Loan Repayment Program for Repayment of Health Professions Educational Loans; Announcement Type: Initial, 3269-3272 [2012-1211]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 14 / Monday, January 23, 2012 / Notices
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[FR Doc. 2012–1191 Filed 1–20–12; 8:45 am]
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Estimated Total Annual Burden
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Jkt 226001
[CFDA Number: 93.164]
Loan Repayment Program for
Repayment of Health Professions
Educational Loans; Announcement
Type: Initial
Dates:
Key Dates: February 17, 2012 first
award cycle deadline date; August 17,
2012 last award cycle deadline date;
September 14, 2012 last award cycle
deadline date for supplemental loan
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Number of
responses per
respondent
18
2
18
Average
burden
hours per
response
Total burden
hours
0.3
0.1
0.3
292
5
281
repayment program funds; September
30, 2012 entry on duty deadline date.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
The Indian Health Service (IHS)
estimated budget request for Fiscal Year
(FY) 2012 includes $20,179,074 for the
IHS Loan Repayment Program (LRP) for
health professional educational loans
(undergraduate and graduate) in return
for full-time clinical service in Indian
health programs.
This program announcement is
subject to the appropriation of funds.
This notice is being published early to
coincide with the recruitment activity of
the IHS, which competes with other
Government and private health
management organizations to employ
qualified health professionals.
This program is authorized by Section
108 of the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act (IHCIA), Public Law
94–437, as amended. The IHS invites
potential applicants to request an
application for participation in the LRP.
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II. Award Information
The estimated amount available is
approximately $20,179,074 to support
approximately 453 competing awards
averaging $44,510 per award for a two
year contract. One year contract
continuations will receive priority
consideration in any award cycle.
Applicants selected for participation in
the FY 2012 program cycle will be
expected to begin their service period
no later than September 30, 2012.
III. Eligibility Information
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1. Eligible Applicants
Pursuant to Section 108(b), to be
eligible to participate in the LRP, an
individual must:
(1) (A) Be enrolled—
(i) In a course of study or program in
an accredited institution, as determined
by the Secretary, within any State and
be scheduled to complete such course of
study in the same year such individual
applies to participate in such program;
or
(ii) In an approved graduate training
program in a health profession; or
(B) Have a degree in a health
profession and a license to practice in
a state; and
(2) (A) Be eligible for, or hold an
appointment as a Commissioned Officer
in the Regular Corps of the Public
Health Service (PHS); or
(B) Be eligible for selection for service
in the Regular Corps of the PHS; or
(C) Meet the professional standards
for civil service employment in the IHS;
or
(D) Be employed in an Indian health
program without service obligation; and
(E) Submit to the Secretary an
application for a contract to the LRP.
The Secretary must approve the contract
before the disbursement of loan
repayments can be made to the
participant. Participants will be
required to fulfill their contract service
agreements through full-time clinical
practice at an Indian health program site
determined by the Secretary. Loan
repayment sites are characterized by
physical, cultural, and professional
isolation, and have histories of frequent
staff turnover. All Indian health
program sites are annually prioritized
within the Agency by discipline, based
on need or vacancy.
Any individual who owes an
obligation for health professional
service to the Federal Government, a
State, or other entity is not eligible for
the LRP unless the obligation will be
completely satisfied before they begin
service under this program.
Section 108 of the IHCIA, as amended
by Public Laws 100–713 and 102–573,
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Jkt 226001
authorizes the IHS LRP and provides in
pertinent part as follows:
(a)(1) The Secretary, acting through
the Service, shall establish a program to
be known as the Indian Health Service
Loan Repayment Program (hereinafter
referred to as the Loan Repayment
Program) in order to assure an adequate
supply of trained health professionals
necessary to maintain accreditation of,
and provide health care services to
Indians through, Indian health
programs.
Section 4(10) of the IHCIA provides
that:
‘‘Health Profession’’ means allopathic
medicine, family medicine, internal
medicine, pediatrics, geriatric medicine,
obstetrics and gynecology, podiatric
medicine, nursing, public health
nursing, dentistry, psychiatry,
osteopathy, optometry, pharmacy,
psychology, public health, social work,
marriage and family therapy,
chiropractic medicine, environmental
health and engineering, an allied health
profession, or any other health
profession.
