National Health Service Corp. nearly triples in size, according to HHS

Funding from the health care law and the 2009 stimulus bill helped drive the increase in the loan-repayment and scholarship program, which grew from about 3,600 clinicians in 2008 to more than 10,000 this year.

The Washington Post: More Doctors, Nurses Participate In Program That Helps Communities With Little Health-Care Service
As a result of stimulus spending and increased funding through the 2010 health-care law, the number of clinicians participating in a federal program to expand access to care in under-served communities has nearly tripled in the past three years. About 10,000 doctors, nurses and other providers now participate in the National Health Service Corps, the highest number since the program was established in 1972, according to figures released by the Obama administration Thursday (Aizenman, 10/13).

Modern Healthcare: Members of Service Corps Nearly Triple: HHS
HHS' announcement that the number of National Health Service Corps members has nearly tripled since 2008 reflects the department's emphasis on primary care, according to HHS officials. .... According to the HHS, there are now more than 10,000 clinicians in the National Health Service Corps. The agency estimates that these providers care for about 10.5 million patients, compared with about 3,600 National Health Service Corps providers who cared for about 3.7 million patients three years ago (Zigmond and Daly, 10/13).

National Journal: National Health Program Triples In Size
The National Health Service Corps, which received $1.5 billion in funding from the 2010 health care reform law, has increased from 3,600 clinicians in 2008 to more than 10,000 this year. Significant funding from the health care law, the 2009 stimulus bill, and fiscal 2011 dollars helped increase the size of the loan-repayment and scholarship program. "When you don't have access to primary care, small health problems grow into big ones," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on a conference call. "Most of these providers graduate with tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans, and it is very difficult to pay off while doing this important work" (McCarthy, 10/13).

Minnesota Public Radio: New Federal Grants Could Mean More Primary Doctors In MN's Underserved Areas
The federal government says it's providing $6.6 million in incentive dollars to Minnesota doctors and nurses to increase the number of primary care providers in the state. Through the federal stimulus and health care laws, 120 health care workers in Minnesota will receive tax-free $60,000 awards for serving two years in communities with limited access to health care…. The new grants come through an agency called the National Health Service Corps, which has awarded $900 million nationally in scholarships and student loan payoffs to expand the country's primary care workforce (Stawicki, 10/13).

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CQ HealthBeat: Failure To Fund Workforce Panel Adds To Doubts About Plugging Service Gaps
Congress' decision not to fund a new workforce panel could inhibit progress toward meeting one of the health care overhaul's most important goals -; to increase the supply of basic services to satisfy both existing needs and the expected increase in demand when millions of uninsured Americans gain coverage. There are a number of provisions of the overhaul that get at this issue. For example, the measure has increased the number of community health centers and expanded the size of the National Health Service Corp (Reichard, 10/13).