s Program to Promote Localized Efforts to Reduce Environmental Exposures, for the purposes of sharing data, developing consistent definitions and measures, and creating appropriate tools for demonstrating alignment between surveillance findings and program efforts.

b. With organizations external to CDC:

Applicant must collaborate with several key partners, including state and city departments of health. These established relationships may also benefit the applicant by further enhancing their activities. Optional collaborations may include the following agencies/organizations:

• Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ)

• American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)

• Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVIHC)

• Human Services Research Institute (HSRI)

2. Target Populations

Not Required.

a. Inclusion

N/A

iv. Funding Strategy (for multi-component FOAs only)

N/A

b. Evaluation and Performance Measurement

i. CDC Evaluation and Performance Measurement Strategy

The CDC Tracking Program will work with the Awardee to develop and implement an evaluation plan and ensure accurate evaluation and performance measurement reporting. CDC will leverage information collected from the Awardee and other Tracking Program-funded partners to demonstrate the impact of the program on the public’s health.

The Awardee should collect information, such as process and outcome measures, for all relevant strategies and activities presented in the Approach and logic model, including but not limited to:

• Maintenance and enhancement of the CDC Tracking Network

Evidence of participation in designated CDC Tracking Network Workgroups;

Evidence of increased participation of NAHDO membership in the development of NCDM; and Evidence of feedback provided to CDC about information displayed by the Tracking Network.

• Engage partners and promote awareness of the CDC Tracking Network

Number and types of channels through which data and findings were disseminated to its membership;

and Number of national conferences attended on behalf of the Tracking Program.

• Identify, develop, and distribute relevant tools and messaging

Number and types of Tracking Program materials distributed at NAHDO workshops;

Number and types of Tracking Program materials distributed at NAHDO workshops;

Number and types of Tracking-related education sessions conducted at national and regional NAHDO meetings; and Evidence of participation in all Tracking Program conferences and workshops.

• Collaborate to develop, implement, and advance public health programs and policies

Evidence of participation in conference calls with CDC and other funded Tracking Program grantees.

The Awardee should also collect information to evaluate progress made towards achieving project period outcomes, including but not limited to:

Subject matter experts use National Consistent Data and Measures (NCDM) from Tracking Network

NAHDO membership and stakeholders know of and use NCDM data from the Tracking Network.

Increased state and local capacity to support stronger environmental public health programs/departments

NAHDO membership recognize importance of accurate and timely hospital and emergency department data in building stronger environmental public health programs.

Increased number of informed environmental public health workforce and public users

Evidence of increased awareness of Tracking data by NAHDO membership.

Increased efficiency in identifying trends and potential associations between health and hazard data

Collaboration with CDC in identifying and overcoming barriers that limit access to hospital and emergency department data, including identification and resolution on issues of access to secure records.

Data informs public health actions and policy on the part of public health decision makers, policy makers, and community groups

Evidence of Tracking data use provided in progress report

Public health and environmental professionals develop and deliver strong informed programs, targeted interventions, and policies to address environmental health issues

Evidence of Tracking data used in developing informed programs, targeted interventions, and policies that address environmental health issues.

Performance and outcome measures collected by the Awardee will be reported to CDC in the Awardee's annual progress report. This report will assist CDC in tracking the implementation of awardee strategies and activities, as well as identifying programmatic barriers and solutions.

ii. Applicant Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan

In addition to the performance measures, the Awardee will be expected to engage in some evaluation of their activities and outcomes. The Applicant must provide an evaluation and performance measurement plan that is consistent with the above CDC Evaluation and Performance Measurement Strategy and the logic model.

Evaluation plans should include process and outcome evaluation questions such as the following:

What are essential collaborations?

The Tracking Program was established to bridge the information gap between environmental hazard, The Tracking Program was established to bridge the information gap between environmental hazard, exposure, and health outcomes data. Identifying key collaborations to accomplish this and how the Tracking Program is successfully leveraging these relationships are a vital component to Tracking.

What are the barriers and challenges to the Tracking Program’s success and how has the awardee tried to address these?

Identifying common barriers and challenges will allow CDC to better work with grantees and data stewards and help them address known challenges with proven strategies.

How has the Tracking Program made an impact?

Awardee will report on programmatic activities that drive public health actions.

How have findings been used to evolve the Tracking Program’s activities?

The Tracking Program will evolve in several ways. New collaborations and relationships will help us gain a better understanding of the burden of disease. As environmental health risks are identified, Tracking Program resources can be utilized to address these concerns, new technologies can be developed and promising practices can be utilized by the evolving program.

