[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 116 (Monday, June 16, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34025-34026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-13454]


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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.

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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, 2008, through June 30, 
2009, is posted on the NHSC Web site at http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/jobs/index.asp. 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 Office of Shortage 
Designation, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and 
Services Administration; (2) not deny requested health care services, 
or discriminate in the provision of services to an individual because 
the individual is unable to pay for the services or because payment for 
the services would be made under Medicare, Medicaid, or the State 
Children's Health Insurance Program; (3) 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 (4) 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 in the past; 
(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 medical care, 
mental health, and/or oral health services to a primary medical care, 
mental health, or dental HPSA of greatest shortage, respectively; (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 
members 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, including those 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. The UDS 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

[[Page 34026]]

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, 2008, through June 30, 
2009, HPSAs of greatest shortage for determination of priority for 
assignment of Corps personnel will be defined as follows: (1) Primary 
medical care HPSAs with scores of 14 and above are authorized for the 
assignment of Corps members who are primary care physicians, family 
nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), or CNMs 
participating in the Scholarship Program; (2) mental health HPSAs with 
scores of 19 and above are authorized for the assignment of Corps 
members who are psychiatrists participating in the Scholarship Program; 
(3) dental HPSAs with scores of 17 and above are authorized for the 
assignment of Corps members who are dentists participating in the 
Scholarship Program; and (4) HPSAs (appropriate to each discipline) 
with scores of 17 and above are authorized for priority assignment of 
Corps members who are participating in the Loan Repayment Program. 
HPSAs with scores below 17 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 17 or above). Placements made 
through the Loan Repayment Program in HPSAs with scores 16 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. Note, that in response to the low number of NPs, PAs and CNMs 
in this placement cycle of NHSC Scholars, the primary care physician 
HPSA score has been applied to the entire primary care category. A 
listing of HPSAs and their scores is posted at http://hpsafind.hrsa.gov/.
    Sites qualifying for automatic primary medical care and dental 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 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 Medical Care:
    (a) Loan Repayment Program--no more than 2 allopathic (MD) or 
osteopathic (DO) physicians; 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-08, 
Rockville, MD 20857, fax 301-594-2721. These applications must be 
submitted on or before the deadline date of March 27, 2009. 
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.asp.

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 July 16, 2008. This information should be 
submitted to: Mark Pincus, Director, Division of Site and Clinician 
Recruitment, Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Room 8A-55, 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 & 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 and expires August 31, 2008.
    The program is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 
12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs (as implemented 
through 45 CFR Part 100).

    Dated: June 6, 2008.
Elizabeth M. Duke,
Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E8-13454 Filed 6-13-08; 8:45 am]
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