Founded in 1972, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) was designed to bring primary care health workers to the most underserved communities of the country. In exchange for their medical expertise, the Corps helps these professionals alleviate debt accumulated during the course of their education, much like the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) Foundation’s Community Practitioner Program, which uses private funds.
In 2010, the Affordable Care Act created a trust fund to support the NHSC for five years. Over the course of the last five years, Congress has cut funding several times, leaving the program completely dependent on the trust fund account, which is set to expire this year. If this happens, North Carolina would lose funding for the positions outlined in the chart below.
 

 

CHCs

NC

National

Non-Psychiatrist Physician (MD/DO)

30

70

2,230

Nurse Practitioner

22

41

1,762

Physician Assistant

20

73

1,379

Dentist (DDS/DMD)

37

29

1,316

Licensed Professional Counselor

0

6

1,115

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

5

8

1,047

Health Service Psychologist

1

17

752

Psychiatrist (MD/DO)

1

3

247

Dental Hygienist

0

7

245

Nurse Midwife

0

3

193

Marriage and Family Therapist

0

0

172

Psychiatric Nurse Specialist

0

0

39

Total

116

257

10,497

Learn more about the program and its funding here. This fact sheet also is helpful to understand the NHSC and its mission.
The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) launched a campaign in 2013 to save this valuable program from elimination. Learn more about the campaign.