[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1919-1921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00398]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Determining Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas of Greatest 
Need

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

ACTION: updating of the scoring criteria for determining mental health 
professional shortage areas (HPSA) of greatest need.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of section 333A(b)(1) of 
the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended by the Health Care 
Safety Net Amendments of 2002, 42 U.S.C. 254f-1(b)(1), the Secretary of 
HHS shall establish the criteria which she will use to make 
determinations under section 333A(a)(1)(A) of the HPSAs with the 
greatest shortages. This notice sets forth revised criteria for 
determining mental health HPSAs with the greatest shortage. This 
updates the previous criteria published on May 30, 2003.

DATES: Effective January 14, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kae Brickerd, Ph.D., Chief, Shortage 
Designation Branch, Bureau of Health Workforce, Division of Policy and 
Shortage Designation, Health Resources and Services Administration, 
11W14 Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857, 
301 945-0828, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 332 of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. 254e, 
provides that the Secretary shall designate HPSAs based on criteria 
established by regulation. HPSAs are defined in Section 332 to include 
(1) urban and rural geographic areas with shortages of health 
professionals, (2) population groups with such shortages, and (3) 
facilities with such shortages. The required regulations setting forth 
the criteria for designating HPSAs are codified at 42 CFR part 5. 
Section 333A(a)(1)(A) of the PHS Act and requires that the Secretary 
give priority in the assignment of National Health Service Corps 
personnel to entities serving HPSAs with the greatest health 
professional shortage. Section 333A(b) of the PHS Act requires that the 
Secretary establish criteria specifying the manner in which she 
determines HPSAs of greatest shortage and publish the criteria, and any 
revisions to the criteria, in the Federal Register. The criteria 
established by the Secretary create a method for scoring HPSAs based on 
relative shortage.
    In the Federal Register notice on May 30, 2003, 68 FR 32531, the 
following criteria were identified for determining scores for mental 
health HPSAs: population to provider ratio, percentage of the 
population below 100 percent of poverty, travel time to the nearest 
alternative source of care, the ratio of children under age 18 to 
adults age 18-64, the ratio of adults over age 65 to adults age 18-64, 
and alcohol and substance abuse prevalence rates. Each factor is given 
points and the score is the sum of the points, up to 25. This notice 
modifies and provides clarification to the point scale for the 
population to provider ratio component of the formula, based on an 
assessment that the current point scale for the population to provider 
ratio does not adequately reflect the level of shortage. As a result of 
the modifications, the point values assigned for some population to 
provider ratios will see either a small increase or decrease, while 
others may remain unchanged. All other scoring criteria and point 
scales remain the same as published in the previous notice.
    The point scale published in 2003 for the population to provider 
ratio is presented in the following table:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Psychiatrist ratio         Core mental health ratio     Score
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>45,000:0 AND....................  >4,500:0................            8
                                   >4500:1 and <6000:1\1\..            7
<20,000:1 and >15,000:1 AND......  >6000:1 and <9,000:1....            6
<30,000:1 and >15,000:1 OR.......  >4,500:1 and <6,000:1...            5
<45,000:1 and > 20,000:1 AND.....  >4,500:0 and <6,000:0...            4
>20,000:1 AND....................  >6,000:1................            3
>30,000:1........................  ........................            2
                                   >9,000:1................            1
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\1\ > = Greater Than; < = Less Than

    To reflect the mental health services available in a community, 
entities applying for Mental Health HPSAs are encouraged to report on 
the number of both psychiatrists and core mental health providers 
rendering services. The revised point scale is as follows:
    For Geographic High Need and Population HPSAs, as defined in the 
designation criteria set forth in 42 CFR part 5, Appendix C, Part 1, 
and A.4.
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    Dated: January 6, 2015.
Mary K. Wakefield,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-00398 Filed 1-13-15; 8:45 am]
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