DHH Reminds Louisiana Medical Students to take Advantage of Loan Repayment Program on National Health Service Corp Day

Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011  |  Contact: Meghan Speakes; (225) 342-1463 or (225) 241-0836 (cell)

BATON ROUGE - In recognition of National Health Service Corp Day, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is reminding Louisiana medical students that the National Health Service Corps' (NHSC) Students to Service Loan Repayment Program is available to help them repay their student loans while gaining meaningful experience. The Department partners with the NHSC to administer the program in Louisiana. 

The Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP) will provide loan repayment up to $120,000 for three years of full-time service or six years of half-time service. The application cycle for S2S LRP opens in November 2011 and the cycle will close in December 2011.  In addition to an initial award of up to $50,000 for loan repayment, each clinician receives a competitive salary and the chance to make an impact in a community that lacks access to quality health care services. Primary care providers who commit to five years of service can receive up to $170,000 in loan repayment.

"This program is not only a tremendous opportunity for Louisiana's students; it plays a critical role in improving access to health care in Louisiana," said Gerrelda Davis, Director of the Department's Bureau of Primary Care and Rural Health. "By incenting providers to practice in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), many of our state's residents have access to primary health care that otherwise would not be available."

The NHSC S2S LRP is available to eligible medical students in their last year of school, through a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. To qualify, students must be enrolled at a fully accredited school in an eligible degree program, and be planning to complete an accredited primary medical care residency in an NHSC-approved specialty (internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics, OB/GYN and geriatrics). Students must also be willing to work at a NHSC approved site for at least two years following graduation.

National Health Service Corp providers serve in sites that accept all patients, regardless of their ability to pay.  In Louisiana, there are currently 152 NHSC clinicians caring for patients  in 114 health care sites, who live in areas where health care is hard to find, known as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).  Of Louisiana's 152 NHSC clinicians, 72 provide primary health care, 32 provide dental care and 48 provide mental health care.

In recognition of the National Health Service Corp (NHSC), the Louisiana DHH Primary Care Office and LA-SEARCH hosted a booth and visited with dental hygienist students recently at the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry in New Orleans. The event was part of a national observance to help raise awareness of the opportunities provided by the National Health Service Corp (NHSC). For more information on the S2S LRP, contact Dorie Tschudy at (225) 342-1583 or Dorie.Tschudy@la.gov or visit www.pcrh.dhh.louisiana.gov.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov. For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow DHH's blog, Twitter account and Facebook.