National Health Service Corps CAH Announcement

The Health Resources and Services Administration has released its 2012 guidance for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP), which includes a pilot program that expands eligibility to CAHs and eligible clinicians working in CAHs: primary care physicians; psychiatrists; nurse practitioners; certified nurse midwives; and physician assistants. CAHs and interested clinicians should review the 2012 guidance. CAHs that want to become service sites have to be in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) and meet other basic program requirements). Once they are approved as service sites, their clinicians can apply for loan repayment. The NHSC will pay up to $60,000 for an initial 2 years of full‐time clinical practice to clinicians serving at an NHSC‐approved service site with a HPSA score of 14 or higher. Applicants working at NHSC‐approved service sites with HPSA scores of 13 or lower are eligible to receive up to $40,000 for an initial 2 years of full‐time clinical service. The NHSC will pay up to $60,000 for an initial 4 years of half‐time clinical practice to clinicians serving at an NHSC‐approved service site with a HPSA score of 14 or higher. Applicants working at NHSC‐approved service sites with HPSA scores of 13 or lower are eligible to receive up to $40,000 for an initial 4 years of half‐time clinical service. The Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) and the NHSC have conducted Webinars related to this change (http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/downloads/criticalaccesspresentation.pdf). The NHSC has a contact available to answer questions: Lindsey Toohey (ltoohey@hrsa.gov). For additional program details, please see the 2012 NHSC Loan Repayment Program At-A-Glance Fact Sheet , the NHSC Loan Repayment Program Announcement Flyer and the complete Application and Program Guidance. Click here to read the full announcement.