On Thursday, April 4, HRSA announced that it has increased by 50% the initial loan repayment amount available to primary care providers—M.D.s and D.O.s, including OB-GYNs and pediatricians; nurse practitioners; certified nurse midwives; and physician assistants—through the National Health Service Corps.

With the growing cost of medical school and increased challenges in recruiting primary care providers to high need areas, this action will help rural and historically underserved communities attract providers to deliver critical primary care services. These providers could have as much as $75,000 in loan debt forgiven in exchange for a two-year service commitment.

HRSA also announced that it is also offering up to an additional $5,000 in loan repayment to National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program participants who can demonstrate fluency in Spanish and who commit to practice in a high need area serving patients with limited English proficiency.
Read the release.

During Second Chance Month, HRSA took new policy action and announced the availability of $51 million for the first-ever funding opportunity for HRSA-funded health centers to implement innovative approaches to support transitions in care for people leaving incarceration. Aligned with the White House Second Chance Initiative, this action, for the first time, explicitly supports the provision of health services to individuals up to 90 days prior to their release to help them return to the community by expanding access to primary health care, including mental health and substance use disorder treatment, furthering public health and strengthening public safety.

Studies have shown a dramatic and concerning increase in risk for opioid overdose after release from incarceration, with one study showing the risk of death at least ten times higher than for the general public. Individuals returning to the community also become disconnected from critical medications and treatment for diabetes and hypertension – among the leading causes of death in the United States. They also face disproportionate risks of bad health outcomes overall because they lack connections to services and supports to navigate the process of applying for or reinstating health insurance eligibility and other benefits in the immediate period after their release.

Health centers can use funds made available through this funding opportunity to address mental health and substance use disorder treatment needs, treat hepatitis C, HIV, syphilis, and other infectious diseases, and provide case management services that address key social drivers of health, such as housing and food insecurity, financial strain, access to transportation, and intimate partner violence.

Read the release.

Calling all HRSA grantees! The 2024 Grantee Satisfaction Survey opens Monday, April 29.  HRSA has updated the survey to gather more detailed information about your experience. Your confidential responses help HRSA take concrete actions to:

• Understand your needs better
• Improve our guidance and assistance
• Tailor our services to serve you better
• Advance our mission

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and help us enhance our support to better serve you. Your feedback matters. Together, we can make a difference!  Questions or concerns about the survey? Email HRSA Grantee Survey.