Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal Scholarship and Loan Repayment Opportunities for Health Professionals

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Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA)Federal Scholarship and Loan Repayment
Opportunities for Health Professionals

• W. Gary Hlady, MD, MS
• Regional Supervisor
• Bureau of Clinician Recruitment Service
• Health Resources Services Administration
• US Department of Health and Human Services
• ghlady_at_hrsa.gov

Advisory Board Meeting Community Clinic
Association of Los Angeles County November 23,
2010
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HRSA Update

• Scholarship programs
• Loan repayment programs
• SEARCH
• Contact information

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NHSC Scholarship Program

• Scholarships to students who commit to practicing
  primary care in HPSAs of greatest need (HPSA
  score gt17)
• Period of service is 2-4 years based on number of
  years of scholarship support
• HPSA threshold re-calculated annually,
  beginning July 1

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NHSC Scholarship Program Available Scholars

• Certified Nurse Midwives
• Dentists
• Family Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants
• Psychiatrists
• Primary Care Physicians (FP, IM, PEDS,
  OB/GYN)

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NHSC Loan Repayment Program (LRP)

• Repayment of educational loans for full-time
  primary care clinicians
• Two-year service commitment with options for
  additional years
• Maximum repayment during the required initial
  two-year contract is 60,000 (tax-free)
• Site/vacancy must be approved and clinician must
  also make a separate application to the NHSC

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NHSC Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Eligible
Disciplines

• Psychiatrists
• Health Service Psychologists
• Clinical Social Workers
• Licensed Professional Counselors
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Psychiatric Nurse Specialists

• Primary Care Physicians (FP, IM, gerontology,
  PED, OB/GYN)
• Primary Care Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants
• Certified Nurse Midwives
• Dentists
• Dental Hygienists

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LRP Option for Half-Time Service (20 to 39
hours each week, at least 45 weeks each year)

• Four year service commitment for 60,000 or
  2-year commitment for 30,000
• Potential for additional years of support with 1-
  or 2-year continuation contracts
• May convert from full-time to half-time at any
  point after first 90 days
• Same eligible disciplines as full-time Loan
  Repayment Program
• For more information and to sign-up for
  notification http//nhsc.hrsa.gov/

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NHSC Site Eligibility Types of Practice Setting

• Public or private entity
• Community Health Centers
• Rural Health Clinics
• Private practices
• Indian Health Service (federal/tribal)
• Prisons State and Federal
• Community Mental Health Centers
• Does not have to be non-profit

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NHSC Site Eligibility Site Agreements with NHSC
Clinicians

• When hiring NHSC clinicians, sites agree
• Full-time clinical practice
• No reduction in salary because of NHSC
• Communicate changes in employment
• Only allow practice at approved site(s)
• Make available personnel/practice records
• Not restrict communication between clinician
  and NHSC

At least 32 hours per week in direct patient
care. No more than 8 hours administration. No
more than 12 hours per day. No more than 35 days
a year off for any reason.
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ARRA-funded initiatives for the NHSC Loan
Repayment Program (LRP)

• Lowered HPSA threshold for site eligibility
• Increased LRP award limits per site

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HRSA Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program
(NELRP)

• Repayment of educational loans for full-time
  licensed nurses (diploma, associate,
  baccalaureate or graduate) employed at non-profit
  health care facilities
• Two-year initial service commitment
• Maximum repayment during the initial two-year
  contract is 60 percent of the total qualifying
  nursing education loan balance
• For an optional third year of service,
  participants may receive 25 percent of their
  original total qualifying nursing education loan
  balance

taxable
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HRSA NELRPEligible Sites

• There is no list of eligible sites
• The following non-profit facilities are eligible
• Hospitals
• Federally Qualified Health Centers and
  Look-Alikes
• Indian Health Service Health Centers
• Native Hawaiian Health Centers
• Rural Health Clinics
• Nursing Homes
• State or Local Public Health or Human Services
  Department
• Hospice Programs
• Home Health Agencies
• Skilled Nursing Facilities
• Ambulatory Surgical Centers

