National Health Service Corps Sites
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is a Federal government program administered by Health Resources and Service Administration and Bureau Clinician Recruitment and Services. NHSC helps bring care to people who live in areas with limited access to health care. Areas with limited access to health care become designated as Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), which means people have to go without essential health services or have to travel long distances to see primary health care providers.
NHSC-approved sites are health care facilities that provide comprehensive outpatient, ambulatory, primary health care services to populations residing in HPSAs. Related inpatient services may be provided by NHSC-approved Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). The sites must be located federally-designated HPSA.
Maps of federally-designated HPSAs in South Dakota are available on the South Dakota Office of Rural Health site.
Eligible Site types for NHSC
1) Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)*
a. Community Health Center (CHC) b. Migrant Health c. Homeless Program d. Public Housing Program e. School-Based Program f. Mobile Clinic |
2) American Indian Health Facilities: Indian Health Service Facilities, Tribally-Operated 638 Health Programs, and Urban Indian Health Programs (ITU)*
a. Federal Indian Health Service (IHS) b. Tribal/638 Health Facility c. Dual-Funded (Tribal Health Clinic and FQHC 330 Funded) d. Urban Indian Health Program |
3) FQHC Look-Alikes*
4) Correctional or Detention Facilities
a. Federal Prison* b. State Prison c. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Health Service Corps* |
5) Certified Rural Health Clinics (RHC)
a. Provider-Based b. Independent |
6) Critical Access Hospitals (CAH)
7) Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC)
8) State or Local Health Departments
a. State-run b. Local-run |
9) Community Outpatient Facilities
a. Hospital Affiliated b. Non-Hospital Affiliated |
10) Private Practices
a. Solo Practice b. Group Practice |
11) School-Based Clinics
12) Mobile Units
13) Free Clinics
*Sites are automatically approved as long as they meet all the NHSC site requirements and their respective program requirements.
Benefits of Becoming a NHSC approved site
1) Recruitment and Retention Assistance: By joining the NHSC, sites are able to recruit dedicated clinicians to provide health care services to their communities.
A. Clinicians that work at NHSC-approved sites are eligible to apply to the NHSC Loan Repayment program. B. NHSC Scholars that have completed their training must work at an NHSC-approved site. C. NHSC-approved sites are able to recruit clinicians through the NHSC Jobs Center, which enables providers to search and review a comprehensive list of NHSC-qualifying job openings across the nation. It also serves as a resource for NHSC applicants and members. Each NHSC-approved site creates a site profile in the NHSC Jobs Center, which showcases important information for NHSC applicants, participants and other primary care providers committed to caring for underserved people. D. NHSC clinicians are eligible to apply for additional financial support in return for additional service, supporting the retention of NHSC members at NHSC-approved sites. E. Participation in Virtual Job Fairs, which are on-line versions of traditional job fairs that connect qualified job-seekers with employers with open job opportunities. |
2) Technical Assistance: NHSC-approved sites have direct access to State Primary Care Offices (PCOs), which are state-based offices that provide assistance to communities in order to increase access to primary and preventive health care services. The PCOs provide technical assistance to sites submitting NHSC Site Applications, as well as to NHSC-approved sites seeking to address primary care needs in their community. NHSC-approved sites also receive technical assistance on program guidance to help them maintain their status as an approved site.
3) Resources: NHSC-approved sites receive the Corps Connections monthly e-newsletter, which contains pertinent program information, primary care articles and links to other helpful resources. Webinars designed especially for NHSC-approved sites include information on retention, social media and recruitment.
Application Cycles
The application cycle for new sites opens once per year and applications have to be submitted during the application cycle.
The application cycle for sites that have been previously approved by the NHSC opens once per year. Recertification applications have to be submitted during the recertification application cycle. Sites that have been previously approved must recertify their site every three years.
For more information regarding NHSC Sites and Job Opportunities please go to https://connector.hrsa.gov/.
For more information contact DeAnn Sprenger at the Department of Health, Office of Rural Health, 600 E. Capitol, Pierre, SD 57501; phone 1-800-738-2301 or 605-773-2679; email DeAnn Sprenger.