On July 11th, HRSA’s Office of Rural Health Policy issued a Request for Proposal (RFP 08-N250-6025) to find ways to improve the recruitment and retention of physicians and other health professionals in rural underserved areas. Various methods have been used such as payment incentives, training programs, scholarships and loan repayment programs, and recruiting of students from rural areas, but none have met the demand for health professionals. The demand is particularly important for dentists and professionals in mental and behavioral health and nursing.
The goal is to improve the skills of the state entities that are doing the recruiting. The contractor will be expected to perform to:
- Identify the focal point within each State that is doing rural recruitment and invite them to become a member of the National Network
- Participate in workshops, presentations, webinars and conferences designed to improve successful recruitment and retention efforts.
- Make presentations at meetings of the State Offices of Rural Health, State Rural Health
- Develop articles for publication addressing the shortage of providers in rural areas
- Maintain a library of rural medical workforce and recruitment and retention materials
- Establish toll free phone line to respond to inquiries
- Develop a strategic plan with goals, objectives, activities, and work plan
- Work with HRSA programs and the AHEC program to promote well coordinated and effective recruitment
- Conduct an annual workshop on workforce needs for the State members
- Do an annual project evaluation to identify the status, progress, and effectiveness of the project as identified in the annual strategic plan
The RFP is due on August 11, 2008. For more information contact David Trejo at dtrejo@hrsa.gov or call 301-443-2730 or 301-443-2750.
