NHSC LRP Continuation Contract Application Program …

1 National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program Fiscal Year 2023 Continuation Application & Program Guidance September 2022 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Workforce 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, Maryland 20857 For questions, please call 1-800-221-9393 (TTY: 1-877-897-9910) Monday through Friday (except federal holidays) 8:00 to 8:00 ET. Authority: Section 338B of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 254l-1), as amended Section 331(i) of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 254d(i)), as amended Future changes in the governing statute, implementing regulations and Program Guidance may also be applicable to National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program participants. Assistance Listings (AL/CFDA) Number 2 Table of Contents Privacy Act Notification Statement.

2 3 Paperwork Reduction Act Public Burden Statement .. 3 Program Overview .. 5 INTRODUCTION .. 5 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND AWARD PROCESS .. 6 UNDERSTANDING THE Contract AND SERVICE OBLIGATION .. 11 SERVICE OBLIGATION REQUIREMENTS .. 14 Program COMPLIANCE .. 23 Application Information .. 30 COMPLETING AN Application .. 30 NOTIFICATION OF AWARD .. 33 Additional Materials .. 34 RESOURCES FOR PARTICIPANTS .. 34 DEFINITIONS .. 35 3 PRIVACY ACT NOTIFICATION STATEMENT General This information is provided pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-579), as amended, for individuals supplying information for inclusion in a system of records. Statutory Authority Section 338B of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 United States Code Section 254l-1), as amended; Section 331(i) of the PHS Act (42 United States Code Section 254d(i)), as amended.

3 Purposes and Uses The purpose of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) is to recruit and retain primary care clinicians in eligible communities of need designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas. The information supplied by applicants will be used to evaluate their eligibility, qualifications, and suitability for being awarded an NHSC LRP Continuation Contract . Information from other sources ( , credit bureau reports and National Practitioner Data Bank reports) will also be considered. An individual s Contract , Application , supporting documentation, related correspondence, and data are maintained in a system of records to be used within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to monitor NHSC LRP-related activities.

4 The information may also be disclosed outside the Department, as permitted by the Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), to the Congress, the National Archives, the Government Accountability Office, and pursuant to court order and various routine uses as described in the System of Record Notice 09-15-0037 for Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program Records. Effects of Nondisclosure Disclosure of the information sought is voluntary; however, if not submitted, except for the replies to questions related to Race/Ethnicity (Section 2 of the online Application for NHSC LRP), an Application may be considered incomplete and therefore may not be considered for an award under this announcement. PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT The purpose of this information collection is to obtain information through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP), NHSC Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce LRP, and the NHSC Rural Community LRP applications , which are used to assess a LRP applicant s eligibility and qualifications for the LRP and to obtain information for NHSC site applicants.

5 Clinicians interested in participating in an NHSC LRP must submit an Application to the NHSC to participate in one of the NHSC programs, and health care facilities must submit an NHSC Site Application and Site Recertification Application to determine the eligibility of sites to participate in the NHSC as an approved service site. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this information collection is 0915-0127 and it is valid until 03/31/2023. This information collection is required to obtain or retain a benefit (Section 333 [254f] (a)(1) of the Public Health Service Act). Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

6 Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to HRSA Reports Clearance Officer, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 14N136B, Rockville, Maryland, 20857. Non-Discrimination Policy Statement In accordance with applicable federal laws and Department of Health and Human Services policy, the Department does not discriminate on the basis of any non-merit factor, including race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability (physical or mental), age, status as a parent, or genetic information. 4 Please read this Application and Program Guidance (Guidance) in its entirety before proceeding with the Application . This Guidance explains in detail the rights and obligations of individuals selected to continue participating in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP).

7 A complete understanding of the commitment to serve at an NHSC-approved service site and the financial, legal, and other consequences of failing to perform that commitment is critical to successful completion of the mandatory service obligation associated with any NHSC LRP award. Important Dates NHSC LRP participants should be aware of the following key dates: Application Submission Dates: Contract End Dates Between: Application Cycle Start and End Dates: September 30, 2022 March 31, 2023 September 7, 2022 October 6, 2022 April 1, 2023 August 31, 2023 January 12, 2023 February 16, 2023 September 1, 2023 September 29, 2023 April 20, 2023 May 25, 2023 Notification of Award: Award notifications will be sent on a rolling basis (depending upon the Application cycle start and end dates outlined above) but will be completed no later than September 30, 2023.

8 Contract Termination Deadline: 60 days from the effective date of the Contract OR at any time if the individual who has been awarded such Contract has not received funds due under the Contract . 5 Program OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION The NHSC LRP is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The NHSC LRP seeks primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, physician assistants, dentists, dental hygienists, and certain behavioral and mental health providers (psychiatrists, health service psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric nurse specialists, and licensed professional counselors) to provide culturally competent, interdisciplinary primary health care services to underserved populations located in selected Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) (see the Definitions section).

9 HPSAs can be found in rural and urban communities across the nation. In return, the NHSC LRP assists clinicians in repayment of their outstanding qualifying educational loans. By statute, NHSC LRP funds are exempt from federal income and employment taxes. These funds are not included as wages when determining benefits under the Social Security Act. However, the participant agrees to apply, during the period of obligated service, all loan repayments received to reduce the participant s remaining qualifying graduate and/or undergraduate educational loans. NHSC LRP Continuation Contract The NHSC LRP Continuation Contract is an opportunity for NHSC LRP and NHSC Students to Service (S2S) LRP clinicians to continue participating in the NHSC once their initial Contract has been completed.

10 In exchange for an additional year of service, a qualified NHSC participant may receive additional loan repayment up to a maximum of $20,000. In response to the current opioid crisis across the country, the NHSC will provide a one-time enhancement award of up to $5,000 in addition to their base NHSC LRP Continuation award for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified nurse midwives who possess a waiver under 21 823(g)(2), otherwise known as a Drug Addiction and Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) waiver. The primary purpose of this enhancement is to ensure an agile health workforce that is knowledgeable about the needs of patients with opioid use disorder, an ever-increasing population within HPSAs. The enhancement will be granted to these participants, provided that their outstanding qualifying loan balances are not less than the combination of the award enhancement and their base NHSC LRP Continuation award.