NHSC Publications: 2003 Rolling Practice Selection and Assignment Bulletin for Physician Assistants, Certified Nurse-Midwives and Nurse Practitioners
A. A TWO-PHASE PROCESS
1. PRACTICE SELECTION PHASE
The Practice Selection Phase will be in effect beginning
3 months before your graduation dates and ending 6 months
after your graduation date (See Section
VIII for applicable Practice Selection Phase End Dates).
During this phase, scholars will compete with each other,
loan repayment applicants/recipients, and non-obligated clinicians
for the positions on the Approved Practice List. The Approved
Practice List identifies the NHSC-approved positions eligible
for a scholar. Scholars are expected to obtain a position
by the end of their Practice Selection Phase.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO BE GAINED BY COMPETING
FOR POSITIONS IN THE PRACTICE SELECTION PHASE?
Participation in the Practice Selection Phase gives you the
maximum opportunity to compete for a practice position of
your choice. Consider all of the options presented to you
during this phase when you choose your practice site.
Matching to a Private Practice Option is possible for scholars
ONLY during the Practice Selection Phase.
2. ASSIGNMENT PHASE
WHAT IS THE ASSIGNMENT PHASE AND HOW DOES IT
DIFFER FROM THE PRACTICE SELECTION PHASE?
Scholars who have not matched to a site from the Approved
Practice List at the end of their Practice Selection Phase,
will be moved into the Assignment Phase. Once you are
in the Assignment Phase, the NHSC will identify a position
for you from the remaining sites on the List. You will be
notified of your assignment, in writing. You are expected
to arrange an interview and do your best to obtain employment
at the practice to which you have been assigned. If you are
offered the position, you are expected to accept the
offer. These practice positions may be located anywhere in
the country.
B. REFUSAL TO ACCEPT AN ASSIGNMENT
WHAT HAPPENS IF A SCHOLAR DOES NOT ACCEPT A POSITION
DURING THE ASSIGNMENT PHASE AND WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES?
NHSC scholars breach their scholarship contract when they
refuse to accept a position during the Assignment Phase.
If an NHSC scholarship contract is breached, the scholar becomes
liable to the United States Government for damages equal to
THREE times the amount of the NHSC scholarship award,
plus interest. Please see Section VI of
this Bulletin for a more complete discussion of breach of the
NHSC scholarship contract.
C. TRAVEL FOR PRE-EMPLOYMENT
INTERVIEWS
WHO SHOULD THE SCHOLAR CONTACT IN ORDER TO SECURE
FUNDS FOR TRAVEL, AND HOW MUCH MONEY DOES EACH SCHOLAR RECEIVE
FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES?
The NHSC Scholarship Program recipients are eligible to receive
travel support to perform pre-employment interviews to sites
on the Approved Practice List. The NHSC will pay up to a total
of $1,500 in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations
and NHSC travel policies.
1. DURING THE PRACTICE SELECTION
PHASE
The travel approval process is initiated when the scholar
notifies the NHSC of an impending
interview at one or more NHSC-approved practices. Your travel
request must then be reviewed and approved by the NHSC. You
will not be reimbursed unless your travel request has received
prior approval from the NHSC.
If you have more than one interview and would like to
schedule them in a single trip, please initiate the request
through the contact of the final destination. It is important
that travel arrangements be made carefully. Any travel expenditures
incurred without prior approval by the NHSC will be borne
by the scholar. Allow a minimum of 2 weeks for travel arrangements.
2. DURING THE ASSIGNMENT PHASE
To the extent a scholar has not utilized the $1,500 for travel
support during the Practice Selection Phase, the scholar may
request travel support during the Assignment Phase. The travel
approval process is initiated when the scholar notifies the
NHSC of an impending interview at the site to which the
scholar has been assigned. The NHSC must then review and
approve your travel request. You will not be reimbursed unless
your travel request received prior approval by the NHSC.
WILL THE NHSC PAY THE TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR A SITE
VISIT FOR THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY TO ACCOMPANY THE SCHOLAR?
While family members are encouraged to travel with the scholar,
the NHSC cannot pay travel expenses for family members.
However, on occasion, the site may be willing to pay the travel
expenses of family members.
D. SELECTING A PRACTICE POSITION
WHAT IS THE PROCESS?
Once a practice is interested in hiring a scholar, the scholar
should be provided with a letter offering him/her the position
of employment. Scholars are expected to accept their positions,
in writing, with a letter of acceptance.
ONCE AN AGREEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT HAS BEEN REACHED
BETWEEN THE PRACTICE AND THE SCHOLAR, WHO IS TO BE NOTIFIED?
Scholars must submit copies of the letter of the employment offer and the letter of acceptance to the RTSC at 2099 Gaither Road, Suite 600, Rockville, MD 20850
or fax them to (866) 897-7872. If you are obtaining employment at a practice with the BoP, IHS, or INS, you must inform the NHSC of your Federal employment. If you have any questions regarding who you should contact, please call the NHSC help line at 1-800-221-9393.
Upon receipt of these documents, the NHSC will notify you in
writing that a match has occurred. For PPA and PPO placements,
you will be sent the appropriate Agreement once you have obtained
the appropriate license/certification for your discipline and
started working at the practice site.
