Form 1 Survey of 2010 Site Administrators

2011 Survey of Administrators of Organizations with NHSC Clinicians
We are surveying Executive Directors or Administrators of organizations staffed by National Health Service
Corps (NHSC) clinicians to better understand how NHSC clinicians are perceived. We are especially
interested in better understanding how to retain NHSC clinicians in their service practices after their service
contracts with the NHSC are completed, and the factors that promote or hinder retention.
This survey is explicitly and exclusively for organizations that had at least one NHSC clinician (e.g.,
physician, nurse practitioner, dentist, dental hygienist, psychologist) on staff as of September 1, 2010.
If your organization did NOT have at least one NHSC clinician on staff on this date, please check this box
and return the questionnaire in the enclosed postage-paid envelope.
□ We had no NHSC clinicians on September 1, 2010
All others please complete the questionnaire. Thank You!

Use of identifiers and Reporting Burden
The information you provide will not be revealed to the NHSC or others in any way that can be linked to you, your community or practice. All
information you provide will be handled anonymously and reported in aggregate. The identification number shown on this page only allows us to
keep track of the questionnaires as they are returned.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 9 minutes. The OMB control number for this
project is XXX, expiration XX.

ABOUT YOU and YOUR ORGANIZATION
1. Please make any corrections to the name, title and address of the CEO of the organization:
Name:
Job Title:
NHSC Practice Organization Name:
NHSC Practice Site Address:
b. If you (the person completing this survey) are NOT
the person named above, what is your job title? ___________________________________________

2. How many years have you been working for this organization? ________ years
3. This organization is . . . (select one)
1. private, non-profit 2. private, for-profit 3. public (federal, state, county, city)

1

4.

Which of the categories best describe the Organization? (check all that apply)
1
2

BOP
CG

Bureau of Prisons
County Government

3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27

CHD
CMH
DDS
GPP
HOS
ICE
IHS
LAL
LG
MHD
MSA
MVH
NUR
OTH
PC
PNP
PRH
PRN
PU
RHC
SHD
SU
TRI
UNV
VAN

County Health Department
Community /Migration Health Center
Dental
Group/Private Practice
Hospital
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Indian Health Service
FQHC Look-a-Like
Local Government
City/Municipal Health Dept
Mental Health/Substance Abuse
Migrant Voucher
Nursing Home
Other
Professional Corporation
Private Non-Profit Corp
Private Hospital
Prison
Private University
Rural Health Clinic
State Health Department
State University
Compacted Indian Tribe
University
Mobile Van

5. How many clinical service sites does your organization have?
(include all whether open full or part-time)

___________________sites

6. Please estimate the percentages of your organization’s patients (all sites) that fall into the following
categories. (totals may be more or less than 100%.)
a. Medicaid Covered

e. Non-English speakers
____________%

b. Medicare Covered
____________%
c. Uninsured

___________%
f. Migrant/Seasonal
farmworkers
g. Homeless

____________%
d. On sliding fee scale
____________%

___________%
___________%

h. Substance abuse
patients

___________%

2

ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION’S EXPERIENCES WITH THE NHSC
7. In about what year did your organization hire its first
NHSC clinician (at any of its clinical sites)?

Year: __________

8. About how many NHSC and non-NHSC clinicians in each of the following disciplines have worked in
your organization since 2000? (estimates are OK here)
Clinician Type

Number of NHSC
Loan Repayment
Participants

Number of NHSC
Scholarship
Participants

Number of non-NHSC
Clinicians

1. Physicians
2. Physician Assistants
3. Nurse Practitioners
4. Nurse Midwives
5. Dentists
6. Dental Hygienists
7. Mental Health (all disciplines)

9. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the compensation of your
current and recent NHSC clinician(s)? (circle one response for each statement)
Statement

Strongly
Agree

Neutral

Strongly
Disagree

Don’t
Know

a. Our NHSC clinician(s) currently earn somewhat
less than their non-NHSC clinical peers in our
organization with the same experience and
training.
b. Our NHSC clinicians are generally just as
satisfied with their salary levels and benefit
packages as their non-NHSC clinical peers in our
organization.
c. NHSC clinicians require a higher salary to be
retained (after their NHSC service contract is
over) than non-NHSC clinical peers in our
organization.