For the purposes of this program, the
term ‘‘Indian health program’’ is defined
in Section 108(a)(2)(A), as follows:
(A) The term Indian health program
means any health program or facility
funded, in whole or in part, by the
Service for the benefit of Indians and
administered—
(i) Directly by the Service;
(ii) By any Indian Tribe or Tribal or
Indian organization pursuant to a
contract under—
(I) The Indian Self-Determination Act,
or
(II) Section 23 of the Act of April 30,
1908, (25 U.S.C. 47), popularly known
as the Buy Indian Act; or
(iii) By an urban Indian organization
pursuant to Title V of this act.
Section 108 of the IHCIA, as amended
by Public Laws 100–713 and 102–573,
authorizes the IHS to determine specific
health professions for which IHS LRP
contracts will be awarded. The list of
priority health professions that follows
is based upon the needs of the IHS as
well as upon the needs of American
Indians and Alaska Natives.
(a) Medicine: Allopathic and
Osteopathic.
(b) Nurse: Associate, B.S., and M.S.
Degree.
(c) Clinical Psychology: Ph.D. and
Psy.D.
(d) Counseling Psychology: Ph.D.
(e) Social Work: Masters level only.
(f) Chemical Dependency Counseling:
Baccalaureate and Masters level.
(g) Counseling: Masters level only.
(h) Dentistry: DDS and DMD.
(i) Dental Hygiene.
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(j) Dental Assistant: Certified.
(k) Pharmacy: B.S., Pharm.D.
(l) Optometry: O.D.
(m) Physician Assistant, Certified.
(n) Advanced Practice Nurses: Nurse
Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife,
Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Priority
consideration will be given to
Registered Nurse Anesthetists.).
(o) Podiatry: D.P.M.
(p) Physical Rehabilitation Services:
Physical Therapy, Occupational
Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology,
and Audiology: M.S. and D.P.T.
(q) Diagnostic Radiology Technology:
Certificate, Associate, and B.S.
(r) Medical Laboratory Scientist,
Medical Technology, Medical
Laboratory Technician: Associate, and
B.S.
(s) Public Health Nutritionist/
Registered Dietitian.
(t) Engineering (Environmental): B.S.
(Engineers must provide environmental
engineering services to be eligible.).
(u) Environmental Health (Sanitarian):
B.S.
(v) Health Records: R.H.I.T. and
R.H.I.A.
(w) Certified Professional Coder:
AAPC or AHIMA.
(x) Respiratory Therapy.
(y) Ultrasonography.
(z) Acupuncturists: Licensed.
(aa) Chiropractors: Licensed.
(bb) Naturopathic Medicine: Licensed.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
Not applicable.
3. Other Requirements
Interested individuals are reminded
that the list of eligible health and allied
health professions is effective for
applicants for FY 2012. These priorities
will remain in effect until superseded.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address To Request Application
Package
Application materials may be
obtained online at https://
www.loanrepayment.ihs.gov/ or by
calling or writing to the address below.
In addition, completed applications
should be returned to: IHS Loan
Repayment Program, 801 Thompson
Avenue, Suite 120, Rockville, Maryland
20852, Telephone: 301/443–3396
[between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (EST)
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays].
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission
Applications must be submitted on
the form entitled ‘‘Application for the
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Indian Health Service Loan Repayment
Program,’’ identified with the Office of
Management and Budget approval
number of OMB #0917–0014, Expiration
Date 02/29/2012.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Completed applications may be
submitted to the IHS Loan Repayment
Program, 801 Thompson Avenue, Suite
120, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Applications for the FY 2012 LRP will
be accepted and evaluated monthly
beginning February 17, 2012, and will
continue to be accepted each month
thereafter until all funds are exhausted
for FY 2012. Subsequent monthly
deadline dates are scheduled for Friday
of the second full week of each month
until August 17, 2012.
