1970s
- NHSC creation
- Awarded first scholarships
- Grew from 181 providers to over 1,800
- Budget 10x larger by decade’s end
We connect primary health care clinicians to people in the United States with limited access to healthcare.
Strengthening and growing our primary care workforce—through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC)—began in 1972.
Learn about the National Health Service Corps Impact in 2024 (PDF - 86 KB).
The NHSC builds healthy communities by supporting qualified health care providers dedicated to working (PDF - 139 KB) in areas of the United States with limited access to care.
We want everyone to be healthy.
To do our part:
There aren't enough primary health care workers. That means some people can't get the health care they need. We work to change that.
We focus on:
You can help those in need. And—you can be free of school debt.
First, decide which program fits you—loan repayment or the scholarship program. Then find out if you're eligible and apply.
NHSC-approved sites provide outpatient, primary health services in HPSAs.
If you're eligible, you can apply to become an NHSC site. In some cases, we auto-approve sites. If we approve your site, you gain access to primary care providers.
We created the NHSC because of the health care crisis in the 1950s and 1960s.
Older physicians retired and young doctors stopped choosing general practice. This meant areas of the country would have no access to primary care.
So, we stepped in to support health centers in rural, urban, and tribal communities. Our efforts addressed a growing primary health care shortage.
Check out the full timeline marking all the big moments in NHSC history.
2020s
NHSC alumni include more than 80,000 primary care medical, dental, and mental and behavioral health providers.
Check out this interactive journey (PDF - 2 MB) through five decades as NHSC members and alumni share “why they serve” in their own words.