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

3

10.

Based on your experience as an administrator, please rate how NHSC clinicians at your organization
have compared with non-NHSC clinicians on the following attributes: (circle one number on each line)

Attributes of Clinicians
NHSC clinicians
do much better

NHSC &
nonNHSC
are the
same

NHSC clinicians
do much worse

No basis to
generalize;
I can’t rate

a. Overall fit with the organization

+2

+1

0

-1

2

X

b. Concordance with the organizational mission

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

X

c. Breadth of skills

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

X

d. Quality of care provided by clinician

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

X

e. Quality of interaction with clinician staff

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

X

f. Quality of interaction with support staff

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

X

g. Quality of interaction with health and social
service providers outside our organization

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

h. Willingness to carry their own weight

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

i. Willingness to be flexible in terms of
scheduling

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

j. Willingness to help the organization when
called upon

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

k. Cultural competence/sensitivity

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

l. Ability to speak with non-English speaking
patients

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

m. Their satisfaction with work at this setting

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

X

n. Integration into the life of the local
community

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

X

o. Integration of family into local community

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

X

p. Retention for 5 or more years

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

X

q. Other (specify)

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

X

r. Other (specify)

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

X

X

X

4

11. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about retention of NHSC clinicians
in your organization beyond their NHSC service commitment term?
(circle one number on each line)
Statement

Strongly
Agree

a. On average, recruiting non-NHSC clinicians is easier than
recruiting NHSC clinicians
b. The availability of locum tenens is a key factor in the
retention of NHSC clinicians at our organization
c. It is easier to retain NHSC loan repayors than NHSC
scholars at our organization
d. Retention of NHSC physicians is more of a problem for our
organization than retention of non-NHSC physicians
e. Retention of PAs, NPs and midwives who are in the NHSC
is more of a problem at our organization than retention of
individuals not in the NHSC in these disciplines
f. Retention of NHSC mental health practitioners (e.g.,
psychologists, clinical social workers) is more of a problem
at our organization than retention of non-NHSC mental
health clinicians
g. Retention of NHSC dentists is more of a problem at our
organization than retention of non-NHSC dentists
h. From the very outset, when NHSC clinicians start working
in our organization most already plan to leave after their
service obligation is complete
i. The management style at our clinic has had a positive impact
on retention of NHSC clinicians beyond their obligation
j. The use of a “recruitment” bonus at the end of the NHSC
service period helps keep NHSC clinicians beyond their
obligation
k. Unsatisfactory adjustment of NHSC clinicians’ families to
our community is a problem for NHSC clinician retention
l. Allowing NHSC clinicians to teach helps or could help keep
them beyond their obligation
m. If we could offer 25% higher salaries we would do much
better retaining NHSC clinicians beyond their obligations
n. There is not much that our organization can do to improve
the retention of our NHSC clinicians
o. NHSC clinicians in our organization have as much
opportunity to teach if they want to as our non-NHSC
clinicians

1

2

3

1

2

1

p. Our organization’s patients do not know which of our
clinicians are serving in the NHSC
q. Our organization’s staff do not know which of our
clinicians are serving in the NHSC
r. The NHSC national office could do more to help us retain
our NHSC clinicians
s. Our DHHS regional office could do more to help us retain
our NHSC clinicians
t. Our state Primary Care Organization could do more to help
us retain our NHSC clinicians

Neutral

Strongly
Disagree

Don’t
Know

4

5

X

3

4

5

X

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X

1

2

3

4

5

X
5

12. What can the NHSC do to make it more likely that its clinicians will remain in their service sites after their NHSC
service obligations have been completed? Specific suggestions are welcome.

13. Other than retention, what can the NHSC leadership and staff do to make the NHSC better meet the needs of
practices and organizations like yours where NHSC clinicians serve? Specific suggestions are welcome.

14. What can state and local organizations (e.g., primary care offices, state public health depts., etc.) do to help retain
NHSC clinicians in practices and organizations like yours? Specific suggestions are welcome.

□ Thank you for completing this questionnaire.
If you would like a copy of the study results please check the box.

6