[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 121 (Thursday, June 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36102-36104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-15356]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Recruitment of Sites for Assignment of National Health Service 
Corps (NHSC) Personnel Obligated Under the NHSC Scholarship Program

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, 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

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Health Service Corps (NHSC) scholarship recipients (NHSC Personnel, 
NHSC members) during the period July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, is 
posted on the NHSC Web site at http://nhscjobs.hrsa.gov/. This list 
specifies which entities are eligible to receive assignment of NHSC 
members who are participating in the NHSC Scholarship Program. Please 
note that not all vacancies associated with sites on the list described 
below will be for NHSC members, but could be for NHSC Scholarship 
Program participants serving their obligation through the Private 
Practice Option.

Eligible HPSAs and Entities

    To be eligible to receive assignment of NHSC personnel, entities 
must: (1) Have a current HPSA designation by the Office of Shortage 
Designation, Bureau of Health Professions, HRSA; (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 Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); (3) enter 
into an agreement with the State agency that administers Medicaid and 
CHIP, accept assignment under Medicare, 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 
NHSC members assigned to the entity in the past; (c) general community 
support for the assignment of NHSC members; (d) made unsuccessful 
efforts to recruit; (e) a reasonable prospect for sound fiscal 
management by the entity with respect to NHSC members assigned there; 
and (f) demonstrated a willingness to support and facilitate 
mentorship, professional development, and training opportunities for 
NHSC members. Priority in approving applications for assignment of NHSC 
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 NHSC 
member is not assigned to the entity.
    Entities that receive assignment of NHSC 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 NHSC member assigned to the entity is engaged in 
full-time clinical practice at the approved service location. For all 
health professionals except those noted below, ``full-time clinical 
practice'' means a minimum of 40 hours per week with at least 32 hours 
per week spent providing direct patient care in outpatient ambulatory 
care setting(s) at the approved practice site(s), during normally 
scheduled office hours. The remaining 8 hours of the minimum 40 hours 
per week must be spent providing clinical services for patients in the 
approved practice site(s), or providing clinical services in 
alternative settings (e.g., hospitals, nursing homes, shelters) as 
directed by the approved practice site(s), or performing practice-
related administrative duties not to exceed 8 hours per week. For 
obstetricians/gynecologists, certified nurse midwives (CNMs), family 
practitioners who practice obstetrics on a regular basis, 
psychiatrists, pediatric dentists, and providers of geriatric services, 
at least 21 of the minimum 40 hours per week must be spent providing 
direct patient care (direct patient counseling for psychiatrists) in 
the outpatient ambulatory care setting(s) at the approved practice 
site(s), during normally scheduled office hours. The remaining 19 hours 
of the minimum 40 hours per week must be spent providing clinical 
services for patients in the approved practice site(s), or providing 
clinical services in alternative settings (e.g., hospitals, nursing 
homes, shelters) as directed by the approved practice site(s), or 
performing practice-related administrative activities (not to exceed 8 
hours per week). For all NHSC Scholars, time spent on-call does not 
count toward the 40 hours per week. In addition, sites receiving 
assignment of NHSC 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 service 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 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 NHSC member is assigned.

Evaluation and Selection Process

    In order for a site to be eligible for placement of NHSC personnel, 
it must be approved by the NHSC following the site's submission of a 
Multi-Year Recruitment and Retention (R&R) Assistance Application. The 
R&R Application approval is good for a period of 3 years from the date 
of approval.
    In approving applications for the assignment of NHSC 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, 2010, through June 30, 
2011, HPSAs of greatest shortage for determination of priority for 
assignment of NHSC scholarship-obligated NHSC personnel will be defined 
as follows: (1) Primary medical care HPSAs with scores of 17 and above 
are authorized for the assignment of NHSC scholarship recipients who 
are primary care physicians, family nurse practitioners (NPs), or CNMs; 
(2) mental health HPSAs with scores of 17 and above are authorized for 
the assignment of NHSC scholarship recipients who are psychiatrists; 
(3) primary medical care HPSAs with scores of 15 and above are 
authorized for the assignment of NHSC scholarship recipients who are 
physician assistants (PAs); (4) dental HPSAs with scores of 17 and 
above are authorized for the assignment of NHSC scholarship recipients 
who are dentists. The NHSC has determined that a minimum HPSA score of 
15 for Physician Assistants, and 17 for all other eligible clinicians 
will enable it to meet its statutory obligation to identify a number of 
approved service sites at least equal to, but not greater than, twice 
the number of NHSC scholars available to serve in the 2010-2011 
placement cycle.
    The number of new NHSC placements through the Scholarship Program 
allowed at any one site is limited to the following:

(1) Primary Medical Care

    No more than 1 physician (MD or DO); and no more than 1 NP, PA, or 
CNM.

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(2) Dental

    No more than 1 dentist.

(3) Mental Health

    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 NHSC personnel may be updated 
periodically. Entities that no longer meet eligibility criteria, 
including those sites whose NHSC 3-year approval has lapsed or whose 
HPSA designation has been proposed for withdrawal will be removed from 
the priority listing. New entities interested in being added to the 
high priority list must submit a Multi-Year NHSC R&R Assistance 
Application to: National Health Service Corps, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 
8A-30, Rockville, MD 20857, fax 301-594-9009.
    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 at: http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/communities/apply.htm.
    A listing of HPSAs and their scores is posted at http://hpsafind.hrsa.gov/.

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 scholarship-obligated NHSC 
members must do so in writing no later than July 26, 2010. This 
information should be submitted to: Lori Roche, Acting Director, 
Division of Site and Clinician Recruitment, Bureau of Clinician 
Recruitment and Service, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 8A-55, Rockville, MD 
20857 or faxed to: 301-480-4577, attention: Lori Roche. This 
information will be considered in preparing the final list of HPSAs and 
entities that are receiving priority for the assignment of scholarship-
obligated NHSC personnel.
    Paperwork Reduction Act: The R&R 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 
September 30, 2011.
    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 21, 2010.
Mary K. Wakefield,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2010-15356 Filed 6-23-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P