Applications shall be considered as
meeting the deadline if they are either:
(a) Received on or before the deadline
date; or
(b) Sent on or before the deadline
date. (Applicants should request a
legibly dated U.S. Postal Service
postmark or obtain a legibly dated
receipt from a commercial carrier or
U.S. Postal Service. Private metered
postmarks are not acceptable as proof of
timely mailing.).
Applications received after the
monthly closing date will be held for
consideration in the next monthly
funding cycle. Applicants who do not
receive funding by September 30, 2012,
will be notified in writing.
4. Intergovernmental Review
This program is not subject to review
under Executive Order 12372.
5. Funding Restrictions
Not applicable.
6. Other Submission Requirements
All applicants must sign and submit
to the Secretary, a written contract
agreeing to accept repayment of
educational loans and to serve for the
applicable period of obligated service in
a priority site as determined by the
Secretary, and submit a signed affidavit
attesting to the fact that they have been
informed of the relative merits of the
U.S. PHS Commissioned Corps and the
Civil Service as employment options.
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V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
The IHS has identified the positions
in each Indian health program for which
there is a need or vacancy and ranked
those positions in order of priority by
developing discipline-specific
prioritized lists of sites. Ranking criteria
for these sites may include the
following:
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17:58 Jan 20, 2012
Jkt 226001
(a) Historically critical shortages
caused by frequent staff turnover;
(b) Current unmatched vacancies in a
health profession discipline;
(c) Projected vacancies in a health
profession discipline;
(d) Ensuring that the staffing needs of
Indian health programs administered by
an Indian Tribe or Tribal health
organization receive consideration on an
equal basis with programs that are
administered directly by the Service;
and
(e) Giving priority to vacancies in
Indian health programs that have a need
for health professionals to provide
health care services as a result of
individuals having breached LRP
contracts entered into under this
section.
Consistent with this priority ranking,
in determining applications to be
approved and contracts to accept, the
IHS will give priority to applications
made by American Indians and Alaska
Natives and to individuals recruited
through the efforts of Indian Tribes or
Tribal or Indian organizations.
2. Review and Selection Process
Loan repayment awards will be made
only to those individuals serving at
facilities which have a site score of 70
or above during the first quarter and the
second month of the second quarter of
FY 2012, if funding is available.
One or all of the following factors may
be applicable to an applicant, and the
applicant who has the most of these
factors, all other criteria being equal,
will be selected.
(a) An applicant’s length of current
employment in the IHS, Tribal, or urban
program.
(b) Availability for service earlier than
other applicants (first come, first
served).
(c) Date the individual’s application
was received.
3. Anticipated Announcement and
Award Dates
Not applicable.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
Notice of awards will be mailed on
the last working day of each month.
Once the applicant is approved for
participation in the LRP, the applicant
will receive confirmation of his/her loan
repayment award and the duty site at
which he/she will serve his/her loan
repayment obligation.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
Applicants may sign contractual
agreements with the Secretary for two
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years. The IHS may repay all, or a
portion of the applicant’s health
profession educational loans
(undergraduate and graduate) for tuition
expenses and reasonable educational
and living expenses in amounts up to
$20,000 per year for each year of
contracted service. Payments will be
made annually to the participant for the
purpose of repaying his/her outstanding
health profession educational loans.
Payment of health profession education
loans will be made to the participant
within 120 days, from the date the
contract becomes effective. The effective
date of the contract is calculated from
the date it is signed by the Secretary or
his/her delegate, or the IHS, Tribal,
urban, or Buy Indian health center
entry-on-duty date, whichever is more
recent.
In addition to the loan payment,
participants are provided tax assistance
payments in an amount not less than 20
percent and not more than 39 percent of
the participant’s total amount of loan
repayments made for the taxable year
involved. The loan repayments and the
tax assistance payments are taxable
income and will be reported to the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The tax
assistance payment will be paid to the
IRS directly on the participant’s behalf.
LRP award recipients should be aware
that the IRS may place them in a higher
tax bracket than they would otherwise
have been prior to their award.
