The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration is recruiting the Nation's best and brightest clinicians to serve as commissioned officers of the U.S. Public Health Service. The NHSC Ready Responders will include primary care physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers and health service psychologists who will be assigned by the NHSC to serve for 3 years in the neediest Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) throughout the Nation. In addition to providing essential primary care to people in need, the NHSC Ready Responders will be part of a mobile team of health professionals who will be trained to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a large-scale regional or national medical emergency.

How to apply to receive a NHSC Ready Responder officer

Applications to receive the assignment of one of these commissioned officers will be accepted from organized primary health care sites that provide services to underserved populations in the neediest HPSAs throughout the Nation. The NHSC will pay the salaries, moving expenses, and benefits for the officers. The NHSC will also assist these officers to acquire and maintain emergency response skills.

To be eligible to receive the assignment of one of the commissioned officers, public and non-profit private entities must:

• Meet the standard requirements to be approved as an NHSC site and submit an NHSC Recruitment & Retention Assistance Application
• Submit a completed Proposal for Use of a Commissioned Officer 2008 form (Note: form contains interactive form fields, please fill out, print, and return via FAX to (301)-594-4076)

Selection of the sites that will qualify to receive a commissioned officer will be based on:

• The health care needs of the HPSA to be served (as evidenced by the HPSA score)
• the site's proposed utilization of the commissioned officer to meet those needs
• the sites plan for evaluating the officer's progress toward meeting those needs
• the budget resources available to meet those needs

More entities than the number of Ready Responders may be approved to qualify for the assignment of one of these commissioned officers. Therefore, it is possible that an entity deemed qualified may not receive a commissioned officer.

All entities that receive the assignment of one of these commissioned officers must understand that the officers will be away from the practice site for up to 4 weeks per year for training. The officers may also be away from the site for an additional period of time to respond to a regional or national health emergency.

For more information

• Federal Register Notice
• Download NHSC Recruitment & Retention Assistance Application