[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 167 (Tuesday, August 30, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51356-51357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17180]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Recruitment of Sites for Assignment of Corps Personnel

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

ACTION: General notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 
announces that the listing of entities and their Health Professional 
Shortage Area (HPSA) scores that will receive priority for the 
assignment of National Health Service Corps (NHSC) personnel (Corps 
Personnel, Corps members) for the period July 1, 2005 through June 30, 
2006, is posted on the NHSC Web site at http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/resources/fedreg-hpol/. This list specifies which entities are eligible 
to receive assignment of Corps members who are participating in the 
NHSC Scholarship Program, the NHSC Loan Repayment Program, and Corps 
members who have become Corps members other than pursuant to 
contractual obligations under the Scholarship or Loan Repayment 
Programs. Please note that not all vacancies associated with sites on 
this list will be for Corps members, but could be for individuals 
serving an obligation to the NHSC through the Private Practice Option.

Eligible HPSAs and Entities

    To be eligible to receive assignment of Corps personnel, entities 
must: (1) Have a current HPSA designation by the Shortage Designation 
Branch in the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, Bureau of 
Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration; (2) 
enter into an agreement with the State agency that administers 
Medicaid, accept payment under Medicare 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; and (3) be determined by the 
Secretary to have (a) A need and demand for health manpower in the 
area; (b) appropriately and efficiently used Corps members assigned to 
the entity; (c) general community support for the assignment of Corps 
members; (d) made unsuccessful efforts to recruit; and (e) a reasonable 
prospect for sound fiscal management by the entity with respect to 
Corps members assigned there. Priority in approving applications for 
assignment of Corps members goes to sites that (1) Provide primary, 
mental, and/or oral health services to a HPSA of greatest shortage; (2) 
are part of a system of care that provides a continuum of services, 
including comprehensive primary health care and appropriate referrals 
or arrangements for secondary and tertiary care; (3) have a documented 
record of sound fiscal management; and (4) will experience a negative 
impact on its capacity to provide primary health services if a Corps 
member is not assigned to the entity.
    Entities that receive assignment of Corps personnel must assure 
that (1) The position will permit the full scope of practice and that 
the clinician meets the credentialing requirements of the State and 
site; and (2) the Corps member assigned to the entity is engaged in 
full-time clinical practice at the approved service location for a 
minimum of 40 hours per week with at least 32 hours per week in the 
ambulatory care setting. Obstetricians/gynecologists, certified nurse 
midwives (CNMs), and family practitioners who practice obstetrics on a 
regular basis, are required to engage in a minimum of 21 hours per week 
of outpatient clinical practice. The remaining hours, making up the 
minimum 40-hour per week total, include delivery and other clinical 
hospital-based duties. For all Corps personnel, time spent on-call does 
not count toward the 40 hours per week. In addition, sites receiving 
assignment of Corps personnel are expected to (1) Report to the NHSC 
all absences in excess of the authorized number of days (up to 35 work 
days or 280 hours per contract year); (2) report to the NHSC any change 
in the status of an NHSC clinician at the site; (3) provide the time 
and leave records, schedules, and any related personnel documents for 
NHSC assignees (including documentation, if applicable, of the 
reason(s) for the termination of an NHSC clinician's employment at the 
site prior to his or her obligated service end date); and (4) submit a 
Uniform Data System (UDS) report. This system allows the site to assess 
the age, sex, race/ethnicity of, and provider encounter records for, 
its user population. The UDS reports are site specific. Providers 
fulfilling NHSC commitments are assigned to a specific site or, in some 
cases, more than one site. The scope of activity to be reported in UDS 
includes all activity at the site(s) to which the Corps member is 
assigned.

