Welcome Assistance Programs for Midlevel Providers in Texas

National Health Service Corps

National Health Service Corps Overview The NHSC is made up of thousands of talented & dedicated clinicians who, over the past 3 ½ decades, have extended out to rural, “inner city” urban, and frontier communities across the country to practice primary health care in underserved communities where the need is greatest. The NHSC helps recruit clinicians who are committed to providing primary health care services to those most in need as part of comprehensive team-based primary health care that bridges geographic, financial, cultural, and language barriers.

National Health Service Corps Overview The NHSC has a variety of exciting opportunities and assistance for dedicated students and practicing clinicians:  Ambassador Program  Scholarship Program  Loan Repayment Program  Job Opportunities List  Site Support  SEARCH Program (Contact East TX AHEC)  Ready Responders Program (Contact NHSC Directly)

National Health Service Corps Overview Where do NHSC providers practice? NHSC Sites are pre-approved community based practices in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) that include: Community health centers, migrant health centers, private practices, rural health clinics, Indian Health Service sites and prisons. NHSC Sites are located in the neediest HPSAs. The level of need is measured by the HPSA score. The priority score may vary from year to year. (HPSA information is available at

National Health Service Corps Overview Practice Locations: To become an approved NHSC site, the facility must complete a separate application, agreeing to specific requirements which include accepting Medicaid, Medicare, & CHIP as payment in full for services; as well as using a sliding fee scale reflecting no or minimal charges for those patients under 200% of poverty. Approved NHSC sites provide services regardless of ability to pay.

Scholarship Program

National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program Students dedicated to practicing primary care in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) can compete for educational scholarships. In return for this scholarship support, they must agree to practice in communities across the nation where the need is greatest following training. The NHSC Scholarship Program is open to U.S. citizens who are full-time students enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, at fully accredited U.S. health professions schools.

National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program The NHSC provides full payment for up to 4 years of:  Tuition and fees  Reasonable educational expenses  Monthly stipend Additional information is available online at

National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program Eligible Disciplines:  Physician (MD or DO)  Primary care nurse practitioner (NP)  Primary care physician assistant (PA)  General Practice Dentist (DDS or DMD)

Default penalties:  Payback triple the amount of scholarship payments received plus interest.  Payback is required in full within one year of breach of contract.  Defaulting on scholarship contract may lead to Federal prosecution and loss of practice license in some States. National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program

You can sign up to be notified when the annual application and information bulletin are available at During the annual application period, you can apply online at The submission deadline is generally 30 days after the application is made available. You can go to the website now and sign up to be notified when the next application is available.

Loan Repayment Program

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program The NHSC Loan Repayment Program (LRP) gives fully trained health professionals with qualifying educational loans the opportunity to compete for repayment assistance in return for serving at an eligible site within a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). There is a minimum 2-year commitment for full-time clinical practice at an approved site. The contract can be renewed annually after initial commitment is met.

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program Eligibility Requirements:  U.S. citizenship  Practicing in or in contract negotiations with an approved NHSC site in a Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), or a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area (MHPSA).  Practicing in an eligible primary care discipline or specialty.  Clinicians are not placed, but are responsible for finding an eligible position on their own.

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program Eligible Disciplines:  Physician (MD or DO)  Primary care nurse practitioner (NP)  Primary care physician assistant (PA)  Certified nurse-midwife (CNM)  General Practice Dentist (DDS or DMD)  Mental or Behavioral Health Professional

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program Repayment Amounts:  Years 1 & 2$25,000 each year ($50,000 total)  Year 3$35,000  Year 4$35,000  Year 5$25,000  Year 6$20,000  Year 7 & beyond$15,000 *Funds received through this program are not considered taxable income.

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program Default Penalties:  Return of all funds, plus interest, for time not served  $7,500 for each month of unfulfilled service  Maximum allowable interest on the above amounts from date service ended.  Minimum default amount is $31,000

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program Annual applications for FY 2010 will be accepted after the current Recovery Act funding is exhausted. (Application periods are subject to change) Priority HPSA score is 17. The Application Information Bulletin is online at:

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funds  Application cycle is open until July 29, 2010 or until funds are spent  Funds are limited for contract renewals; and renewals are not guaranteed  Applications are processed in batches every 6-8 weeks  Awards are made until all eligible applications are funded for that batch, or until all funds are spent

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funds  Practice sites do not have to be approved at the time the provider applies and can have a HPSA score lower than 17  Clinicians can apply before being employed by an approved NHSC site  Sites can apply for NHSC approval at the same time the provider is applying for loan repayment assistance

Job Search Assistance

National Health Service Corps Job Opportunities List What is the Job Opportunities List? The NHSC Job Opportunities List is a searchable database, updated weekly, and found on the NHSC’s web site at It contains thousands of open positions in underserved communities across the country. Anyone can use it!

National Health Service Corps Job Opportunities List How do you use the Job Opportunities List? This database is easy to use. A search can be done using one or more of these filtering criteria:  Discipline  Specialty  Type of Opportunity  State & County  Address  Projected Hire Date

Job Search Assistance National Health Service Corps Job Opportunities Approved NHSC Sites can post vacancies. Job seekers can search for positions by state, county, and type of position. Texas Health Match A free service to both facilities in Texas, and those seeking employment in a medical facility in Texas.

Job Search Assistance TX Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC) TACHC member facilities can post vacancies. Job seekers search for free. 3RNnet & TX Dept of Rural Affairs (TDRA): 3RNet member facilities can post vacancies. Job seekers search for free.

For Additional Information Cindy Ellis TX Primary Care Office PO Box , Mail Code 1937 Austin, TX (512) ext