What communication activities are most successfully used to educate audiences on the value of the Tracking Program and how it has been used to impact public health?

Communicating the environmental burden on health and successful actions to improve the public’s health is an essential requirement for the Tracking Program.

The Awardee should include the following information in their Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan:

• Types of evaluation to be conducted

• Key evaluation questions to be answered

• Potentially available data sources and the feasibility of collecting appropriate data

• Use of evaluation findings on the applicant’s program strategies for quality improvement

• Contribution of evaluation and performance measurement to further enrich Tracking’s evidence base or to improve effectiveness

c. Organizational Capacity of Awardees to Execute the Approach

Applicants must demonstrate the ability to execute the CDC strategies and activities and meet project period outcomes.

Describe the anticipated level of organizational capacity applicants will need in order to implement the award.

Organizational capacity includes skill sets such as: program planning, program evaluation, performance monitoring, financial reporting, budget management and administration, personnel management.

Applicants should demonstrate relevant experience and capacity (management, administrative, and technical) to implement the activities and achieve the project outcomes, experience and capacity to implement the evaluation plan, and a staffing plan and project management structure sufficient to achieve the project outcomes and which clearly defines staff roles. Applicants must also be fully capable of managing the required procurement efforts, including the ability to write and award contracts in accordance with applicable grants regulations.

CDC must provide maximum flexibility to enable applicants to implement FOA requirements based on their own organizational design and approach, unless otherwise required by statute.

d. Work Plan

The applicant is required to provide a work plan consisting of a logic model and a related narrative for the three-year program and a detailed description of the first year of the award, consistent with the project’s logic model. The applicant is expected to use activities that are consistent with those indicated under the “Program Strategy” section, but are expected to augment those activities on the basis of priority needs. The work plan should provide outcomes and the related program strategies/activities, and should be consistent with the narrative in the Approach and Performance Measurement and Evaluation sections. The work plan must, at a minimum, include:

• Narrative (description) of the project

• Intended outcomes for the three-year project period

• Program strategies to be used during the first year of the project period

• Outcomes for the first year of the project period

In conducting activities to achieve the intended outcomes of this program, the recipients will be responsible for exhibiting their successful implementation of their program strategies, and providing evidence of necessary planning and coalition building (e.g., memoranda of understanding (MOU), establishing partnerships, and developing outreach plans).

e. CDC Monitoring and Accountability Approach Monitoring activities include routine and ongoing communication between CDC and awardees, site visits, and awardee reporting (including work plans, performance, and financial reporting). Consistent with applicable grants regulations and policies, CDC expects the following to be included in post-award monitoring for grants and cooperative agreements:

Tracking awardee progress in achieving the desired outcomes.

Ensuring the adequacy of awardee systems that underlie and generate data reports.

Creating an environment that fosters integrity in program performance and results.

Monitoring may also include the following activities:

Ensuring that work plans are feasible based on the budget and consistent with the intent of the award.

Ensuring that awardees are performing at a sufficient level to achieve outcomes within stated timeframes.

Working with awardees on adjusting the work plan based on achievement of outcomes, evaluation results and changing budgets.

Monitoring performance measures (both programmatic and financial) to assure satisfactory performance levels.

Other activities deemed necessary to monitor the award, if applicable.

These activities may include monitoring and reporting activities that assist grants management staff (e.g., grants management officers and specialists, and project officers) in the identification, notification, and management of high-risk grantees.

f. CDC Program Support to Awardees (THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO COOPERATIVE

AGREEMENTS)

In a cooperative agreement, CDC staff is substantially involved in the program activities, beyond routine grant monitoring. Therefore, there will be extensive collaboration between the CDC Tracking Program and NAHDO throughout the project period. CDC Tracking Program activities for this FOA are as follows:

• Collaborate with NAHDO to identify and overcome barriers to accessing health data.

• Provide expertise on the National Environmental Public Health Tracking effort, and updates on its continued development, to the NAHDO membership.

• Promote the role of hospital and emergency department data in the state and national Tracking networks, among the CDC funded grantees, and other stakeholders and partners.

• Coordinate with NAHDO on disseminating program information from the Tracking Network to educate and inform policy makers, other network stakeholders, and the public using a variety of media channels.

• Participate in the NAHDO Annual Meeting and regional workshops.