Evaluation and Selection Process

    In approving applications for the assignment of Corps members, the 
Secretary shall give priority to any such application that is made 
regarding the provision of primary health services to a HPSA with the 
greatest shortage. For the program year July 1, 2005--June 30, 2006, 
HPSAs of greatest shortage for determination of priority for assignment 
of Corps personnel will be defined as follows: (1) Primary care HPSAs 
with scores of 14 and above are authorized for the assignment of Corps 
members who are primary care physicians participating in the 
Scholarship Program; (2) primary care HPSAs with scores of 13 and above 
are authorized for the assignment of Corps members who are family nurse 
practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) participating in the 
Scholarship Program; (3) primary care HPSAs with scores of 8 and above 
are authorized for the assignment of Corps members who are CNMs 
participating in the Scholarship Program; (4) mental health HPSAs with 
scores of 20 and above are authorized for the assignment of Corps 
members who are psychiatrists participating in the Scholarship Program; 
(5) dental HPSAs with scores of 20 and above are authorized for the 
assignment of Corps members who are dentists participating in the 
Scholarship Program; and (6) HPSAs (appropriate to each discipline) 
with scores of 14 and above are authorized for the assignment of Corps 
members who are participating in the Loan Repayment Program. HPSAs with 
scores below 14 will be eligible to receive assignment of Corps 
personnel participating in the Loan Repayment Program only after 
assignments are made of those Corps members matching to those HPSAs 
receiving priority for placement of Corps members through the Loan 
Repayment Program (i.e., HPSAs scoring 14 or above). Placements made 
through the Loan Repayment Program in HPSAs with scores 13 or below 
will be made by decreasing HPSA score, and only to the extent that 
funding remains available. All sites on the list are eligible sites for 
individuals wishing to serve in an underserved area but who are not 
contractually obligated under the Scholarship or Loan Repayment 
Program. A listing of HPSAs and their scores is posted at http://belize.hrsa.gov/newhpsa/newhpsa.cfm.
    Sites qualifying for automatic primary care HPSA designations have 
been scored and may be authorized to receive assignment of Corps 
members if they meet the criteria outlined above and their HPSA scores 
are above the stated cutoffs. If there are any sites on the list

[[Page 51357]]

with an unscored HPSA designation, they are authorized for the 
assignment of Corps personnel participating in the Loan Repayment 
Program only after assignments are made of those Corps members matching 
to scored HPSAs and only to the extent that funding remains available. 
When these HPSAs receive scores, these sites will then be authorized to 
receive assignment of Corps members if they meet the criteria outlined 
above and their newly assigned scores are above the stated cutoffs.
    The number of new NHSC placements through the Scholarship and Loan 
Repayment Programs allowed at any one site are limited to the 
following:
(1) Primary Health Care
    (a) Loan Repayment Program--no more than 2 physicians (MD or DO); 
and no more than a combined total of 2 NPs, PAs, or CNMs.
    (b) Scholarship Program--no more than 2 physicians (MD or DO); and 
no more than a combined total of 2 NPs, PAs, or CNMs.
(2) Dental
    (a) Loan Repayment Program--no more than 2 dentists and 2 dental 
hygienists.
    (b) Scholarship Program--no more than 1 dentist.
(3) Mental Health
    (a) Loan Repayment Program--no more than 2 psychiatrists (MD or 
DO); and no more than a combined total of 2 clinical or counseling 
psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional 
counselors, marriage and family therapists, or psychiatric nurse 
specialists.
    (b) Scholarship Program--no more than 1 psychiatrist.

Application Requests, Dates and Address

    The list of HPSAs and entities that are eligible to receive 
priority for the placement of Corps personnel may be updated 
periodically. Entities that no longer meet eligibility criteria, 
including HPSA score, will be removed from the priority listing. 
Entities interested in being added to the high priority list must 
submit an NHSC Recruitment and Retention Assistance Application to: 
National Health Service Corps, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 8A-55, 
Rockville, MD 20857, fax 301-594-2721. These applications must be 
submitted on or before the deadline date of March 24, 2006. 
Applications submitted after this deadline date will be considered for 
placement on the priority placement list in the following program year. 
Any changes to this deadline will be posted on the NHSC Web site at 
http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov.
    Entities interested in receiving application materials may do so by 
calling the HRSA call center at 1-800-221-9393. They may also get 
information and download application materials from: http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/applications/rraa.cfm.

Additional Information

    Entities wishing to provide additional data and information in 
support of their inclusion on the proposed list of HPSAs and entities 
that would receive priority in assignment of Corps members, must do so 
in writing no later than September 29, 2005. This information should be 
submitted to: Susan Salter, Chief, Site Identification and Application 
Branch, Division of National Health Service Corps, 5600 Fishers Lane, 
Room 8A-08, Rockville, MD 20857. This information will be considered in 
preparing the final list of HPSAs and entities that are receiving 
priority for the assignment of Corps personnel.
    Paperwork Reduction Act: The Recruitment and Retention Assistance 
Application has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The OMB clearance number is 0915-
0230.
    The program is not subject to the provision of Executive Order 
12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (as implemented 
through 45 CFR part 100).

    Dated: August 23, 2005.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05-17180 Filed 8-29-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P