Instructions
for Completing the Multi-Year Recruitment and Retention Assistance
Application
- Download the cover letter (
PDF
- 30 KB) for the NHSC Multi-Year Recruitment and Retention Assistance
Application.
- Download
the instructions (
PDF
- 120 KB) for completing the NHSC Multi-Year Recruitment and Retention
Assistance Application.
- Download
the NHSC Multi-Year Recruitment and Retention
Assistance Application. (
PDF
- 209 KB)
- To assist you in successfully promoting your site to potential
job candidates, the NHSC highly recommends you complete the Site
Profile Form ( PDF
- 19 KB). The Site Profile form allows you to briefly describe
your sites attributes and surrounding area. If you are already
an NHSC site and have not completed the Site Profile form, we
encourage you to complete the Site Profile Form. Please note
that the site profile form is not an application to become an
NHSC service site, and cannot be used to post a vacancy.
- To check the status of a submitted
Multi-Year Recruitment and Retention Assistance Application, please
send an email to SIAB@hrsa.gov.
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is committed to increasing
access to primary care services and reducing health disparities
for people in health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) by assisting
communities through recruitment and retention, site development,
practice management, and quality assurance activities.
Sites may apply for assistance from the NHSC in recruiting and
retaining community-responsive, culturally competent primary care
clinicians. To begin the application process for NHSC assistance,
sites must complete the NHSC Multi-Year Recruitment and Retention
(R&R) Assistance Application. Once approved, as long as
your site remains in a HPSA (and the HPSA score does not change)
and continues to meet NHSC requirements, your site can continue
to list vacancies on the NHSC On-Line Opportunities List for a period
of three years. The R&R Application is good for three
years of the approval date and the vacancies remain approved through
the entire third placement cycle which normally goes through June
of the third year. All sites must re-apply for NHSC eligibility
every three years by submitting a new R&R Application.
If your site's HPSA score changes, you must re-apply for NHSC eligibility
at that time.
Please note that in order to be considered, sites must meet several
criteria, including:
- Located in a federally designated HPSA. You may check your HPSA
status by searching the HPSA
database, or you may read more information about the HPSA
designation process.
- Documentation of sound fiscal management
- Use a sliding-fee
schedule or other documented methods to reduce fees that ensure
no financial barriers to care exist, accept assignment of Medicare,
and enter into an agreement with the State agency that administers
Medicaid
- Proof of the capacity to maintain a competitive salary, benefits,
and malpractice coverage package
- Submit a completed application no later than the last Friday
in March of the application year. (Example: Those applying to
be an NHSC site in 2009 must submit the R&R Application by
March 27, 2009).
NHSC sites must provide requested
health care services regardless of the individual's ability or method
of payment. NHSC sites must not discriminate in the provision of
services to an individual because of (1) the individual's ability
to pay for the services; or (2) because payment for the services
would be made under the Medicare, Medicaid or State Children's Health
Insurance Programs. To meet this requirement entities must:
- Provide health care services at no charge, or at a nominal charge,
to patients whose incomes are at or below 200% of the federal
poverty guidelines, which are revised annually in March. For
example, the poverty level for a family of four is $19,350 (100%);
thus, a 200% poverty level for this family would be $38,700. NHSC
sites utilize different practices to ensure that no barriers to
care exist, including establishing a schedule of discounts based
on patients' ability to pay. Information
on developing a discount fee policy
- Accept assignments under the Medicare program.
- Enter into an appropriate agreement with the State agency administering
the Medicaid program;
- Enter into an appropriate agreement with the State agency administering
the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
- Prominently advertise a statement that explicitly communicates
the fact that no one will be denied access to services due to
inability to pay. In accordance with the breadth and scope of
the NHSC service area, when applicable, this signage should be
translated into the appropriate language/dialect.
The entity shall take reasonable and appropriate steps to collect
all payments due for health care services provided by the entity,
including payments from any third party (including a Federal, State
or local government agency and any other third party) that is responsible
for part or all of the charge for such services.
Practices employing NHSC clinicians enjoy flexibility in designing
a discount fee schedule that meets the above requirement. However
specific guidelines are provided in the view of the Office of Inspector
General (OIG) (PDF
- 365 KB) on the discounts provided for uninsured patients who cannot
afford to pay their bills and reductions or waiver of Medicare cost-sharing
amounts for patients experiencing financial hardship.
The NHSC prioritizes resource assistance based upon need, as determined
by HPSA scoring criteria. You will receive official notification
by mail regarding the status of your site's application. If approved
as an NHSC site, your open vacancies will be published on the NHSC
Opportunities List and viewed by hundreds of clinicians, including
NHSC Scholars and those interested in the Loan Repayment Program.
If your application is submitted in order to retain a clinician
already hired by your site who would like to participate in the
NHSC Loan Repayment Program, your vacancy will not be posted on
the Opportunities List since it is not an "open" vacancy.
It is important to keep the NHSC informed as to the status of your
vacancies so that we can ensure the accuracy of our Opportunities
List.
The NHSC has
an annual limit on the number of vacancies that can be approved
and posted for the NHSC Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs.
This limit is published annually in the Federal Register (view
this year's Federal Register Notice). Once a site has met the
maximum number allowed in the placement cycle, all remaining vacancies
will be categorized as VL for volunteer.
NHSC
scholars are required to serve their commitments in NHSC-approved
sites with the greatest need. Need is determined by the Health Professional
Shortage Area (HPSA) designation score indicated for each job opportunity
— the higher the score, the higher the need.
Minimum
HPSA Scores Required for NHSC Scholars in Fiscal Year 2009
Scholars must
match to sites with HPSA scores as follows:
- Primary
care physicians
(family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology or
pediatrics) must match to a site with a primary care HPSA score
of 14 or higher;
- Physician
assistants, family nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives
must match to a site with a primary care HPSA score of 14
or higher;
- Psychiatrists
must match to a site with a mental health HPSA score of 19 or
higher;
- Dentists
must match to a site with a dental HPSA score of 17 or
higher.
Scholars should
be aware that they are competing for these opportunities with both
NHSC Loan Repayment Program applicants and non-NHSC clinicians.
The NHSC approves
practice sites throughout the year and NHSC
Job Opportunities are updated daily.
If your
staffing needs change, or if you have any questions, please call
the Recruitment Training and Support Center at 1-877-313-1823.
Please fax the completed R&R application to the NHSC at 301-594-2721
or mail to:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration
Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service
Division of Site and Clinician Recruitment
Site and Community Development Branch
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 8A-30
Rockville, MD 20857
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