We require most sites to apply for National Health Service Corps (NHSC) status, however, some sites are eligible for automatic approval.
Determine Your Site’s Eligibility
Your site is eligible to become an auto-approved NHSC site if it is one of the following types.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
- Community Health Center
- Migrant Health
- Homeless Program
- Public Housing Program
- School-Based Program
- Mobile Clinic
- FQHC Look-Alikes
- American Indian Health Facilities: Indian Health Service Facilities, Tribally-Operated 638 Health Programs, and Urban Indian Health Programs (ITUs)
- Federal Indian Health Service (IHS) American Indian Health/Alaskan Native Health Facilities (PDF – 198 KB)
- Tribal/638 Health Facility
- Dual-Funded (Tribal Health Clinic and FQHC funded)
- Urban Indian Health Program
- IHS Hospitals
- Correctional or Detention Facilities
How to Become an Official Auto-Approved NHSC Site
Auto-approved sites do not submit a formal NHSC Site Application. However, you still must:
- Meet all NHSC site requirements.
- Review and sign the NHSC Site Agreement (PDF – 179 KB); and
- Comply with your respective program requirements.
Site administrators must contact the appropriate person in their regional office directly to have your site added to the NHSC system of record.
What about organizations with multiple sites?
If you have an eligible auto-approved NHSC site with multiple sites located in HPSAs, NHSC must approve each site individually.
How to Maintain Status as an Auto-Approved NHSC Site
Auto-approved NHSC sites do not generally expire, however you can lose your active status if your site:
- No longer resides in a Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA).
- No longer meets all NHSC requirements.
- Is found to be noncompliant with your respective program requirements.
- No longer meets eligibility requirements for auto-approval status, (e.g. lost your Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) grant).
Site Data Reporting & Review
The Site Data Tables (PDF – 432 KB) collects six months of continuous data about your site pertaining to:
- Patients’ insurance (i.e. Patients Or Visits by Primary Insurance Type)
- Patients’ payment sources (i.e. Patient Service Charges, Collections, And Self-Pay Adjustment)
- Patients’ applications for Sliding Fee Schedules (SFS)
- Staffing
Which sites submit Site Data Tables?
The following sites must submit the Site Data Tables form—specifically, the top section and Table #4:
- American Indian Health Facilities: Indian Health Service Facilities, Tribally-Operated 638 Health Programs, and Urban Indian Health Programs (ITUs)
- Federal Indian Health Service (IHS) American Indian Health/Alaskan Native Health Facilities (PDF – 198 KB)
- Tribal/638 Health Facility
- Dual-Funded (Tribal Health Clinic and FQHC funded)
- Urban Indian Health Program
- IHS Hospitals
- Correctional or Detention Facilities
- Federal Prison
- State Prison
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Health Service Corps
Which sites do not need to submit Site Data Tables?
For the following sites, we review the standard Uniform Data System (UDS) data:
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
- Community Health Center
- Migrant Health
- Homeless Program
- Public Housing Program
- Public Housing Program
- Mobile Clinic
- FQHC Look-Alikes
Site Visits
NHSC site visits allow us to:
- Identify at-risk sites
- Address technical assistance needs that will promote sustainability
- Increase NHSC program compliance
- Improve understanding and compliance with NHSC clinicians’ clinical service requirements
Who conducts site visits?
The Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW)’s Division of Regional Operations (DRO) conducts site visits in coordination with the state primary care office (PCO).
When should you expect a visit to your site?
You should expect periodic site visits while participating in the NHSC program. This is how we ensure adherence to all NHSC site requirements.
Site Recertification
Eligible auto-approved NHSC sites never need to recertify their sites.