3. Contract Extensions
Any individual who enters this
program and satisfactorily completes his
or her obligated period of service may
apply to extend his/her contract on a
year-by-year basis, as determined by the
IHS. Participants extending their
contracts may receive up to the
maximum amount of $20,000 per year
plus an additional 20 percent for
Federal withholding.
VII. Agency Contacts
Please address inquiries to Ms.
Jacqueline K. Santiago, Chief, IHS Loan
Repayment Program, 801 Thompson
Avenue, Suite 120, Rockville, Maryland
20852, Telephone: (301) 443–3396
[between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (EST)
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays].
VIII. Other Information
IHS Area Offices and Service Units
that are financially able are authorized
to provide additional funding to make
awards to applicants in the LRP, but not
to exceed $35,000 a year plus tax
assistance. All additional funding must
be made in accordance with the priority
system outlined below. Health
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professions given priority for selection
above the $20,000 threshold are those
identified as meeting the criteria in 25
U.S.C. 1616a(g)(2)(A) which provides
that the Secretary shall consider the
extent to which each such
determination:
(i) Affects the ability of the Secretary
to maximize the number of contracts
that can be provided under the LRP
from the amounts appropriated for such
contracts;
(ii) Provides an incentive to serve in
Indian health programs with the greatest
shortages of health professionals; and
(iii) Provides an incentive with
respect to the health professional
involved remaining in an Indian health
program with such a health professional
shortage, and continuing to provide
primary health services, after the
completion of the period of obligated
service under the LRP.
Contracts may be awarded to those
who are available for service no later
than September 30, 2012, and must be
in compliance with any limits in the
appropriation and Section 108 of the
IHCIA not to exceed the amount
authorized in the IHS appropriation (up
to $32,000,000 for FY 2012). In order to
ensure compliance with the statutes,
Area Offices or Service Units providing
additional funding under this section
are responsible for notifying the LRP of
such payments before funding is offered
to the LRP participant. Should an IHS
Area Office contribute to the LRP, those
funds will be used for only those sites
located in that Area. Those sites will
retain their relative ranking from the
national site-ranking list. For example,
the Albuquerque Area Office identifies
supplemental monies for dentists. Only
the dental positions within the
Albuquerque Area will be funded with
the supplemental monies consistent
with the national ranking and site index
within that Area.
Should an IHS Service Unit
contribute to the LRP, those funds will
be used for only those sites located in
that Service Unit. Those sites will retain
their relative ranking from the national
site-ranking list. For example, Chinle
Service Unit identifies supplemental
monies for pharmacists. The Chinle
Service Unit consists of two facilities,
namely the Chinle Comprehensive
Health Care Facility and the Tsaile PHS
Indian Health Center.
The national ranking will be used for
the Chinle Comprehensive Health Care
Facility (Score = 44) and the Tsaile PHS
Indian Health Center (Score = 46). With
a score of 46, the Tsaile PHS Indian
Health Center would receive priority
over the Chinle Comprehensive Health
Care Facility.
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Jkt 226001
Dated: January 12, 2012.
Yvette Roubideaux,
Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–1211 Filed 1–20–12; 8:45 a.m.]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Generic Clearance
for the Collection of Qualitative
Feedback on Agency Service Delivery
National Institute on Drug
Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of
Health, HHS.
ACTION: 30-Day notice of submission of
information collection approval from
the Office of Management and Budget
and request for comments.
AGENCY:
As part of a Federal
Government-wide effort to streamline
the process to seek feedback from the
public on service delivery, NIDA has
submitted a Generic Information
Collection Request (Generic ICR):
‘‘Generic Clearance for the Collection of
Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service
Delivery ’’ to OMB for approval under
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
DATES: Comments must be submitted
within 30 days after publication in FR.
ADDRESSES: Written comments may be
submitted to the Office of Management
and Budget, Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Attn: NIH Desk
Officer, by Email to OIRA_submission@
omb.eop.gov, or by fax to (202) 395–
6974.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information, please
contact Genevieve deAlmeida-Morris,
Health Research Evaluator, Office of
Science Policy and Communications,
National Institute on Drug Abuse, 6001
Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD
20892–9557, or call non-toll-free
number (301) 594–6802 or Email your
request, including your address to
dealmeig@nida.nih.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Generic Clearance for the
Collection of Qualitative Feedback on
Agency Service Delivery.
