Houston Healthcare - Houston County
Overview
Houston Healthcare is committed to the health and well-being of the communities which it serves. Houston Healthcare has made extensive efforts to lay the groundwork to acquire two types of federal designations for Houston County. 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, Houston Healthcare will continue to offer excellent care in a compassionate environment.
Houston Healthcare encourages 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 healthcare 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 Houston County.
In a Primary Care HPSA: Yes
HPSA Name: LI – Houston County
ID: 1131543454
Designation Type: Low Income Population HPSA
Status: Designated
Score: 16
Designation Date: 03/06/2012
Last Update Date: 08/06/2021
In a Mental Health HPSA: Yes
HPSA Name: LI- Phoenix Catchment Area
ID: 7132705459
Designation Type: Low Income Population HPSA
Status: Designated
Score: 17
Designation Date: 12/14/2011
Last Update Date: 08/25/2021
In a Dental Health HPSA: No
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 Houston Healthcare has 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. Houston Healthcare truly appreciates working with you.
Programs available to eligible Houston Healthcare primary care and mental health providers:
Physicians – National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program, Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program, Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program
Advanced Practitioners – National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program, 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)
Registered Nurses – Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program, Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program
Mental Health Providers – Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program, Pediatric Specialty 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.
National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program – Primary Care Professionals may be eligible for up to $75,000 and Mental Health or Dental Health Professionals may be eligible for up to $50,000, plus a one-time Spanish language award enhancement of $5,000, in return for a two-year service commitment at an NHSC-certified site. One-year extension contracts are available for the remaining student loan balance.
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.
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 [email protected]