• Conduct quarterly conference calls and foster coordination between NAHDO and other CDC state and local grantees through the annual Tracking workshop, and national Tracking conference.

• Coordinate the Standards and Network Development Workgroup, Content Workgroup, and related team meetings.

B. Award Information

1. Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement CDC's substantial involvement in this program appears in the

CDC Program Support to Awardees Section.

2. Award Mechanism:

3. Fiscal Year: 2015 Estimated Total Funding: $375,000

4. Approximate Total Fiscal Year Funding: $125,000

5. Approximate Project Period Funding: $375,000

6. Total Project Period Length: 3 year(s)

7. Expected Number of Awards: 1

One award.

8. Approximate Average Award: $125,000 Per Budget Period

$125,000 per year.

9. Award Ceiling: $125,000 Per Budget Period

$125,000 per year.

10. Award Floor: None

$0.0

11. Estimated Award Date: 07/01/2015 Throughout the project period, CDC will continue the award based on the availability of funds, the evidence of satisfactory progress by the awardee (as documented in required reports), and the determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the federal government. The total number of years for which federal support has been approved (project period) will be shown in the “Notice of Award.” This information does not constitute a commitment by the federal government to fund the entire period. The total project period comprises the initial competitive segment and any subsequent non-competitive continuation award(s).

12. Budget Period Length: 12 month(s)

13. Direct Assistance Direct Assistance (DA) is not available through this FOA.

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Eligibility Category: Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

2. Additional Information on Eligibility

FOA eligibility is limited to NAHDO (please see Section C, #3).

The award ceiling for this FOA is $125,000. CDC will consider any application requesting an award higher than this amount as non- responsive and it will receive no further review. If a pre-application is required, then specify here and include it in the special eligibility requirements section. (http:// www.hhs.gov/ asfr/ ogapa/ aboutog/ hhsgps107.pdf)

3. Justification for Less than Maximum Competition

The National Center for Environmental Health's (NCEH) Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program) is a congressionally mandated program that maintains and enhances the National Tracking Network, which tracks and integrates environmental hazards data with human exposure and health effects data that have possible links to the environment. To be successful the program must work with data relating to hospitalization and emergency department visitation.

The National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) is a non-profit professional organization whose membership is made up of hospital and emergency department registrars from both state and private institutions. The Tracking Program's collaborative relationship with NAHDO has been instrumental in securing access to critical hospitalization data and emergency room visit data that would otherwise cost the program several millions of dollars. Through the collaborative partnership with NAHDO, critical data is being made available to states and local government health departments who are affiliated with CDC's http://www.hhs.gov/asfr/ogapa/aboutog/hhsgps107.pdf

Tracking Network, thus avoiding a complex layer of individual data requests, duplications, and redundancy. Since NAHDO represents all membership with proprietary ownership of this data, it is the only organization able to broker this relationship on behalf of its membership, thus presenting a unique opportunity for the Tracking Program to work with one entity rather than thousands of hospitals and emergency departments across the United States. NAHDO now serves in a leadership capacity on designated Tracking Program content work groups, and uses its coordinating role to help ensure consistency in the timeliness, structure, and format of certain datasets. NAHDO is the only organization that represents the owners of state hospital discharge data and emergency room data, and as such, the only option for the Tracking Program to work with for continued access to these nationwide datasets.

State Tracking Program projects need sources of population-based data to support local Tracking Program functions and support analyses for small areas and target populations. Access to hospital inpatient and emergency department data will facilitate analyses and research on linkages between health outcomes and environmental data. With more than 45 states maintaining statewide hospital inpatient reporting systems and over 25 states with emergency department data from acute care providers, health data programs are important data stewards and partners for the Tracking Network. NAHDO's members include state and private health data organizations that maintain statewide health care databases and stakeholders of these databases. NAHDO has a thorough understanding of statewide health care data, data stewards, and data formats, and is uniquely positioned to assist the Tracking Program address challenges to accessing these data. One example of NAHDO's leadership in this area is an assessment it completed of current barriers inhibiting access to hospital inpatient and emergency department data and through conducting a multi-state data sharing demonstration project. The assessment of data sharing practices and issues, in the context of the Tracking Program, has proven useful to identify common and unique barriers to the exchange of hospital inpatient and emergency department data. The organization's expertise will assist the Tracking Program as it explores emerging topical activities, such as sub-county data and electronic health records, on these datasets.

