Feb 4 -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), invites comment on the extension of the Assessment of Outcomes Associated with the Preventive Health and Health Services (PHHS) Block Grant, which will assess select cross-cutting outputs and outcomes of the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant and demonstrate the utility of the grant on a national level. CDC must receive written comments on or before April 5, 2022.
For more than 35 years, the PHHS Block Grant has provided flexible funding for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, two American Indian tribes, five U.S. territories, and three freely associated states to address the unique public health needs of their jurisdictions in innovative and locally defined ways. First authorized by Congress in 1981 through the Public Health Service Act (Pub. L. 102-531), the fundamental and enduring purpose of the grant has been to provide grantees with flexibility and control to address their priority public health needs. In 1992, Congress amended the law to align PHHS Block Grant funding priorities with the 22 chapters specified in Healthy People (HP) 2000, a set of national objectives designed to guide health promotion and disease prevention efforts. Additional amendments included set-aside funds specifically dedicated to sex offense prevention and victim services, thus requiring grantees receiving this support to include related HP objectives and activities as part of their PHHS Block Grant—funded local programs.
CDC is establishing a comprehensive, standardized method to collect data to describe select outputs and outcomes and ensure the accountability of the PHHS Block Grant. The CDC PHHS Block Grant Measurement Framework is an innovative approach to assessing cross-cutting outputs and outcomes resulting from grantees' use of flexible grant funds. The framework defines measures that enable CDC to standardize the collection of data on grantee achievements. The CDC PHHS Block Grant Measurement Framework is an innovative approach to: Collecting data on public health infrastructure ( i.e., information systems, quality improvement, efficiency and effectiveness of programs, services, and operations); addressing emerging public health needs; and implementing evidence-based public health interventions.
The purpose of this information collection request (ICR) is to collect data that assess select cross-cutting outputs and outcomes of the grant (as defined by the framework measures) and that demonstrate the utility of the grant on a national level. This data collection will describe the outcomes of the PHHS Block Grant as a whole, rather than individual grantee activities or outcomes. Findings from this data collection will be used to: (1) Describe the outcomes and achievements of grantees' public health efforts and identify how the use of PHHS Block Grant funds contributed to those results, and (2) help assess how the PHHS Block Grant advances work of the public health system and provides evidence to support future budgetary requests.
The respondent universe consists of 61 PHHS Block Grant coordinators, or their designees, across 61 health departments (50 states, the District of Columbia, two tribes, five U.S. territories, and three freely associated states). The assessment will be administered to PHHS Block Grant coordinators electronically via a web-based questionnaire. A link to the assessment will be provided by email invitation. The survey will be completed once every two years.
PHHS Block Grant Program website:
https://www.cdc.gov/phhsblockgrant/index.htm
Draft survey instrument and technical documentation:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q478vi97pa1o4ci/AACkVzxRBzfc_RMJ7hDFykQ0a?dl=0
FR notice inviting comments:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/04/2022-02403/extension-of-existing-collection-of-information-submitted-for-public-comment-and-recommendations