Living Water Clinic - Tulare County

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Overview

In an effort to invest in our healthcare providers, Living Water Clinic put in extensive effort to lay the groundwork for three types of federal designations for our county.  We are now a recognized Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). This opens the doors for benefits such as federal and state funded student loan forgiveness for physicians, advanced practitioners, and nurses.  Along with our healthcare providers, Living Water Clinic is committed to the health and wellbeing of our community with the hopes that through boost access to healthcare in our county.

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 having the greatest shortage. The maps below outline each type of HPSA for Tulare County.

In a Primary Care HPSA: Yes
HPSA Name: MSSA 228.2/Exeter
ID: 1066236500
Designation Type: Low Income Population
Status: Designated
Score: 19
Designation Date: 06/22/2022
Last Update Date: 06/22/2022

Tulare, CA PC HPSA Map

In a Mental Health HPSA: Yes
HPSA Name: Tulare County
ID: 7063352046
Designation Type: High Needs Geographic
Status: Designated
Score: 16
Designation Date: 08/02/2018
Last Update Date: 07/28/2021

Tulare, CA MH HPSA Map

In a Dental Health HPSA: No
Facility HPSA: Yes
HPSA Name: Clinica Aqua Viva
ID: 6061783823
Designation Type: Rural Health Clinic
Status: Designated
Score: 13
Designation Date: 09/23/2022
Last Update Date: 09/23/2022

Tulare, CA DH HPSA Map

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 to those who need it the most. Here are the benefits available in our specific shortage designations.

  • State and Federal Student Loan Repayment Opportunities for Providers
  • Medicare Bonus (Behavioral Health Providers only)
  • Grants
  • J-1 Visa Waiver Recruits
  • Higher Customary Medicare Fees for New Physicians (Behavioral Health Providers only)

Loan repayment opportunities are possible because Living Water Clinic forged new partnerships and secured HPSAs in this region.  Loan repayment is just one benefit that acknowledges you as the driving force that makes healthcare possible in our community. Living Water Clinic truly appreciates working with you.

Programs available to eligible Living Water Clinic primary care and mental health providers:

Physicians – National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC), Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program, CalHealthCares Loan Repayment Program

Advanced Practitioners – National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC), Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program (nurses only)

Registered Nurses – Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program, California Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) Loan Repayment Program

Licensed Vocational Nurses – California Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Loan Repayment Program

Mental Health Providers (LCP, LCSW, MFT, LPC) – National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC), State Loan Repayment Programs, California Licensed Mental Health Service Provider 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% off their student loan balance in return for working at a Critical Shortage Facility, like our hospital.

National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program – Physicians, advanced practitioners, and mental health providers may be eligible for up to $50,000 for a 2-year service commitment at an NHSC certified site in a HPSA. One-year extension contracts are available for remaining student loan balance.

California Bachelor of Science Nursing Loan Repayment Program – Licensed Registered Nurses with a BSN degree may be eligible for up to $15,000 in loan repayment for a 12-month service commitment. Eligible participants must provide direct care at least 32 hours per week. Extension contracts are available for an additional 2 years.

California Licensed Vocational Nurse Loan Repayment Program – Licensed Vocational Nurses that provide direct patient care at least 32 hours per week may be eligible for up to $8,000 in loan repayment for a 12-month service commitment. Extension contracts are available for an additional 2 years.

California Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program – California licensed MD/DO of any specialty may be eligible for up to $105,000 in loan repayment for a 3-year commitment, extension contracts are available.  Providers must work 32 hours a week of direct outpatient patient care at a site.  If the clinic is owned by a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, the clinic’s patient caseload must contain at least 50% of patients who are from a medically underserved population.  If the clinic is a physician-owned and operated primary care medical practice, the clinic’s patient case load must contain at least 50% of patients who are uninsured, Medi-Cal beneficiaries, or beneficiaries of another publicly funded program that serves patients who earn less than 250% of the federal poverty level.

CalHealthCares Loan Repayment Program – Physicians and Dentists may be eligible for up to $300,000 for a 5-year commitment in return for maintain at least a 30% Medi-Cal Case loan. Eligible participants must be an actively enrolled Medi-Cal provider or have submitted an application to become active, be employed, self-employed or have a validated offer of employment. Must provide direct patient care. This program will be funded through 2023.

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]

Facility Contact Information:
Erica Conro
[email protected]