99 -- Community Based Adult Immunization Education Project in the African American Community: Info & Awareness in the Washington Metro Area

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services intends to award on a sole source basis under Simplified Acquisition Procedures with the Bowie State University, school of Nursing, Center for Learning and Technology, 14000 Jericho Park Road, Bowie, Maryland 20715 a contract to develop and conduct four education sessions on immunizations for the adult African American population in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The objectives of the Community Based Adult Immunization project are to: 1) provide information and awareness about the importance of immunization, 2) assess the knowledge of participants about adult immunizations), 3) clarify myths about adult immunizations, 4) evaluate the knowledge gained through the educational sessions, 5) describe strategies to improve immunization rates among older adults in the African American community, 6) provide flu shots to the participants, and 7) increase the number of individuals in the Washington Metropolitan who obtain flu shots. The recommended immunization schedule begins in October; therefore this project effort will begin in November to target adults who have not been immunized. A major factor for the sole source justification is that Dr. Walker has a long history of focusing on health promotion and disease prevention with an emphasis on minority and underserved individuals. She is an expert in health disparities and policy issues relating to African Americans and other minorities. Because of her expertise, she is uniquely qualified to be a contractor for the Office of Research, Development, and Information. She has a broad range of experiences in college administration, management, teaching, grantsmanship, minority health issues, health policy research, focus groups, community health forums, and minority recruitment into the health professions. Dr. Walker is very knowledgeable with research in the area of disparities in health care focusing on minorities. She is newly elected President of the National HBCU Research Network for Health Services and Health Disparities. CMS staff determined that Dr. Walker has the ability to serve as a CMS contractor due to her expertise in immunization education and prevention activities, health professions, minority health disparities issues, community health conferences, focus groups, and health policy research. Therefore, this purchase order to this HBCU contractor is in keeping with the intent of the Executive Order on HBCUs enacted on February 12, 2002. If there are no affirmative written responses received within (45) calendar days from the published date of this notice, a purchase order shall be awarded.