Loan Repayment Program (LRP) - A program that encourages primary care practitioners (including dentists) to practice in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). 

J-1 Visa Waiver Program (J1) -  A program that may waive exchange vistor visa requirements for an international medical graducate completing primary care training in the United States if he/she agrees to practice in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) for a minimum of 3 years.

National Interest Waiver Program (NIW) - A program for primary care physicians to gain quick access to permanent residency status provided the physician agrees to complete an additional 2 year commitment in an shortage area after completion of the J-1 Visa commitment.

National Health Service Corps (NHSC) - The NHSC offers two programs in recruitment and retention of practitioners: 

  1. NHSC Loan Repayment Program 
  2. NHSC Scholar Program 

Shortage Designations - Health professional shortage designations are developed using Federal criteria that determine whether or not a geographic area, population group or facility is a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) or Population (MUP).  HPSAs may be designated as having a shortage of primary medical care, dental or mental health providers. They may be urban or rural areas, population groups or medical or other public facilities.

Primary Care Challenge Grants (CCG)-

Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health -

Critical Access Hospital Program -