[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 98 (Monday, May 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23470-23471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10699]


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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 Scholarship Program Participants

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the listing of entities that will 
receive priority for assignments of National Health Service Corps 
(NHSC) Scholarship recipients (NHSC scholars) was posted on the Health 
Workforce Connector website (formerly known as the NHSC Jobs Center) at 
https://connector.hrsa.gov/. The Health Workforce Connector includes 
sites approved to receive an assignment of NHSC scholars who are 
available for service during the period of October 1, 2018, through 
September 30, 2019, as well as the site's Health Professional Shortage 
Area (HPSA) scores. Please note that entities on this list may or may 
not have current job vacancies.

DATES: Entities interested in providing additional data and information 
in support of their inclusion on the proposed listing, or in support of 
a higher priority determination, must do so in writing no later than 
June 20, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to submit information to support an 
entity's inclusion on the list or to request a higher priority 
determination should submit it to Beth Dillon, Director, Division of 
Regional Operations, Bureau of Health Workforce, 1961 Stout Street, 
Denver, CO 80294. HRSA will consider this information when preparing 
the final list of entities that receive priority for the assignment of 
NHSC scholars.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The program is not subject to the provisions 
of Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs 
(as implemented through 45 CFR part 100).

Evaluation and Selection Process

    In approving applications for the assignment of NHSC scholars, the 
HHS Secretary shall give priority to any such application that is made 
for a position in a HPSA with the greatest shortage. HPSAs of greatest 
shortage are defined by its HPSA scores.
    For the program year October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019, 
priority for assignment of NHSC scholars will be

[[Page 23471]]

determined as follows: (1) Primary medical care HPSAs with scores of 18 
and above are authorized for the assignment of NHSC scholars who are 
primary care physicians, primary care nurse practitioners, primary care 
physician assistants, or certified nurse midwives; (2) mental health 
HPSAs with scores of 18 and above are authorized for the assignment of 
NHSC scholars who are psychiatrists, mental health nurse practitioners, 
or mental health physician assistants; and (3) dental HPSAs with scores 
of 18 and above are authorized for the assignment of NHSC scholars who 
are dentists. The NHSC has determined that a minimum HPSA score of 18 
for all service-ready NHSC scholars will enable it to meet its 
statutory obligation to identify a number of entities eligible for NHSC 
scholar placement that is at least equal to, but not greater than, 
twice the number of NHSC scholars available to serve in the 2018-2019 
placement cycle.
    Beginning on April 1, 2019, and on or about April 1 of each 
subsequent year, HRSA will publish on its website https://connector.hrsa.gov/, the HPSA scores used to determine priority for 
assignment of NHSC scholars for placement cycles after September 30, 
2019, and entities that would receive priority for the placement of 
NHSC scholars. Entities wishing to provide additional data and 
information to support their inclusion on the proposed list of entities 
receiving priority in assignment of NHSC scholars, or to support a 
higher priority determination, must do so in writing no later than May 
1, 2019, or within 30 days following the publication of a revised list 
in subsequent years.
    Sites wishing to request an additional scholar must complete an 
Additional Scholar Request form available at http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/downloads/additionalrequestform.pdf. NHSC-approved sites that do not 
meet the authorized threshold HPSA may post job openings on the Health 
Workforce Connector; however, scholars seeking placement will be 
advised that they can only compete for positions at sites that meet the 
threshold that is in effect at the time they seek to be placed at an 
NHSC-approved site. Although vacancies in HPSAs that have scores less 
than the authorized threshold are not eligible for scholar placements, 
such vacancies will be used by the NHSC when evaluating the HPSA 
threshold score for the next annual scholarship placement cycle.

Application Requests

    The list of HPSAs and entities eligible to receive priority for the 
placement of NHSC scholars is updated periodically. New entities may be 
added to the Health Workforce Connector during a Site Application 
competition. Likewise, entities that no longer meet eligibility 
criteria, including those sites whose 3-year approval as an NHSC 
service site has lapsed or whose HPSA designation has been withdrawn or 
whose withdrawal is being processed, will be removed from the priority 
listing.

    Dated: May 15, 2018.
George Sigounas,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2018-10699 Filed 5-18-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4165-15-P