The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) announces a SHARP-I loan repayment opportunity for selected healthcare practitioners in State Fiscal Year 2015.  SHARP-I is operated by DHSS, in accordance with the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Grant # H56CR25037 (aka State Loan Repayment Program).  The goal of Alaska’s SHARP program is to recruit and retain healthcare practitioners to serve in DHSS-designated healthcare service shortage areas in exchange for the repayment of qualifying education loans.  Selection of SHARP candidates is based on funding availability and DHSS’ assessment of prioritized community, facility and population needs.  This opportunity also depends on the type of facility, and whether the individual position is categorized as regular-fill or a very hard-to-fill.

SHARP is designed to help ensure that residents throughout the state, including recipients of medical assistance and/or Medicare, and the uninsured, experience improved access to healthcare services.  SHARP is intended to help address the worsening shortage of certain healthcare professionals in the state by increasing the number and improving the distribution of healthcare professionals who provide direct patient care.

SHARP-I is for those practitioners who provide direct patient care (medical, dental or behavioral health) typically in primary care or related settings.  Practitioners who are selected sign a two-year memorandum of agreement (service contract) stating their commitment to serve in identified high-need areas and facilities, beginning in SFY 2015.  DHSS expects that approximately 40 practitioners will be awarded contracts as a result of this solicitation. Both full-time and half-time options are available. 

Eligible practitioner categories for SHARP-I are grouped into two tiers. Tier 1 includes: Doctor of Allopathic Medicine (M.D.); Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.); Dentist (D.D.S. or D.M.D); and Pharmacist. Tier 2 includes: Clinical or Counseling Psychologist (Ph.D. or Psy.D.); Licensed Clinical Social Worker; Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); Marriage and Family Therapist; Nurse Midwife; Nurse Practitioner; Physician Assistant; Registered Clinical Dental Hygienist; and Registered Nurse (R.N.).

Loan repayment support is paid in the amount of up to a maximum annual benefit for the participating practitioner.  This amount is dependent upon whether the occupation is categorized as Tier-1 or Tier-2, and whether the position is full-time or half-time, and whether it’s categorized as regular-fill or very hard-to-fill.  The Maximum Annual Benefit amounts are:  Tier-1: $35,000 - $47,000 and Tier-2: $20,000 - $27,000.  This loan repayment is exempt from federal personal income tax according to federal regulation governing state loan repayment programs.  This support-for-service award is strictly in addition to, and is not a supplanting of, the clinician’s regular employer-provided wage and benefit.

During this SHARP-I solicitation, a variety of healthcare delivery locations are anticipated to become eligible, including selected private non-profit and public (government) healthcare sites.  Examples include, but are not limited to, community health centers, critical access hospitals, community mental health clinics, tribal health entities, drug treatment facilities, long-term care facilities and others.  Among the factors considered for SHARP-I site eligibility, the site must be identified as, or being within, a federally-designated Health Professions Shortage Area (HPSA).  This iteration of SHARP-I funding requires a partial employer matching-payment at the rate of 25%, payable upon quarterly invoice.  A partial waiver of this match requirement is possible in those unusual circumstances wherein the applicant-agency demonstrates an inability to pay.

Application guidelines, forms and contract-example will be available on SHARP’s website beginning October 6^th, 2014.  Both individual healthcare practitioners and individual healthcare delivery sites (agencies) must apply.  The SHARP program’s website address is: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/HealthPlanning/Pages/sharp/default.aspx .

This SHARP-I solicitation is time-limited with practitioner applications being accepted only from Monday 10/06/14 to Friday 12/05/14, at 5:00 pm (AT).  All practitioner applications must be submitted in the web-provided clickable PDF format, via emailed attachment to:  robert.sewell@alaska.gov .  In the unusual case that another route of practitioner application-submission is needed, then please contact Robert Sewell (phone 907-465-4065) for arrangement.

Site applications (from applicant-agencies) will be accepted on an ongoing basis.  However, for purposes of this solicitation, all SHARP-I site applications are due no later than Friday Dec. 5^th, 2014, at 5:00 pm.  All site application forms and any supporting documents must be submitted by emailed attachments.  In the unusual case that another route of site application-submission is needed, then please contact Robert Sewell (phone 907-465-4065) for arrangement. 

Both practitioners and sites are welcome to apply individually.  For any practitioner to be finally selected, the practitioner must have had a corresponding site application submitted by his/her prospective or current employer.  If there are individual practitioners and site applicants in need of corresponding partners then SHARP may be able to provide respective contact information.

The SHARP Advisory Council will meet during December 2014 to make SHARP-I award decisions.  Decision results will be announced in later December 2014.  All applicants will be notified in writing as to outcome. It is anticipated that those practitioners who are admitted may begin service contracts as early as January 1^st, 2015.  DHSS reserves the right to not accept any or all applications received, and further, it retains the option to solicit again for more candidates.   

Six statewide teleconferences are scheduled for interested parties to learn more about this SHARP-I opportunity, and to receive technical assistance.  The teleconference call-in number to use is (800) 944-8766, then pass-code: 18105.  Dates & times follow:

Teleconference schedule for interested Practitioners:
10-14-14 – Tuesday (9:00-10:00 am)
11-13-14 – Wednesday (5:00-6:00 pm)
12-04-14 – Thursday (12:00-1:00 pm)

Teleconference schedule for interested Sites:
10-03-14 – Friday (11:00 – 12:00 noon)
11-07-14 – Friday (11:00 – 12:00 noon)
12-05-14 – Friday (11:00 – 12:00 noon)

All interested parties are asked to use the scheduled teleconferences listed above to have their questions addressed.  If this is not possible for you, then Robert Sewell, SHARP Program Manager, is available for questions via e-mail (preferred) at robert.sewell@alaska.gov or phone 907-465-4065.  For more information about Alaska’s SHARP program, please review the SHARP website on or after 10/6/14 at the following web address:  http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/HealthPlanning/Pages/sharp/default.aspx .

If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation to participate in this process, please contact Robert Sewell no later than five days before the accommodation is needed, to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.