A. Introduction

1.  Purpose of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP)

The purpose of the NHSC LRP is to ensure an adequate supply of health professionals to provide primary health services (through a culturally competent, interdisciplinary team of clinicians) to populations located in selected health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) identified by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.  HPSAs can be found in rural and urban communities across the Nation. The NHSC LRP recruits fully trained health professionals who agree to provide primary health services in NHSC community sites.  In return, the NHSC LRP assists clinicians in their repayment of qualifying educational loans that are still owed.  The NHSC is seeking clinicians who demonstrate the characteristics for and interest in serving the Nation’s medically underserved populations and remaining in HPSAs beyond their service commitment. It is important to remember that service to medically underserved populations is the primary purpose of the NHSC LRP and not the repayment of educational loans.

2.  Important Items for Applicants to Consider:

• The NHSC LRP is a highly competitive program with limited funding. An NHSC LRP contract award is contingent upon availability of funds.
• The Application Checklist at the back of this Bulletin identifies all of the documents that must be submitted for an application to be complete.  An application will not be considered complete unless all required information, as listed in the Application Checklist, is submitted by the application deadline, April 2, 2008.  Applications that are incomplete are ineligible.
• Reference materials needed to complete this application are available on the NHSC Web site.
• Employment at a community site posted on the NHSC Opportunities List does not guarantee an NHSC LRP contract award.
• No service credit will be given for employment at a community site before the effective date of an NHSC LRP contract award. The effective date of a contract award is the date the contract is countersigned by the Secretary of Health and Human Services or his/her Designee.  Service credit will commence upon the effective date of the contract or the date service begins, whichever is later. The applicant's signature alone on this contract does not constitute a contractual agreement.
• Only the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services or his/her Designee can make an NHSC LRP contract award.  An NHSC LRP contract award cannot be guaranteed by a community site, a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Field Office, a Primary Care Office (PCO), a Primary Care Association (PCA), or any other person or entity.
• Funds provided under the NHSC LRP for loan repayment must be used to repay qualifying educational loans.
• NHSC LRP participants cannot be guaranteed a contract amendment (additional loan repayment funds) for continued participation in the program beyond the initial 2-year contract period.

It is imperative that applicants/participants promptly provide the NHSC LRP with written notification of any changes in their contact information (e-mail address, mailing address, or telephone number.)

3.  Statutory Authority and Program Administration

The NHSC LRP is authorized by Public Law 100-147, enacted December 1, 1987 [Section 338B of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, 42 United States Code, Section 254l-1], as amended on November 16, 1990, by Public Law 101-597 and on October 26, 2002, by Public Law 107-251.  It is administered by the Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service, Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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