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. The NHSC Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
Workforce LRP and the Rural Community LRP were established to
recruit and retain a health professional workforce with specific
training and credentials to provide evidence-based SUD treatment in
HPSAs. Under these programs, 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 an
NHSC-approved site located in a federally-designated HPSA approved
by the Secretary for LRP participants. The forms utilized by each
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 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) and Indian Health Service
Hospitals. 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.
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.