SHARP-1 Opportunity Opens May 1st
Alaska’s SHARP program will open its application window again on May 1st, 2020 for both clinicians and employers (sites). SHARP-1 application forms will be available at the following web-address http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/healthplanning/pages/sharp/
SHARP service contracts augment healthcare employers’ ability to recruit and retain needed licensed clinicians who in turn receive tax-exempt education loan repayment.
SHARP-1 Practice Sites Must a HPSA
To participate in SHARP-1, clinician-applicants must be either a prospective or a current employee at an eligible practice site. Amongst other requirements, the site must be located in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). To learn more about HPSAs, please the federal website: https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area/hpsa-find
Announcement of Four New HPSA Designations
This announcement highlights that there are now four newly designated Medicaid Eligible Special Population Health Professional Shortage Areas for Alaska. Those designations are in the Anchorage and Matanuska Susitna Boroughs and they are:
Anchorage Borough
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Primary Care Anchorage (Score 15)
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Dental Health Anchorage (Score 15)
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Mental Health Anchorage (Score 16)
Mat-Su Borough
Regarding HPSA designations, SHARP-1 only requires that the practice site (location) simply have one, that is, fulfillment of SHARP’s HPSA requirement is not based on “score size.”
SHARP-1 Practice Sites Must be One of the Following
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Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
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Community Health Centers
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Migrant Health Centers
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Homeless Programs
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Public Housing Programs
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FQHC Look-A-Likes
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Certified Rural Health Clinics
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Other Health Facilities
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Community Outpatient Facilities
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Community Mental Health Facilities
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State and County Health Department Clinics
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps
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Free Clinics
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Mobile Units
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School-based Programs
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Critical Access Hospitals affiliated with a qualified outpatient clinic
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Long-term Care Facilities
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State Mental Health Facilities
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Indian Health Service Facilities, Tribally-Operated 638 Health Programs, and Urban Indian Health Programs
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Correctional or Detention Facilities
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Federal Prisons
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State Prisons
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Private Practices (Solo or Group, which are operated by non-profit entities)
SHARP-1 Practice Sites Have Other Required Criteria
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All interested agencies must apply during the application cycle, regardless of whether such agencies have applied in the past.
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Non-profit private entity means an entity which may not lawfully hold or use any part of its net earnings to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual and which does not hold or use its net earnings for that purpose.
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For-profit health facilities operated by non-profit organizations must accept reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, utilize a sliding fee scale or charity care policy, and see all patients regardless of their ability to pay.
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Eligible sites must charge for professional services at the usual and customary prevailing rates except free clinics.
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Eligible practice sites must provide discounts for individuals with limited incomes (i.e., use a sliding fee scale). For information about current HHS Poverty Guidelines.
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Function as part of a system of care that either offers or assures access to ancillary, inpatient, and specialty referrals.
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Provide services regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Background: What is SHARP?
Alaska’s SHARP program works to help residents throughout the state, including recipients of medical assistance or Medicare, and the uninsured, receive improved access to healthcare services. SHARP helps to address the worsening shortage of certain healthcare professionals in Alaska by increasing the number and improving the distribution of healthcare professionals who provide direct patient care. SHARP augments recruitment and retention of practitioners to serve our priority populations by providing specified support-for-service payments (e.g. education loan repayment). SHARP selects all participants only by using its standard competitive process.
Background: SHARP-1
SHARP-1 is one component of Alaska’s overall SHARP program. SHARP-1 is specifically for those licensed practitioners who provide direct patient care (medical, dental or behavioral health) typically in primary care or related settings. We have now received the requisite, competitive federal HRSA-SLRP grant four times. In this, participating clinicians sign a two-year service contract stating their commitment to serve in an identified high-needs area or facility. SHARP-1 is operated by DHSS, in accordance with the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) guidelines, and also receives substantive funding from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. Selection of SHARP candidates is based on SHARP Council’s assessment of prioritized community, facility and population needs. All SHARP-1 contracts are at least 50 percent HRSA-funded, with the other 50 percent (minimum) derived from varied non-federal sources. SHARP-1 contracts provide education loan repayment only, and are based on primary care practitioners providing service in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) locations.
Eligible Practitioner Occupations
Eligible SHARP-1 practitioner occupations 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.).
Technical Assistance
For technical assistance, statewide teleconferences are scheduled for interested parties to learn more about this SHARP-1 opportunity. These teleconferences are optional, and any interested party can call-in. In general, content repeats on the following dates.
How to Get Applications and More Information
The clinician application form and the employer application form for this solicitation will be available from Friday 5/1/20 through Friday 7/10/20 at 5:00 pm (AT). On 5/1/20 and thereafter, all instructions regarding how to receive and complete the SHARP application will be web-posted to http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/healthplanning/pages/sharp.
Thereafter, during August 2020, Alaska’s SHARP Council will convene in publicly noticed meeting(s) to review and select from the resulting pool of eligible applicants. SHARP Council is at liberty to accept all, or some, or none of the received employer and clinician applications, and is free to issue other applicant solicitations.
Please pose any questions about Alaska’s SHARP Program by email to sharp.inquiry@alaska.gov. More information about SHARP will be found at http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/healthplanning/pages/sharp/
If you are a person with a disability who requires a special accommodation to participate in this process, please contact Robert Sewell, SHARP Program Director, at robert.sewell@alaska.gov or via phone 907-465-4065. Please do so no later than five days before the accommodation is needed to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.