HRSA Awards $293 Million to Clinicians, Students to Enhance Workforce
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $293 million in new funding (https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2018/10/18/hhs-awards-293-million-expand-primary-health-care-workforce.html) through programs at the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps for the healthcare community to expand the clinician workforce. Strengthening care and support can help address gaps in care and limit growing socioeconomic disparities.
“These programs connect primary care providers with the rural, urban, and tribal communities across the country that need them most,” George Sigounas, MS, PhD, HRSA administrator said. “In addition to providing essential medical and dental care, these clinicians are on the front lines helping to fight pressing public health issues, like the growing opioid epidemic.”
Specifically included in this grant cohort of providers are the Nurse Corps programs. With an ever-growing shortage of primary care providers, essential work is required to enhance all provider groups engaged in the provision of care at all levels of practice. According to HRSA, almost 13 million patients receive care from 12,500 NHSC and Nurse Corps clinicians. To help with the backlog and demand, the Department of Health and Human Services awarded financial support in the following programs:
- National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program (http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/scholarships/index.html)— $47.1 million
- National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (http://www.nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/loanrepaymentprogram.html)—$142.1 million
- National Health Service Corps Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (http://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/studentstoserviceprogram/index.html)—$19.3 million
- National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program (https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loan-repayment/state-loan-repayment-program/index.html)—$12.6 million
- Nurse Corps Scholarship Program (https://bhw.hrsa.gov/loansscholarships/nursecorps/scholarship)—$25.1 million
- Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program (https://bhw.hrsa.gov/loansscholarships/nursecorps/lrp)—$44.4 million
- Faculty Loan Repayment Program— (https://bhw.hrsa.gov/loansscholarships/flrp)$1.1 million
- Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program (http://www.nhhsp.org/)—$900,000
More information is available through NHSC (http://www.nhsc.hrsa.gov/) and Nurse Corps (https://bhw.hrsa.gov/loansscholarships/nursecorps).