How to Maintain NHSC Site Status

To maintain status as a National Health Service Corps (NHSC)-approved site, your site must meet all site requirements. This also applies to auto-approved NHSC sites.

How to Meet NHSC Site Requirements

In addition to the NHSC Site Agreement (PDF - 410 KB), your site must meet a set of requirements, as listed in the Site Reference Guide (PDF - 788 KB).

Below is a summary of those requirements:

Use the BHW Customer Service Portal

• Activate and maintain a Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) Customer Service Portal account.
  • Portal account creation is a two-step process.
  • Your account becomes active only after you respond to an email prompt from our system.
    • Must have at least two NHSC points of contact (unless a solo private practice.)
    • At least one person must serve in each of the following NHSC roles:
      • Administrator
      • Personnel Verifier
      • Recruiter
    • One point of contact can have multiple roles.
    • NHSC participants should not be a point of contact.
  • Update your role periodically
    • Select My Program Portal Profile within the Need Assistance section.
• Create a site profile on the BHW Customer Service Portal
  • Your site profile will then display on the Health Workforce Connector.
• Contact us if there are any changes to your site including:
  • NHSC points of contact
  • Location
  • Ownership
  • Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score

Display NHSC Materials

• Continue to display:
  • NHSC tabletop sign (PDF - 289 KB) or NHSC tabletop sign (small) (PDF - 238 KB)
  • Site policy poster - English (PDF - 78 KB)
• Download site policy posters in other languages:
  • Site Policy Poster - Arabic (PDF - 1.36 MB)
  • Site Policy Poster - Chinese (PDF - 748 KB)
  • Site Policy Poster - Spanish (PDF - 321 KB)
  • Site Policy Poster - Tagalog (PDF - 627 KB)
  • Site Policy Poster - Vietnamese (PDF - 818 KB)
  • Site Policy Poster - Korean (PDF - 652 KB)

Maintain the Sliding Fee Discount Program

• Continue to maintain the NHSC Sliding Fee Discount Program (PDF - 1.4 MB).

Participate in Site Visits

• Participate in a site visit from the Division of Regional Operations (DRO).
  • Find out what to expect from site visits.

Apply for Recertification

• Submit an NHSC Site Recertification Application every three years (not necessary for eligible auto-approved NHSC sites).

Report on Site Data

• Submit six months of data about your site through our Site Data Tables (PDF - 506 KB) form.
  • You will need to do this prior to a site visit or as part of your recertification application.
  • This does not apply to some eligible auto-approved NHSC sites.

We recommend continuously collecting and tracking data so you’re always prepared.

Provide Support

• Support NHSC clinicians

How to Support NHSC Clinicians

NHSC clinicians enter into a contractual agreement with us. As a site, we ask that you allow them the opportunity to fulfill this agreement.

Specifically, we expect you to support NHSC clinicians in the following ways:

Obtain Site Approval

• Be sure your site receives NHSC approval prior to a clinician applying for one of our NHSC programs.

Follow Administrative Guidelines

• Ensure NHSC clinicians:
  • Work at NHSC-approved and HPSA appropriate sites.
  • Understand the minimum HPSA score necessary for placement at an NHSC site.
  • Follow the minimum hourly and weekly NHSC clinical service requirements.
    • The employment contract between your site and your NHSC participant(s) may require additional work hours.
  • Can participate in NHSC Continuing Education and NHSC program webinars and/or conferences.
  • Receive appropriate supervision, as well as needed orientation, training and mentorship regarding your site’s processes and procedures, client population, and primary care practice.
• Make their personnel documents, communications, and/or practice related documents available for review.

Complete Employment Verification

• Complete NHSC Employment Verification Forms (EVF) through the BHW Customer Service Portal for all NHSC sites.
  • Fill out an EVF if you terminate a clinician or they wish to transfer to another NHSC-approved site. Include the following:
    • The date in which the clinician last saw patients
    • Last day of at your site
    • Clinical competency issues while at your site
    • Any disciplinary action while at your site
  • Upon approval of the transfer request, you are responsible for reviewing and confirming the clinician’s reported leave for the period of time that they were employed at your site.

Report In-Service Verification

• Report their leave on the In-Service Verification forms (ISV).
  • They may not spend more than seven weeks a year (35 full-time or 35 half-time workdays) away from clinical practice with the NHSC.
  • Verify and report any time away from the site (e.g., vacation, holidays, continuing professional education, or illness).
• Complete an ISV for active clinicians every six months through the BHW Customer Service Portal.

What are NHSC clinicians’ service requirements?

To maintain a successful partnership with your NHSC clinicians, you need to understand their clinical service requirements.

Review

• NHSC Loan Repayment Program Application and Program Guidance (PDF - 580 KB)
• NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program Application and Program Guidance (PDF - 488 KB)
• NHSC Scholarship Program Application and Program Guidance (PDF - 568 KB)

How many hours must participants serve?

Full-time service: clinicians must work a minimum of 40 hours per week in a clinical practice, for a minimum of 45 weeks per service year.

• The 40 hours per week should be compressed into no fewer than four days per week, with no more than 12 hours of work performed in any 24-hour period.

Half-time service: clinicians must work a minimum of 20 hours and a maximum of 39 hours per week in a clinical practice, for a minimum of 45 weeks per service year.

• The 20 hours per week should be compressed into no fewer than two days per week, with no more than 12 hours of work performed in any 24-hour period.