Abstract: The information collection
activity will garner qualitative customer
and stakeholder feedback in an efficient,
timely manner, in accordance with the
Administration’s commitment to
improving service delivery. By
qualitative feedback we mean
SUMMARY:
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information that provides useful
insights on perceptions and opinions,
but are not statistical surveys that yield
quantitative results that can be
generalized to the population of study.
This feedback will provide insights into
customer or stakeholder perceptions,
experiences and expectations, provide
an early warning of issues with service,
or focus attention on areas where
communication, training or changes in
operations might improve delivery of
products or services. These collections
will allow for ongoing, collaborative and
actionable communications between the
Agency and its customers and
stakeholders. It will also allow feedback
to contribute directly to the
improvement of program management.
Feedback collected under this generic
clearance will provide useful
information, but it will not yield data
that can be generalized to the overall
population. This type of generic
clearance for qualitative information
will not be used for quantitative
information collections that are
designed to yield reliably actionable
results, such as monitoring trends over
time or documenting program
performance. Such data uses require
more rigorous designs that address: the
target population to which
generalizations will be made, the
sampling frame, the sample design
(including stratification and clustering),
the precision requirements or power
calculations that justify the proposed
sample size, the expected response rate,
methods for assessing potential nonresponse bias, the protocols for data
collection, and any testing procedures
that were or will be undertaken prior
fielding the study. Depending on the
degree of influence the results are likely
to have, such collections may still be
eligible for submission for other generic
mechanisms that are designed to yield
quantitative results.
No comments were received in
response to the 60-day notice published
in the Federal Register of December 22,
2010 (75 FR 80542).
Below we provide NIDA’s projected
average estimates for the next three
years: 1
Current Actions: New collection of
information.
1 The 60-day notice included the following
estimate of the aggregate burden hours for this
generic clearance federal-wide:
Average Expected Annual Number of activities:
25,000.
Average number of Respondents per Activity:
200.
Annual responses: 5,000,000.
Frequency of Response: Once per request.
Average minutes per response: 12.
Burden hours: 2,500,000.
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3269-3272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1211]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Indian Health Service
[CFDA Number: 93.164]
Loan Repayment Program for Repayment of Health Professions
Educational Loans; Announcement Type: Initial
Dates:
Key Dates: February 17, 2012 first award cycle deadline date;
August 17, 2012 last award cycle deadline date; September 14, 2012 last
award cycle deadline date for supplemental loan repayment program
funds; September 30, 2012 entry on duty deadline date.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
The Indian Health Service (IHS) estimated budget request for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2012 includes $20,179,074 for the IHS Loan Repayment Program
(LRP) for health professional educational loans (undergraduate and
graduate) in return for full-time clinical service in Indian health
programs.
This program announcement is subject to the appropriation of funds.
This notice is being published early to coincide with the recruitment
activity of the IHS, which competes with other Government and private
health management organizations to employ qualified health
professionals.
This program is authorized by Section 108 of the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act (IHCIA), Public Law 94-437, as amended. The IHS invites
potential applicants to request an application for participation in the
LRP.
