We automatically approve some sites for National Health Service Corps (NHSC) status.
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
- 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 don't submit a formal NHSC Site Application. However, you must:
- Meet all NHSC site requirements.
- Review and sign the NHSC Site Agreement (PDF – 405 KB); and
- Comply with your respective program requirements.
Site administrators must contact their regional office directly to have their 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 don't 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 program requirements.
- No longer meets eligibility requirements for auto-approval status, (e.g. lost your Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) grant).
What site data do we review?
The Site Data Tables (PDF – 432 KB) collects six months of continuous data about your site. This includes:
- 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
Do you have to submit a Site Data Table?
If your site is one of the following, you must submit the Site Data Tables form. The top section and Table #4 is most important.
- 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
- 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 these 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
Learn why we perform 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. We do this to make sure you continue to meet NHSC site requirements.
Determine whether you need to re-certify your site
Eligible auto-approved NHSC sites never need to re-certify their sites.
