[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6890-6891]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2499]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Chiropractor Loan Repayment Demonstration Project

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

ACTION: General notice.

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SUMMARY: The authority for the Demonstration Project has been extended 
with respect to chiropractors (see legislative authority below). The 
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces that 
applications from qualified chiropractors who agree to serve

[[Page 6891]]

underserved populations in Primary Care Health Professional Shortage 
Areas (HPSAs) throughout the Nation will be accepted by the National 
Health Service Corps (NHSC) for loan repayment awards. A two-year 
service commitment is required. There is no guarantee that participants 
in this demonstration project will have an opportunity to continue 
their service and loan repayments beyond the initial two-year service 
period. Chiropractors, with qualifying educational loans, must serve at 
organized primary health care sites in Primary Care HPSAs that have 
another NHSC clinician on staff who will be concurrently fulfilling an 
NHSC service commitment through the scholarship or loan repayment 
program and who is licensed to prescribe medications.
    This demonstration project will include an evaluation component to 
determine whether adding chiropractors as permanent NHSC members would 
enhance the effectiveness of the NHSC. A maximum of 40 individuals will 
be awarded loan repayment contracts under this demonstration project.
    Purpose: Eligible chiropractors will participate in the Loan 
Repayment Demonstration Project to determine whether their services 
will enhance the effectiveness of the NHSC.
    Legislative Authority: These applications are solicited under 
section 338L of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended by 
Public Law. 107-251 and Public Law 108-447. See also H.R. Conf. Rep. 
No. 108-792, at 1113, 1155 (2004); S. Rep. No. 108-345, at 41-42 
(2004).
    Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants must (1) be citizens or 
nationals of the United States, (2) possess a current unrestricted 
license to practice as a chiropractor in the State in which they intend 
to practice, (3) be negotiating or have secured employment at an 
eligible community site, and (4) meet the additional eligibility 
requirements outlined in the application materials. Chiropractors must 
also have a doctor of chiropractic degree from a four-year chiropractic 
college that is currently fully accredited by the Commission on 
Accreditation of the Council on Chiropractic Education, and 
successfully passed the entire examination by the National Board of 
Chiropractic Examiners.
    Funding Priorities or Preferences: Priority will be given to (A) 
applicants who have characteristics that increase the probability of 
their continuing to practice in HPSAs after they have completed 
service, and (B) subject to paragraph (A), applicants from 
disadvantaged backgrounds. A funding preference will also be given to 
applicants serving Primary Care HPSAs of greatest shortage (based on 
the HPSA scores).
    Statutory Matching or Cost Sharing Requirement: None.
    Review Criteria: Loan repayment applications will be evaluated to 
determine (1) the eligibility of the applicant, and (2) the applicant's 
priority for funding.
    Estimated Amount of this Competition: $2,000,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 40.
    Estimated or Average Size of Each Award: $50,000.
    Estimated Project Period: 2 years.
    Application Requests, Availability, Dates and Addresses: 
Application materials are available for downloading via the Web at 
http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov. Applicants may also request a hard copy of 
the application materials by contacting the National Health Service 
Corps at 1-800-638-0824. All application materials must be submitted in 
hard copy format. In order to be considered for an award, applications 
from chiropractors must be postmarked or delivered to the HRSA National 
Health Service Corps by no later than June 17, 2005 at 5 p.m. ET. 
Completed applications must be mailed or delivered to: Division of 
National Health Service Corps, NHSC Loan Repayment Program, c/o I.Q. 
Solutions, 11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 901, Rockville, MD, 20852. 
Applicants should request a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark 
or obtain a legibly dated receipt from a commercial carrier or the U.S. 
Postal Service. Private metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as 
proof of timely mailing. Applications postmarked or submitted after the 
deadline date, or sent to any address other than that above, will be 
returned to the applicant and not processed. The NHSC will acknowledge 
receipt of the application if the applicant chooses to complete the 
notification postcard that is included in the application materials.
    Application Availability Date: February 2005.
    Application Deadline: June 17, 2005 at 5 p.m. et.
    Projected Award Date: September 30, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: NHSC Loan Repayment Program, 11300 
Rockville Pike, Suite 901, Rockville, Maryland, 20852. Telephone: 1-
800-638-0824. e-mail: [email protected].
    Paperwork Reduction Act: The application for the Chiropractor Loan 
Repayment Demonstration Project has been approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The OMB 
clearance number is 0915-0127. The program is not subject to the 
provision of Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs (as implemented through 45 CFR part 100).

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 93.162.

    Dated: February 2, 2005.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05-2499 Filed 2-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P