[Federal Register: May 9, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 90)]
[Notices]
[Page 25052-25053]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09my03-99]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Recruitment of Clinicians To Become Commissioned Officers;
Recruitment of Sites for Assignment of Commissioned Officers
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS.
ACTION: General notice.
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SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
announces that applications will be accepted to recruit clinicians who
will
[[Page 25053]]
be hired as commissioned officers in the U.S. Public Health Service.
This notice also solicits applications from sites that are seeking the
assistance of these commissioned officers. These commissioned officers
will be family practice physicians and dentists. They will be assigned
by the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) to the neediest Health
Professional Shortage Areas throughout the Nation. The NHSC will pay
the salaries, moving expenses and benefits for these commissioned
officers.
These officers will be part of a mobile cadre of health care
professionals, who, in addition to the services they will provide to
patients at their assigned sites, may be called upon to respond to
regional and/or national emergencies. The NHSC will assist the officers
in acquiring, maintaining and enhancing emergency response skills.
Their initial assignments will be no longer than three years in
duration, after which, should these clinicians choose to stay in the
U.S. Public Health Service, they will progress to new assignments.
Eligible Applicants
Clinicians--Applicants must file a U.S. Public Health Service
Commissioned Corps application, meet the requirements for such
commissioning, have completed a Family Practice residency or dental
school (prior to the start of the assignment), have successfully passed
the Family Practice board certification or a regional dental licensing
exam (prior to the start of the assignment) and have a current,
unrestricted license to practice medicine or dentistry in at least one
U.S. State or Territory.
Sites--Applicants must be located in a Health Professional Shortage
Area (HPSA) and submit a Proposal for Use of a Commissioned Officer
2003 (and, if not yet approved as an NHSC site, a Recruitment and
Retention Assistance Application). All sites to which NHSC clinicians
are assigned must accept assignment under Medicare, have appropriate
agreements with the applicable State entity to participate in Medicaid
and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, see all patients
regardless of their ability to pay, and use and post a discounted fee
plan. Sites must also understand and accept that these officers will
periodically be away from their assigned locations as they train for,
or respond to, a regional and/or national health emergency.
Application Requests, Dates and Addresses
Application materials are available for downloading via the Web at:
http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov.
Clinicians--Completed applications must be postmarked or delivered
to the HRSA Commissioned Corps Operations Office by no later than
September 30, 2003. Clinicians are encouraged to submit an application
early, as applications will be considered as soon as they are received.
Completed applications should be mailed or delivered to: HRSA
Commissioned Corps Operations Office, Parklawn Building, Room 13A-22,
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Applications received or
postmarked after the deadline date or sent to a different address will
be returned to the applicant and not considered.
Sites--Completed applications must be postmarked or delivered to
the NHSC by no later than September 30, 2003. Site applications will be
evaluated as soon as they are received at NHSC headquarters. Sites will
be deemed qualified based on the quality of the application submitted
and the score of the HPSA in which they are located, with preference
being given to sites in HPSAs with higher scores. Officers will then be
assigned to qualified sites on an ongoing basis. Sites are encouraged
to apply early so as to have a better chance of acquiring one of the
commissioned officers. The number of qualified sites is expected to
exceed the limited supply of commissioned officers. Completed site
applications should be mailed or delivered to: National Health Service
Corps, Parklawn Building, Room 8A-55, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD
20857. Applications received or postmarked after the deadline date or
sent to a different address will be returned to the applicant and not
considered.
Additional Information
Eligible clinicians and sites interested in receiving application
material may do so by calling the National Health Service Corps call
center at 1-800-221-9393.
Dated: May 2, 2003.
Dennis P. Williams,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-11499 Filed 5-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-M