Not approving this FOA will have a significant impact on the Tracking Program in terms of disrupting the data-flow to the National Tracking Network that has been in place in collaboration with the states and local health departments, eliminate the ease of outreach to state and private health data organizations that maintain statewide health care databases, and impede the implementation of public health actions that may intervene or prevent adverse health outcomes to the public.

4. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

No

N/A

5. Maintenance of Effort

N/A

D. Required Registrations

Additional materials that may be helpful to applicants: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/docs/Financial ReferenceGuide.pdf.

1. Required Registrations An organization must be registered at the three following locations before it can submit an application for funding at www.grants.gov.

a. Data Universal Numbering System: All applicant organizations must obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit identification number provided by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). It will be used as the Universal Identifier when applying for http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/docs/FinancialReferenceGuide.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/docs/FinancialReferenceGuide.pdf provided by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). It will be used as the Universal Identifier when applying for federal awards or cooperative agreements.

The applicant organization may request a DUNS number by telephone at 1-866-705-5711 (toll free) or Internet at http:// fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do. The DUNS number will be provided at no charge.If funds are awarded to an applicant organization that includes sub-awardees, those sub-awardees must provide their DUNS numbers before accepting any funds.

b. System for Award Management (SAM): The SAM is the primary registrant database for the federal government and the repository into which an entity must submit information required to conduct business as an awardee. All applicant organizations must register with SAM, and will be assigned a SAM number. All information relevant to the SAM number must be current at all times during which the applicant has an application under consideration for funding by CDC. If an award is made, the SAM information must be maintained until a final financial report is submitted or the final payment is received, whichever is later. The SAM registration process usually requires not more than five business days, and registration must be renewed annually. Additional information about registration procedures may be found at www.SAM.gov.

c. Grants.gov: The first step in submitting an application online is registering your organization through www.grants.gov, the official HHS E-grant website. Registration information is located at the "Get Registered" option at www.grants.gov.

All applicant organizations must register with www.grants.gov. The one-time registration process usually takes not more than five days to complete. Applicants must start the registration process as early as possible.

2. Request Application Package Applicants may access the application package at www.grants.gov.

3. Application Package Applicants must download the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, package associated with this funding opportunity at www.grants.gov. If Internet access is not available, or if the online forms cannot be accessed, applicants may call the CDC PGO staff at 770-488-2700 or e-mail PGO PGOTIM@cdc.gov for assistance. Persons with hearing loss may access CDC telecommunications at TTY 1-888-232-6348.

4. Submission Dates and Times If the application is not submitted by the deadline published in the FOA, it will not be processed. PGO personnel will notify the applicant that their application did not meet the deadline. The applicant must receive pre-approval to submit a paper application (see Other Submission Requirements section for additional details). If the applicant is authorized to submit a paper application, it must be received by the deadline provided by PGO.

a. Letter of Intent Deadline (must be emailed or postmarked by) N/A

b. Application Deadline Due Date for Applications: 05/26/2015, 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time, at www.grants.gov. If Grants.gov is inoperable and cannot receive applications, and circumstances preclude advance notification of an extension, then applications must be submitted by the first business day on which grants.gov operations resume.

5. CDC Assurances and Certifications http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do https://www.SAM.gov http://www.Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov https://foa.grantsolutions.gov/announcementmodule/PGOTIM@cdc.gov%20

5. CDC Assurances and Certifications All applicants are required to sign and submit “Assurances and Certifications” documents indicated at http://www.cdc.gov/grants/interestedinapplying/applicationprocess.html.

Complete the applicable assurances and certifications on an annual basis, name the file “Assurances and Certifications” and upload it as a PDF file at www.grants.gov Complete the applicable assurances and certifications and submit them directly to CDC on an annual basis at http://wwwn.cdc. gov/grantassurances/(S(mj444mxct51lnrv1hljjjmaa))/ Homepage.aspx

Assurances and certifications submitted directly to CDC will be kept on file for one year and will apply to all applications submitted to CDC by the applicant within one year of the submission date.

6. Content and Form of Application Submission Applicants are required to include all of the following documents with their application package at www.grants.gov.

7. Letter of Intent

N/A

8. Table of Contents (No page limit and not included in Project Narrative limit): The applicant must provide, as a separate attachment, the “Table of Contents” for the entire submission package.

Provide a detailed table of contents for the entire submission package that includes all of the documents in the application and headings in the "Project Narrative" section. Name the file "Table of Contents" and upload it as a PDF file under "Other Attachment Forms" at www.grants.gov.

