Health Professional Support Program for Children with Congenital Zika Virus (ZIKV) Infection

Description

This announcement solicits applications for the Health Professional Support (HPS) Program for Children with Congenital Zika Virus (ZIKV) Infection. The purpose of this program is to provide workforce development and interdisciplinary clinical consultation to health professionals caring for children with ZIKV in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Basin, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and support the delivery of interdisciplinary clinical care in those territories and jurisdictions. The goal of the HPS Program is to promote optimal health and development for children by increasing access to pediatric health professionals, including sub-specialists and allied health professionals[1] (hereafter referred to as “health professionals”). This program will primarily address developing the capacity of health professionals to provide interdisciplinary care for children with congenital ZIKV infection through training, interdisciplinary clinical consultation, and the delivery of interdisciplinary care. For the purposes of this program, children with congenital ZIKV infection include children born to Zika infected women who were asymptomatic at birth (whose symptoms were not manifest) or were exposed in the postnatal period. Program Objectives HPS Program objectives are to: Expand capacity of health professionals to provide appropriate interdisciplinary care for children with congenital ZIKV infection. Increase access to pediatric specialty care for children with congenital ZIKV infection. HPS Program components in support of children with congenital ZIKV infection include: Developing and providing training for health professionals regarding neurodevelopmental and other disabilities and interdisciplinary care for children; Providing interdisciplinary consultation services to health professionals; and Providing interdisciplinary specialty care though innovative mechanisms, such as telemedicine or traveling pediatric sub-specialty teams, to support ongoing developmental monitoring, intervention, and care. Information on HRSA telehealth programs can be found at https://www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/telehealth/index.html. [1] Pediatric health professionals includes the full range of health professionals who may care for children with or at-risk of congenital ZIKV infection, including, but not limited to audiologists, behavioral health professionals, cardiologists, clinical geneticists, developmental-behavioral pediatricians, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, nurses, nutritionists, occupational therapists, pulmonologists, physical therapists, social workers, speech-language pathologists, ophthalmologists, and orthopedists.

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