[[Page 3270]]
II. Award Information
The estimated amount available is approximately $20,179,074 to
support approximately 453 competing awards averaging $44,510 per award
for a two year contract. One year contract continuations will receive
priority consideration in any award cycle. Applicants selected for
participation in the FY 2012 program cycle will be expected to begin
their service period no later than September 30, 2012.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Pursuant to Section 108(b), to be eligible to participate in the
LRP, an individual must:
(1) (A) Be enrolled--
(i) In a course of study or program in an accredited institution,
as determined by the Secretary, within any State and be scheduled to
complete such course of study in the same year such individual applies
to participate in such program; or
(ii) In an approved graduate training program in a health
profession; or
(B) Have a degree in a health profession and a license to practice
in a state; and
(2) (A) Be eligible for, or hold an appointment as a Commissioned
Officer in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service (PHS); or
(B) Be eligible for selection for service in the Regular Corps of
the PHS; or
(C) Meet the professional standards for civil service employment in
the IHS; or
(D) Be employed in an Indian health program without service
obligation; and
(E) Submit to the Secretary an application for a contract to the
LRP. The Secretary must approve the contract before the disbursement of
loan repayments can be made to the participant. Participants will be
required to fulfill their contract service agreements through full-time
clinical practice at an Indian health program site determined by the
Secretary. Loan repayment sites are characterized by physical,
cultural, and professional isolation, and have histories of frequent
staff turnover. All Indian health program sites are annually
prioritized within the Agency by discipline, based on need or vacancy.
Any individual who owes an obligation for health professional
service to the Federal Government, a State, or other entity is not
eligible for the LRP unless the obligation will be completely satisfied
before they begin service under this program.
Section 108 of the IHCIA, as amended by Public Laws 100-713 and
102-573, authorizes the IHS LRP and provides in pertinent part as
follows:
(a)(1) The Secretary, acting through the Service, shall establish a
program to be known as the Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program
(hereinafter referred to as the Loan Repayment Program) in order to
assure an adequate supply of trained health professionals necessary to
maintain accreditation of, and provide health care services to Indians
through, Indian health programs.
Section 4(10) of the IHCIA provides that:
``Health Profession'' means allopathic medicine, family medicine,
internal medicine, pediatrics, geriatric medicine, obstetrics and
gynecology, podiatric medicine, nursing, public health nursing,
dentistry, psychiatry, osteopathy, optometry, pharmacy, psychology,
public health, social work, marriage and family therapy, chiropractic
medicine, environmental health and engineering, an allied health
profession, or any other health profession.
For the purposes of this program, the term ``Indian health
program'' is defined in Section 108(a)(2)(A), as follows:
(A) The term Indian health program means any health program or
facility funded, in whole or in part, by the Service for the benefit of
Indians and administered--
(i) Directly by the Service;
(ii) By any Indian Tribe or Tribal or Indian organization pursuant
to a contract under--
(I) The Indian Self-Determination Act, or
(II) Section 23 of the Act of April 30, 1908, (25 U.S.C. 47),
popularly known as the Buy Indian Act; or
(iii) By an urban Indian organization pursuant to Title V of this
act.
Section 108 of the IHCIA, as amended by Public Laws 100-713 and
102-573, authorizes the IHS to determine specific health professions
for which IHS LRP contracts will be awarded. The list of priority
health professions that follows is based upon the needs of the IHS as
well as upon the needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
(a) Medicine: Allopathic and Osteopathic.
(b) Nurse: Associate, B.S., and M.S. Degree.
(c) Clinical Psychology: Ph.D. and Psy.D.
(d) Counseling Psychology: Ph.D.
(e) Social Work: Masters level only.
(f) Chemical Dependency Counseling: Baccalaureate and Masters
level.
(g) Counseling: Masters level only.
(h) Dentistry: DDS and DMD.
(i) Dental Hygiene.
(j) Dental Assistant: Certified.
(k) Pharmacy: B.S., Pharm.D.
(l) Optometry: O.D.
(m) Physician Assistant, Certified.
(n) Advanced Practice Nurses: Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse
Midwife, Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Priority consideration will be
given to Registered Nurse Anesthetists.).
(o) Podiatry: D.P.M.
(p) Physical Rehabilitation Services: Physical Therapy,
Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, and Audiology: M.S.
and D.P.T.
(q) Diagnostic Radiology Technology: Certificate, Associate, and
B.S.
(r) Medical Laboratory Scientist, Medical Technology, Medical
Laboratory Technician: Associate, and B.S.
(s) Public Health Nutritionist/Registered Dietitian.
(t) Engineering (Environmental): B.S. (Engineers must provide
environmental engineering services to be eligible.).
(u) Environmental Health (Sanitarian): B.S.
(v) Health Records: R.H.I.T. and R.H.I.A.
