[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 90 (Friday, May 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25052-25053]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11499]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Recruitment of Clinicians To Become Commissioned Officers; 
Recruitment of Sites for Assignment of Commissioned Officers

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS.

ACTION: General notice.

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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
announces that applications will be accepted to recruit clinicians who 
will

[[Page 25053]]

be hired as commissioned officers in the U.S. Public Health Service. 
This notice also solicits applications from sites that are seeking the 
assistance of these commissioned officers. These commissioned officers 
will be family practice physicians and dentists. They will be assigned 
by the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) to the neediest Health 
Professional Shortage Areas throughout the Nation. The NHSC will pay 
the salaries, moving expenses and benefits for these commissioned 
officers.
    These officers will be part of a mobile cadre of health care 
professionals, who, in addition to the services they will provide to 
patients at their assigned sites, may be called upon to respond to 
regional and/or national emergencies. The NHSC will assist the officers 
in acquiring, maintaining and enhancing emergency response skills. 
Their initial assignments will be no longer than three years in 
duration, after which, should these clinicians choose to stay in the 
U.S. Public Health Service, they will progress to new assignments.

Eligible Applicants

    Clinicians--Applicants must file a U.S. Public Health Service 
Commissioned Corps application, meet the requirements for such 
commissioning, have completed a Family Practice residency or dental 
school (prior to the start of the assignment), have successfully passed 
the Family Practice board certification or a regional dental licensing 
exam (prior to the start of the assignment) and have a current, 
unrestricted license to practice medicine or dentistry in at least one 
U.S. State or Territory.
    Sites--Applicants must be located in a Health Professional Shortage 
Area (HPSA) and submit a Proposal for Use of a Commissioned Officer 
2003 (and, if not yet approved as an NHSC site, a Recruitment and 
Retention Assistance Application). All sites to which NHSC clinicians 
are assigned must accept assignment under Medicare, have appropriate 
agreements with the applicable State entity to participate in Medicaid 
and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, see all patients 
regardless of their ability to pay, and use and post a discounted fee 
plan. Sites must also understand and accept that these officers will 
periodically be away from their assigned locations as they train for, 
or respond to, a regional and/or national health emergency.

Application Requests, Dates and Addresses

    Application materials are available for downloading via the Web at: 
http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov.
    Clinicians--Completed applications must be postmarked or delivered 
to the HRSA Commissioned Corps Operations Office by no later than 
September 30, 2003. Clinicians are encouraged to submit an application 
early, as applications will be considered as soon as they are received. 
Completed applications should be mailed or delivered to: HRSA 
Commissioned Corps Operations Office, Parklawn Building, Room 13A-22, 
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Applications received or 
postmarked after the deadline date or sent to a different address will 
be returned to the applicant and not considered.
    Sites--Completed applications must be postmarked or delivered to 
the NHSC by no later than September 30, 2003. Site applications will be 
evaluated as soon as they are received at NHSC headquarters. Sites will 
be deemed qualified based on the quality of the application submitted 
and the score of the HPSA in which they are located, with preference 
being given to sites in HPSAs with higher scores. Officers will then be 
assigned to qualified sites on an ongoing basis. Sites are encouraged 
to apply early so as to have a better chance of acquiring one of the 
commissioned officers. The number of qualified sites is expected to 
exceed the limited supply of commissioned officers. Completed site 
applications should be mailed or delivered to: National Health Service 
Corps, Parklawn Building, Room 8A-55, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 
20857. Applications received or postmarked after the deadline date or 
sent to a different address will be returned to the applicant and not 
considered.

Additional Information

    Eligible clinicians and sites interested in receiving application 
material may do so by calling the National Health Service Corps call 
center at 1-800-221-9393.

    Dated: May 2, 2003.
Dennis P. Williams,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-11499 Filed 5-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-M