Mercy Health Springfield Hospital and Urbana Hospital - Champaign County and Clark County
Overview
Mercy Health Springfield Hospital and Mercy Health Urbana Hospital are committed to the health and well-being of the communities they serves. Mercy Health Springfield Hospital and Mercy Health Urbana Hospital have made extensive efforts to lay the groundwork to acquire three types of federal designations for Clark and Champaign Counties. These designations, known as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), open the door to benefits such as federal and state-funded student loan repayment programs and grants for physicians, advanced practitioners, and nurses. The goal of this initiative is to promote access to quality healthcare in the surrounding service area by recruiting and retaining clinicians like you. Together with its team of healthcare providers, Mercy Health Springfield Hospital and Mercy Health Urbana Hospital will continue to offer excellent care in a compassionate environment.
Mercy Health Springfield Hospital and Mercy Health Urbana Hospital encourage its healthcare providers to contact our team of experts at HPSA Acumen to determine eligibility and opportunities for loan repayment awards. An individual consultation can be scheduled with us at the bottom of this webpage.
What is a HPSA?
HPSAs are designations that indicate health care provider shortages in three platforms of health: primary care, mental health, and dental health. Each platform of health receives its own designation. Each designation is scored to show the severity of the shortage. Scores range from 0 to 25, with 25 indicating the greatest shortage. The maps below outline each type of HPSA for Clark and Champaign Counties.
Champaign County
In a Primary Care HPSA: Yes
HPSA Name: Champaign County
ID: 1392863954
Designation Type: Geographic HPSA
Status: Designated
Score: 12
Designation Date: 12/28/2017
Last Update Date: 05/21/2025
Clark County
In a Primary Care HPSA: Yes
HPSA Name: LI – Clark County
ID: 1394734979
Designation Type: Low Income Population HPSA
Status: Designated
Score: 16
Designation Date: 06/16/2025
Last Update Date: 06/16/2025
Champaign County
In a Mental Health HPSA: Yes
HPSA Name: MHCA 63
ID: 7393374187
Designation Type: Geographic HPSA
Status: Designated
Score: 10
Designation Date: 02/28/2007
Last Update Date: 09/07/2021
Clark County
In a Mental Health HPSA: Yes
HPSA Name: MHCA 12 (Clark, Greene, Madison)
ID: 7398715294
Designation Type: Low Income Population HPSA
Status: Designated
Score: 17
Designation Date: 06/28/2022
Last Update Date: 06/28/2022
Champaign County
In a Dental Health HPSA: No
Clark County
In a Dental Health HPSA: Yes
HPSA Name: LI – Springfield City
ID: 6392084090
Designation Type: Low Income Population HPSA
Status: Designated
Score: 12
Designation Date: 02/09/2000
Last Update Date: 03/06/2025
What are the benefits of a HPSA?
In an effort to boost provider recruitment and retention in these often-rural shortage areas, benefits have been established to help build healthcare access for those who need it most. Here are the benefits available in your specific shortage designations.
Loan repayment opportunities are possible because Mercy Health Springfield Hospital and Mercy Health Urbana Hospital have forged new partnerships and secured HPSAs in this region. Loan repayment is just one benefit that acknowledges you, the provider, as the driving force that makes healthcare possible in your community. Mercy Health Springfield Hospital and Mercy Health Urbana Hospital truly appreciate working with you.
Programs available to eligible Mercy Health Springfield Hospital and Mercy Health Urbana Hospital primary care and mental health providers:
Physicians – Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program, Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program, Ohio Physician Loan Repayment Program, Ohio Substance Use Disorder Professional Loan Repayment Program
Advanced Practitioners – Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program (nurses only), Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program, Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners only), Ohio Substance Use Disorder Professional Loan Repayment Program, Ohio Health Professional Loan Repayment Program
Registered Nurses – Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program, Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program, Ohio Substance Use Disorder Professional Loan Repayment Program
Mental Health Providers – Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program, Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program, Ohio Substance Use Disorder Professional Loan Repayment Program
Pharmacists – Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program, Ohio Substance Use Disorder Professional Loan Repayment Program, Ohio Health Professional Loan Repayment Program
What do these loan repayment programs offer?
Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program – Advanced Practice Nurses and Registered Nurses may be eligible to apply for loan repayment worth up to 85% of their student loan balance in return for working at a Critical Shortage Facility, like our hospital.
Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Loan Repayment Program – Healthcare professionals providing direct treatment or recovery support of patients with or in recovery from a substance use disorder including, but not limited to Physicians, Clinicians, Bachelor’s-level Substance Use Disorder Counselors, Behavioral Health Paraprofessionals, and Clinical Support Staff may be eligible for up to $250,000 for a six-year service commitment at a STAR-certified site.
Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program – Providers working full-time with pediatric patients may be eligible to receive up to $100,000 in loan repayment in return for a three-year service commitment. Eligible disciplines include: Physicians, Psychologists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed or Certified Master’s Level Social Workers, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Substance Use Disorder Counselors working in a pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, as a child or adolescent psychiatrist, or behavioral health providers working in pediatrics or substance use disorder services. Please refer to program guidelines for a list of specialties and subspecialties for Physicians.
Ohio Physician Loan Repayment Program – Physicians (DO/MD) working full-time or part-time providing primary care in Family Medicine, General Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Obstetrics/Gynecology, General Psychiatry, Child/Adolescent Psychiatry or Geriatric Psychiatry at an eligible ambulatory or mental health setting, may be eligible for up to $50,000 in loan repayment for a 2- year service commitment.
Ohio Substance Use Disorder Professional Loan Repayment Program – Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselors, Licensed Independent Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Independent Social Workers, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors, Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Specialists, Pharmacists, Certified Nurse Midwives, Clinical or Counseling Psychologists, or Registered Nurses working full time or part-time in HPSAs or other high-burdened substance use disorder areas may be eligible for up to $25,000 per year in loan repayment in return for a 2-year service commitment.
Ohio Health Professional Loan Repayment Program – Nurse Practitioners, Psychiatric Nurse Specialists, Physician Assistants, Certified Nurse Midwives, and Pharmacists may be eligible for up to $50,000 for a 2-year service commitment at an eligible ambulatory, outpatient practice site in a HPSA.
To find out if your address is located in this HPSA designation, please visit the following website:
https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area/by-address
For more information, please contact:
HPSA Acumen’s Benefit Support Specialists are available to you:
716.483.0888 ext. 206
Email us here at Support@HPSA.us