(w) Certified Professional Coder: AAPC or AHIMA.
(x) Respiratory Therapy.
(y) Ultrasonography.
(z) Acupuncturists: Licensed.
(aa) Chiropractors: Licensed.
(bb) Naturopathic Medicine: Licensed.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
Not applicable.
3. Other Requirements
Interested individuals are reminded that the list of eligible
health and allied health professions is effective for applicants for FY
2012. These priorities will remain in effect until superseded.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package
Application materials may be obtained online at https://www.loanrepayment.ihs.gov/ or by calling or writing to the address
below. In addition, completed applications should be returned to: IHS
Loan Repayment Program, 801 Thompson Avenue, Suite 120, Rockville,
Maryland 20852, Telephone: 301/443-3396 [between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
(EST) Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays].
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Applications must be submitted on the form entitled ``Application
for the
[[Page 3271]]
Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program,'' identified with the
Office of Management and Budget approval number of OMB 0917-
0014, Expiration Date 02/29/2012.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Completed applications may be submitted to the IHS Loan Repayment
Program, 801 Thompson Avenue, Suite 120, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Applications for the FY 2012 LRP will be accepted and evaluated monthly
beginning February 17, 2012, and will continue to be accepted each
month thereafter until all funds are exhausted for FY 2012. Subsequent
monthly deadline dates are scheduled for Friday of the second full week
of each month until August 17, 2012.
Applications shall be considered as meeting the deadline if they
are either:
(a) Received on or before the deadline date; or
(b) Sent on or before the deadline date. (Applicants should request
a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or obtain a legibly dated
receipt from a commercial carrier or U.S. Postal Service. Private
metered postmarks are not acceptable as proof of timely mailing.).
Applications received after the monthly closing date will be held
for consideration in the next monthly funding cycle. Applicants who do
not receive funding by September 30, 2012, will be notified in writing.
4. Intergovernmental Review
This program is not subject to review under Executive Order 12372.
5. Funding Restrictions
Not applicable.
6. Other Submission Requirements
All applicants must sign and submit to the Secretary, a written
contract agreeing to accept repayment of educational loans and to serve
for the applicable period of obligated service in a priority site as
determined by the Secretary, and submit a signed affidavit attesting to
the fact that they have been informed of the relative merits of the
U.S. PHS Commissioned Corps and the Civil Service as employment
options.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
The IHS has identified the positions in each Indian health program
for which there is a need or vacancy and ranked those positions in
order of priority by developing discipline-specific prioritized lists
of sites. Ranking criteria for these sites may include the following:
(a) Historically critical shortages caused by frequent staff
turnover;
(b) Current unmatched vacancies in a health profession discipline;
(c) Projected vacancies in a health profession discipline;
(d) Ensuring that the staffing needs of Indian health programs
administered by an Indian Tribe or Tribal health organization receive
consideration on an equal basis with programs that are administered
directly by the Service; and
(e) Giving priority to vacancies in Indian health programs that
have a need for health professionals to provide health care services as
a result of individuals having breached LRP contracts entered into
under this section.
Consistent with this priority ranking, in determining applications
to be approved and contracts to accept, the IHS will give priority to
applications made by American Indians and Alaska Natives and to
individuals recruited through the efforts of Indian Tribes or Tribal or
Indian organizations.
2. Review and Selection Process
Loan repayment awards will be made only to those individuals
serving at facilities which have a site score of 70 or above during the
first quarter and the second month of the second quarter of FY 2012, if
funding is available.
One or all of the following factors may be applicable to an
applicant, and the applicant who has the most of these factors, all
other criteria being equal, will be selected.
(a) An applicant's length of current employment in the IHS,
Tribal, or urban program.
(b) Availability for service earlier than other applicants (first
come, first served).
(c) Date the individual's application was received.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Not applicable.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
Notice of awards will be mailed on the last working day of each
month. Once the applicant is approved for participation in the LRP, the
applicant will receive confirmation of his/her loan repayment award and
the duty site at which he/she will serve his/her loan repayment
obligation.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Applicants may sign contractual agreements with the Secretary for
two years. The IHS may repay all, or a portion of the applicant's
health profession educational loans (undergraduate and graduate) for
tuition expenses and reasonable educational and living expenses in
amounts up to $20,000 per year for each year of contracted service.
