Center staff work with local health care providers and interested community
organizations to determine the availability of primary care providers in a
county or service area (a service area is usually a portion of a county). If
the area meets criteria, staff request that the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services designate it a shortage or underserved area. Areas that do not
meet the criteria for federal designation may qualify as a state-designated
shortage area. The center also maintains a database of primary care physicians
practicing in rural and underserved areas.
Shortage area designations allow providers to participate in a variety of
different state and federal programs. The designations include health
professional shortage areas (HPSA), medically underserved areas (MUA),
medically underserved populations (MUP), Illinois designated physician shortage
areas, and areas qualifying for rural health clinic development.
The Center for Rural Health has developed criteria to designate state shortage
areas to meet requirements of several state funded programs. These criteria
have been accepted by the United States Department of Health and Human Services
for the purpose of qualifying areas for rural health clinic development.
| Program Participation Eligibility
Conferred by Underserved and Shortage Area Designation Category
|
| Programs that Require
Underserved or Shortage Designations for Participation |
Illinois Physician Shortage
Area |
Federal Designation Category
|
|
Medically Underserved
|
Health Professional Shortage Area
|
| Geographic Area (MUA) |
Population Group (MUP) |
Geographic Area |
Population Group |
Facility |
| Federal Programs |
| National Health Service Corps Scholar
Recruitment |
No |
No |
No |
Yes, can be for profit; must have necessary HPSA score
|
Yes, can be for profit; must include 51%
or more of population group in practice |
Yes, can be for profit; must have necessary HPSA score
|
| National Health Service Corps Educational
Loan Repayment Program (Federally administered) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes, can be for profit; must have necessary HPSA score
|
Yes, can be for profit; must include 51%
or more of population group in practice |
Yes, can be for profit; must have necessary HPSA score
|
| Medicare 10% Bonus Payment |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Rural Health Clinic Program |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Federally Qualified Health Center, both
grant funded and look a like |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
| State of Illinois Programs |
| Medical Student Scholarship Program |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes, must include 51% of population group
in practice |
Yes |
| Allied Health Professionals Scholarship
Program |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes, must include 51% of population group
in practice |
Yes |
| J 1 Visa Waiver |
No |
Yes
(specialist only) |
No |
Yes |
Yes, must include 51% of
population group in practice |
Yes |
| Educational Loan Repayment Program
(Illinois administered) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes, must be public or nonprofit entity |
Yes, must be public or nonprofit entity;
must include 51% or more of population group in practice |
Yes, must be public or nonprofit entity |
