The National Health Service Corps
(NHSC) Loan Repayment Program (LRP) was established to assure an
adequate supply of trained primary care health professionals to
provide services in the neediest Health Professional Shortage Areas
(HPSAs) of the United States. Under this program, the Department of
Health and Human Services agrees to repay the qualifying
educational loans of selected primary care health professionals. In
return, the health professionals agree to serve for a specified
period of time in a NHSC-approved site located in a
federally-designated HPSA approved by the Secretary for LRP
participants. The forms utilized by the LRP include the following:
the NHSC LRP Application, the Authorization for Disclosure of Loan
Information form, the Privacy Act Release Authorization form, and
if applicable, the Verification of Disadvantaged Background form
and the Private Practice Option form. The first four of the
aforementioned NHSC LRP forms collect information that is needed
for selecting participants and repaying qualifying educational
loans. The last referenced form, the Private Practice Option Form,
is needed to collect information for all participants who have
applied for that service option. NHSC-approved sites are health
care facilities that provide comprehensive outpatient, ambulatory,
primary health care services to populations residing in HPSAs.
Related in-patient services may be provided by NHSC-approved
Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). In order to become an
NHSC-approved site, new sites must submit a Site Application for
review and approval. Existing NHSC-approved sites are required to
complete a Site Recertification Application in order to maintain
their NHSC-approved status. Both the NHSC Site Application and Site
Recertification Application request information on the clinical
service site, sponsoring agency, recruitment contact, staffing
levels, service users, charges for services, employment policies,
and fiscal management capabilities. Assistance in completing these
applications may be obtained through the appropriate State Primary
Care Offices and the NHSC. The information collected on the
applications is used for determining the eligibility of sites for
the assignment of NHSC health professionals and to verify the need
for NHSC clinicians. NHSC service site approval is valid for 3
years. Sites wishing to remain eligible for the assignment of NHSC
providers, must submit a Site Recertification Application every 3
years.
Program has added two forms to
this ICR, thus increasing the burden. New forms are the Behavioral
Health Services Checklist and the NHSC Site Application.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.