Health & Human Services

Biden Announces Grants for Health Information Technology

August 27, 2009

On August 20, 2009, Vice President Joe Biden announced that $1.2 billion would be made available to help hospitals and health care providers implement and use electronic health records. A total of $598 million will be used to establish approximately 70 Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers, while another $564 million will be granted to States and Qualified State Designated Entities to support the development of mechanisms for information sharing within an emerging nationwide system of networks. Grants will be made beginning in Fiscal Year 2010.

For more information on the program, go to: http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt

> View the Funding Opportunity Announcement

USDA Invites Applications From States for WIC Funds

April 24, 2009

On April 15, 2009, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent a letter to every State’s Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, Children (WIC). This letter informed State agencies that in order to receive WIS stimulus funds, they would have to submit an application to USDA by May 11, 2009. These funds will be distributed to States to establish, improve or administer management information systems for their WIC programs.

> Click here to read letter

HHS Publishes Guidance for Securing Health Information

April 24, 2009

On April 17, 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published guidance regarding technologies and methodologies to secure health information. As required by the stimulus bill, this guidance builds on the existing requirements of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, which are unchanged.

To view the guidance, go to: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/coveredentities/hitechrfi.pdf

> View the Funding Opportunity Announcement

Community Services Block Grant Allocations Available

April 15, 2009

On April 9, 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the availability of $1 billion for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program. These funds are allocated to states, who then grant them to community organizations for the purposes of reducing poverty, revitalizing low-income communities and helping low-income families become self-sufficient.

To view State allocations of CSBG funds, go to: http://transparency.cit.nih.gov/RecoveryGrants/grant.cfm?grant=csbg

> View the Funding Opportunity Announcement

Comments Solicited for Comparative Effectiveness Research Fund

April 9, 2009

On April 14, 2009, the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research will hold a public listening session in Washington, DC. Authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the new council will help coordinate research and guide investments in comparative effectiveness research funded by the Recovery Act. The purpose of the listening session will be to hear comments from the public about how the stimulus funds appropriated for comparative effectiveness research should be spent.

> View the Funding Opportunity Announcement