Payments will be made annually to the participant for the purpose of
repaying his/her outstanding health profession educational loans.
Payment of health profession education loans will be made to the
participant within 120 days, from the date the contract becomes
effective. The effective date of the contract is calculated from the
date it is signed by the Secretary or his/her delegate, or the IHS,
Tribal, urban, or Buy Indian health center entry-on-duty date,
whichever is more recent.
In addition to the loan payment, participants are provided tax
assistance payments in an amount not less than 20 percent and not more
than 39 percent of the participant's total amount of loan repayments
made for the taxable year involved. The loan repayments and the tax
assistance payments are taxable income and will be reported to the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The tax assistance payment will be paid
to the IRS directly on the participant's behalf. LRP award recipients
should be aware that the IRS may place them in a higher tax bracket
than they would otherwise have been prior to their award.
3. Contract Extensions
Any individual who enters this program and satisfactorily completes
his or her obligated period of service may apply to extend his/her
contract on a year-by-year basis, as determined by the IHS.
Participants extending their contracts may receive up to the maximum
amount of $20,000 per year plus an additional 20 percent for Federal
withholding.
VII. Agency Contacts
Please address inquiries to Ms. Jacqueline K. Santiago, Chief, IHS
Loan Repayment Program, 801 Thompson Avenue, Suite 120, Rockville,
Maryland 20852, Telephone: (301) 443-3396 [between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
(EST) Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays].
VIII. Other Information
IHS Area Offices and Service Units that are financially able are
authorized to provide additional funding to make awards to applicants
in the LRP, but not to exceed $35,000 a year plus tax assistance. All
additional funding must be made in accordance with the priority system
outlined below. Health
[[Page 3272]]
professions given priority for selection above the $20,000 threshold
are those identified as meeting the criteria in 25 U.S.C.
1616a(g)(2)(A) which provides that the Secretary shall consider the
extent to which each such determination:
(i) Affects the ability of the Secretary to maximize the number of
contracts that can be provided under the LRP from the amounts
appropriated for such contracts;
(ii) Provides an incentive to serve in Indian health programs with
the greatest shortages of health professionals; and
(iii) Provides an incentive with respect to the health
professional involved remaining in an Indian health program with such a
health professional shortage, and continuing to provide primary health
services, after the completion of the period of obligated service under
the LRP.
Contracts may be awarded to those who are available for service no
later than September 30, 2012, and must be in compliance with any
limits in the appropriation and Section 108 of the IHCIA not to exceed
the amount authorized in the IHS appropriation (up to $32,000,000 for
FY 2012). In order to ensure compliance with the statutes, Area Offices
or Service Units providing additional funding under this section are
responsible for notifying the LRP of such payments before funding is
offered to the LRP participant. Should an IHS Area Office contribute to
the LRP, those funds will be used for only those sites located in that
Area. Those sites will retain their relative ranking from the national
site-ranking list. For example, the Albuquerque Area Office identifies
supplemental monies for dentists. Only the dental positions within the
Albuquerque Area will be funded with the supplemental monies consistent
with the national ranking and site index within that Area.
Should an IHS Service Unit contribute to the LRP, those funds will
be used for only those sites located in that Service Unit. Those sites
will retain their relative ranking from the national site-ranking list.
For example, Chinle Service Unit identifies supplemental monies for
pharmacists. The Chinle Service Unit consists of two facilities, namely
the Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility and the Tsaile PHS Indian
Health Center.
The national ranking will be used for the Chinle Comprehensive
Health Care Facility (Score = 44) and the Tsaile PHS Indian Health
Center (Score = 46). With a score of 46, the Tsaile PHS Indian Health
Center would receive priority over the Chinle Comprehensive Health Care
Facility.
Dated: January 12, 2012.
Yvette Roubideaux,
Director, Indian Health Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-1211 Filed 1-20-12; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 4165-16-P