NOTE: Scholars should not make any financial commitments,
such as purchasing a home or terminating a lease, prior to receiving
notification of an approved match.
WHAT ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS MUST THE SCHOLAR SUBMIT
TO THE RESPONSIBLE OFFICE BEFORE RECEIVING SERVICE CREDIT?
To receive service credit, you are responsible for assuring
that the following additional information is completed and/or
forwarded to the responsible office:
for a PPA site, you will need to sign the PPA Agreement
and provide verification of licensure/certification in the
State where you will be practicing; or
for a PPO site, you will need to fill out and sign the PPO
Application, sign a PPO Agreement, and provide verification
of licensure/certification for the State where you will be
practicing; or
for a Federal assignment with BoP, IHS or INS, you will
need to fill out and sign the civil service or commissioned
corps application, and provide verification of licensure/certification
to practice in a State, but not necessarily the
State in which the practice is located. The scholar will receive
a Notification of Personnel Action for a civil service employee
(SF-50B) or Personnel Order (1662) for a commissioned officer.
The scholar is required to forward a copy of the personnel
action/order to the RTSC by faxing it to 1-866-897-7872.
Credit for service toward the NHSC scholarship commitment
does not begin until:
(1) the appropriate agreement has been completed and signed
by the scholar and the Secretary of Health and Human Services
or designee,
(2) the scholar has obtained the requisite State license, and
(3) the scholar begins full-time clinical service at the approved
practice under the discipline for which the scholarship was
received.
HOW IS YOUR EMPLOYMENT START DATE DETERMINED?
Employment start dates are negotiated between the scholar and
an authorized representative of the practice site. Scholars
are expected to begin their service commitment no later than
3 months after the Practice Selection Phase has ended.
When start work dates on the employment contract and the
PPO or PPA Agreement are different, this could lead to a situation
where a scholar fulfills his/her responsibilities under the
employment contract with the practice before the NHSC service
commitment is completed. Failure to have these dates coincide
may result in a scholar having to be transferred to another
practice in order to complete his/her service commitment.
If a delay in the start of service is required because of
special circumstances, please refer to Section
V titled "Suspension."
HOW CAN SCHOLARS GET COPIES OF THE PPA & PPO AGREEMENTS
OR FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS?
Sample PPA & PPO Agreements are
included on our web site. To obtain copies of the PPA or PPO
Agreements, Federal employment applications, or other documents
referenced above, or for clarification of these documents, you
may contact the NHSC, BoP,
IHS or INS.
f you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to
contact the NHSC. Any unresolved question(s) should be put in
writing to:
Ellen King, ARPN, BC, Chief
In-Service Support Branch
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 8A-55
Rockville, MD 20857
E. RELOCATION ALLOWANCES
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE AN NHSC RELOCATION ALLOWANCE?
Scholars who accept employment at NHSC sites from the Approved
Practice List are eligible to receive an NHSC relocation allowance.
Scholars who obtain employment at BoP, IHS or INS facilities
from the Approved Practice List may be eligible to receive a
relocation allowance from those agencies. You should check
with the individual Agency regarding their relocation policies.
The NHSC will not provide relocation expenses or reimbursements
for any moves that are 50 miles or less from the scholar's current
address.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS THAT THE NHSC OFFERS SCHOLARS
RELATIVE TO FINANCING RELOCATION EXPENSES?
The NHSC offers three options with respect to relocation. The
utilization of any option is contingent upon the prior approval
of the NHSC:
1. Government Managed Relocation Option - the NHSC
will pay directly for the travel to the duty station area
and shipment of household goods for those scholars
who have approved employment and have a temporary or permanent
license to practice the full scope of their profession as
required in Section IV prior to the
relocation.
2. Self-Finance Relocation Option - scholars who have
approved employment may relocate prior to receipt of their
licensure by self-financing their travel and transportation
of household goods and then requesting reimbursement from
the NHSC once the appropriate licensure is obtained.
3. Advanced Storage Option - allows Physician Assistants,
Nurse-Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners without a current
license to have their household goods packed and placed in
storage at Government expense for up to 90 days at the point
of origin by a NHSC designated carrier. Once licensed, the
Government will pay an NHSC designated carrier to deliver
the household goods to a NHSC approved location near the practice.
WHO SHOULD THE SCHOLAR WORK WITH IN ARRANGING AND
COORDINATING RELOCATION TRAVEL TO A NEW PRACTICE?
1. For NHSC Locations
Once a scholar has obtained employment at an NHSC location
on the Approved Practice List, he/she should contact the NHSC
to initiate the relocation. The NHSC will review and approve
the request and promptly notify the NHSC Travel Contractor
that the funding for the relocation has been authorized. Once
you have received NHSC written approval and established contact
with the NHSC Travel Contractor, you should continue to work
directly with the Contractor to finalize the details of your
relocation.
SCHOLARS ARE CAUTIONED NOT TO MAKE ANY TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS,
OR COMMITMENTS RELATED TO A RELOCATION, WITHOUT RECEIVING
WRITTEN APPROVAL FROM THE NHSC.
2. For BoP, IHS and INS Facilities
Scholars who have matched to an approved site with the BoP,
IHS or INS programs, must contact those programs for any travel
arrangements related to their relocation.