9. Project Abstract Summary (Maximum 1 page)

A project abstract is included on the mandatory documents list and must be submitted at www.grants.gov.

The project abstract must be a self-contained, brief summary of the proposed project including the purpose and outcomes. This summary must not include any proprietary or confidential information. Applicants must enter the summary in the "Project Abstract Summary" text box at www.grants.gov.

10. Project Narrative (Maximum of 20 pages, single spaced, Calibri 12 point, 1-inch margins, number all pages. Content beyond 20 pages will not be considered. The 20 page limit includes the work plan. For a multi-component FOA, maximum page limit is 25.)

The Project Narrative must include all of the bolded headings shown in this section. The Project Narrative must be succinct, self-explanatory, and in the order outlined in this section. It must address outcomes and activities to be conducted over the entire project period as identified in the CDC Project Description section. Applicants must submit a Project Narrative with the application forms. Applicants must name this file “Project Narrative” and upload it at www.grants.gov.

a. Background Applicants must provide a description of relevant background information that includes the context of the problem (See CDC Background).

b. Approach

i. Purpose Applicants must describe in 2-3 sentences specifically how their application will address the problem as described in the CDC Background section.

http://www.cdc.gov/grants/interestedinapplying/applicationprocess.html http://www.grants.gov/ http://wwwn.cdc.gov/grantassurances/(S(mj444mxct51lnrv1hljjjmaa))/Homepage.aspx http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov

ii. Outcomes Applicants must clearly identify the outcomes they expect to achieve by the end of the project period.

Outcomes are the results that the program intends to achieve. All outcomes must indicate the intended direction of change (e.g., increase, decrease, maintain). (See the logic model in the Approach section of the CDC Project Description.)

iii. Strategies and Activities Applicants must provide a clear and concise description of the strategies and activities they will use to achieve the project period outcomes. Applicants must select existing evidence-based strategies that meet their needs, or describe in the Applicant Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan, how these strategies will be evaluated over the course of the project period. (See CDC Project Description: Strategies and Activities section.)

1. Collaborations Applicants must describe how they will collaborate with programs and organizations either internal or external to CDC.

2. Target Populations Applicants must describe the specific target population(s) in their jurisdiction and explain how such a target will achieve the goals of the award and/or alleviate health disparities. Refer back to the CDC Project Description section – Approach: Target Population.

c. Applicant Evaluation and Performance Measurement Plan Applicants must provide an overall evaluation and performance measurement plan that is consistent with the CDC Evaluation and Performance Measurement Strategy section of the CDC Project Description of this FOA. Data collected must be used for ongoing monitoring of the award to evaluate its effectiveness, and for continuous program improvement.

The plan must:

Affirm the ability to collect the performance measures and respond to the evaluation questions specified in the CDC strategy. (For guidance regarding the Paperwork Reduction Act, please visit http://www.hhs.gov/ocio/policy/collection/infocollectfaq.html) Describe how key program partners will participate in the evaluation and performance measurement planning processes.

Describe how evaluation findings will be used for continuous program quality improvement.

Where the applicant chooses to, or is expected to, take on specific evaluation studies:

Describe the type of evaluation(s) (i.e., process, outcome, or both) to be conducted.

Describe key evaluation questions to be addressed by these evaluations.

Describe other information relevant to the evaluation (e.g., measures, data sources)

Awardees will be required to submit a more detailed evaluation and performance measurement plan within the first 6 months of the project, as outlined in the reporting section of the FOA.

d. Organizational Capacity of Applicants to Implement the Approach Applicant must address the organizational capacity requirements as described in the CDC Project Description.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocio/policy/collection/infocollectfaq.html

Organizational Capacity of Applicants to Implement the Approach:

Applicant must address the organizational capacity requirements as described in the CDC Project Description. Specify who would have day-to-day responsibility for key tasks such as: leadership of project;

monitoring the project’s on-going progress; preparation of reports; program evaluation; and communication with other partners and CDC.

Applicants must name this file “CVs/Resumes” or “Organizational Charts” and upload it at www.grants.gov.

11. Work Plan (Included in the Project Narrative’s 20 page limit)

Applicants must prepare a work plan consistent with the CDC Project Description Work Plan section. The work plan integrates and delineates more specifically how the awardee plans to carry out achieving the project period outcomes, strategies and activities, evaluation and performance measurement.

Applicants must name this file "Work Plan" and upload it as a PDF file at www.grants.gov.

12. Budget Narrative Applicants must submit an…