[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 121 (Monday, June 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28863-28864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13313]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Lists of Designated Primary Medical Care, Mental Health, and 
Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice informs the public of the availability of the 
complete lists of all geographic areas, population groups, and 
facilities designated as primary medical care, mental health, and 
dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) as of May 1, 2017. 
The lists are available on HRSA's HPSAFind Web site.

ADDRESSES: The complete lists of HPSAs designated as of May 1, 2017, 
are available on the HPSAFind Web site at https://datawarehouse.hrsa.gov/tools/analyzers/hpsafind.aspx. Frequently 
updated information on HPSAs is available at http://datawarehouse.hrsa.gov. Information on shortage designations is 
available at https://bhw.hrsa.gov/shortage-designation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the HPSA 
designations listed on the HPSAFind Web site or to request an 
additional designation, withdrawal, or reapplication for designation, 
please contact Melissa Ryan, Operations Director, Division of Policy 
and Shortage Designation, Bureau of Health Workforce, HRSA, 11SWH03, 
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857, (301) 594-5168 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Section 332 of the Public Health Services (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. Section 332 further requires that the

[[Page 28864]]

Secretary annually publish lists of the designated geographic areas, 
population groups, and facilities. The lists of HPSAs are to be 
reviewed at least annually and revised as necessary.
    Final regulations (42 CFR part 5) were published in 1980 that 
include the criteria for designating HPSAs. Criteria were defined for 
seven health professional types: Primary medical care, dental, 
psychiatric, vision care, podiatric, pharmacy, and veterinary care. The 
criteria for correctional facility HPSAs were revised and published on 
March 2, 1989 (54 FR 8735). The criteria for psychiatric HPSAs were 
expanded to mental health HPSAs on January 22, 1992 (57 FR 2473). 
Currently-funded PHS Act programs use only the primary medical care, 
mental health, or dental HPSA designations.
    HPSA designation offers access to potential federal assistance. 
Public or private nonprofit entities are eligible to apply for 
assignment of National Health Service Corps (NHSC) personnel to provide 
primary medical care, mental health, or dental health services in or to 
these HPSAs. NHSC health professionals enter into service agreements to 
serve in federally-designated HPSAs. Entities with clinical training 
sites located in HPSAs are eligible to receive priority for certain 
residency training program grants administered by HRSA's Bureau of 
Health Workforce (BHW). Other federal programs also utilize HPSA 
designations. For example, under authorities administered by the 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, certain qualified providers 
in geographic area HPSAs are eligible for increased levels of Medicare 
reimbursement.

Content and Format of Lists

    The three lists of designated HPSAs are available on the HPSAFind 
Web site and include a snapshot of all geographic areas, population 
groups, and facilities that were designated HPSAs as of May 1, 2017. 
This notice incorporates the most recent annual reviews of designated 
HPSAs and supersedes the HPSA lists published in the Federal Register 
on July 1, 2016 (81 FR 43214).
    In addition, all Indian Tribes that meet the definition of such 
Tribes in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 1976, 25 U.S.C. 
1603(d), are automatically designated as population groups with primary 
medical care and dental health professional shortages. Further, the 
Health Care Safety Net Amendments of 2002 provides eligibility for 
automatic facility HPSA designations for all federally qualified health 
centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics that offer services regardless 
of ability to pay. Specifically, these entities include FQHCs funded 
under section 330 of the PHS Act, FQHC Look-Alikes, and Tribal and 
urban Indian clinics operating under the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Act of 1975 (25 U.S.C. 450) or the Indian Health Care 
Improvement Act. Many, but not all, of these entities are included on 
this listing. Absence from this list does not exclude them from HPSA 
designation; facilities eligible for automatic designation are included 
in the database when they are identified.
    Each list of designated HPSAs is arranged by state. Within each 
state, a list is presented by county. If only a portion (or portions) 
of a county is (are) designated, a county is part of a larger 
designated service area, or a population group residing in a county or 
a facility located in a county has been designated, the name of the 
service area, population group, or facility involved is listed under 
the county name. A county that has a whole county geographic HPSA is 
indicated by the phrase ``Entire county HPSA'' following the county 
name.

Development of the Designation and Withdrawal Lists

    Requests for designation or withdrawal of a particular geographic 
area, population group, or a facility as a HPSA are received 
continuously by BHW. Under a Cooperative Agreement between HRSA and the 
54 state and territorial Primary Care Offices (PCOs), PCOs conduct 
needs assessments and submit the majority of the applications to HRSA 
to designate areas as HPSAs. Requests that come from other sources are 
referred by BHW to PCOs for review. In addition, interested parties, 
including Governors, state Primary Care Associations, and state 
professional associations, are notified of requests so that they may 
submit comments and recommendations.
    BHW reviews each recommendation for possible addition, 
continuation, revision, or withdrawal. Following review, BHW notifies 
the appropriate agency, individuals, and interested organizations of 
each designation of a HPSA, rejection of recommendation for HPSA 
designation, revision of a HPSA designation, and/or advance notice of 
pending withdrawal from the HPSA list. Designations (or revisions of 
designations) are effective as of the date on the notification from BHW 
and are updated daily on the HPSAFind Web site. The effective date of a 
withdrawal will be the next publication of a notice regarding the lists 
in the Federal Register.

    Dated: June 16, 2017.
George Sigounas,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-13313 Filed 6-23-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4165-15-P