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HRSA NELRPFunding Preferences

• Applicants whose total qualifying educational
  loans are gt40 percent of their base annual salary
  
• Applicants who work at
• Disproportionate Share Hospital
• Critical Access Hospital
• Federally Qualified Health Center or Look-Alike
• Indian Health Service Health Center
• Native Hawaiian Health Center
• Rural Health Clinic
• Nursing Home
• State or Local Public Health or Human Services
  Department
• For more information on the NELRP
  http//www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/repayment/nur
  sing/

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HRSA Nursing Scholarship Program (NSP)

• For full-time students in baccalaureate,
  graduate, associate degree, or diploma nursing
  programs
• The Nursing Scholarship Program pays
• tuition
• required fees
• other reasonable costs, including required books,
  clinical supplies, laboratory expenses, etc.
• monthly stipend (1,269 for the 2009-2010 school
  year)
• Period of service is 2-4 years based on number of
  years of scholarship support
• Participants may satisfy their service
  obligations on either a full-time or part-time
  basis
• Preference to applicants with the greatest
  financial need

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HRSA NSPEligible Sites

• Health care facilities with a critical shortage
  of nurses, including 
• Ambulatory Surgical Centers
• Federally Qualified Health Centers and
  Look-Alikes
• Home Health Agencies
• Hospice Programs
• Hospitals (including outpatient services)
• Indian Health Service Health Centers
• Native Hawaiian Health Centers
• Nursing Homes
• Rural Health Clinics
• Skilled Nursing Facilities
• State or local Public Health Departments,
  including Public Health Clinics within the 
  Departments

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Faculty Loan Repayment Program

• for faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds
• up to 40,000 for repayment of student loans
• minimum two-year commitment for full-time or
  part-time faculty
• Allopathic Medicine
• Osteopathic Medicine
• Podiatric Medicine
• Veterinary Medicine
• Dentistry
• Pharmacy
• Nursing
• Allied Health
• Public Health
• graduate programs in behavioral and mental health

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FY 2010 Award Estimates
Program Awards
NHSC LRP 3345
NHSC Half-time LRP 400
NHSC SP 145
Nursing Education LRP 1115
Nursing Scholarship 470
FLRP 25
Native Hawaiian Scholarship 7
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Health Care Reform NHSC

• Reauthorization of NHSC Programs through 2015
• Increases maximum loan repayment amount from up
  to 35,000 to 50,000
• Half-Time Loan Repayment 2 4 year contracts
• Community Health Centers and NHSC Funds
• FY 2011 290,000,000
• FY 2012 295,000,000 Increases by 5 million
  each year going forward through FY 2015
• Teaching as Clinical Practice up to 20 credit
  of obligated service
• Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Program
  up to 50 credit of obligated service

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Student/Resident Experiences and Rotations in
Community Health (SEARCH)

• HRSA-funded state-based program (State
  Primary Care Offices, Primary Care Associations,
  Offices of Rural Health, Area Health Education
  Centers and others)
• students and residents serve clinical rotations
  in underserved communities
• typically includes clinical practice and a
  community service project
• includes stipend

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Contact Information

• NHSC Scholarship and Loan Repayment
• Toll-free helpline [phone]
• Website http//www.nhsc.hrsa.gov
• HRSA Nursing Scholarship
• Website http//bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/scholarship
  /
• HRSA Nursing Education Loan Repayment
• Website http//www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/rep
  ayment/nursing/
• Faculty Loan Repayment Program
• Website http//www.hrsa.gov/loanscholarships/re
  payment/faculty/
• SEARCH
• Website http//nhsc.hrsa.gov/search/
• Facebook
• Website http//www.facebook.com/nationalhealthse
  rvicecorps
• YouTube
• Website http//www.youtube.com/hrsatube