Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Topics on this page: Summary of Activities that Continue | Summary of Activities that will Not Continue | Summary of Contingency Staffing Plan

Summary of Activities that Continue

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) will continue activities funded through the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund (PCORTF). PCORTF activities are focused on building data capacity for conducting patient-centered outcomes research designed to produce new scientific evidence that better informs and supports health care decisions of both providers and patients.

Summary of Activities That will Not Continue

Oversight of AHRQ's appropriated activities, including extramural research grant and contract awards, monitoring and oversight activities, research related efforts focused on tool development, data analysis, technical assistance, as well as dissemination of research results, findings, and amplifying AHRQ's products and programs will end.

Summary of Contingency Staffing Plan

In the event of a lapse of appropriations, 13 (14%) of AHRQ staff will be retained including two (2) who are exempt (their activities or position are already funded or otherwise exempt) and two (2) who are Commissioned Corps staff that support programmatic activities. Of the 91 staff members, 78 are on the Furlough list.  

Exempt Staff:

A total of two (2) staff will be exempt. This includes PCORTF staff, who will continue to oversee all activities related to the PCORTF.

Excepted Staff:

Two Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Officers will continue working under this exception. Nine additional AHRQ staff fall into the category of those whose work is "necessarily implied" from the authorized continuation of or the need to phase down other activities.

Of the nine AHRQ staff members, five continue to work full time including the AHRQ Director, Confidential Assistant, Advisor, Director, Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement, and the Executive Officer.  Four staff members, including the Deputy Director for Programs, Director, Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Director, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, and the Director, Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations have been placed on a part-time (on-call/intermittent) status and are recalled for critical "excepted" activities that must be undertaken.