1. Nebraska Loan Repayment Programs are Successful and A Good Investment
Helping People Live better Lives.

2. Health Professions Tracking Service HPTS: History
Organized in 1995
Collaborative effort between
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Nebraska DHHS Office of Rural Health
Goal
Document the current practice location and retention of physicians in the State of Nebraska

3. Health Professions Tracking Services
Designed to provide
information not available through:
Nebraska licensure
State and federal agencies
Associations
Information databases

4. HPTS data
Enables decision makers, researchers, healthcare providers & businesses to focus on their mission
We utilize this information for designation of state and federal shortage areas

5. HPTS Survey Surveys are tailored to the profession and facility type
Keep to the basics
Information requested includes, but is not limited to:
Professionals
Demographic information
Educational background
Professional status (FT, PT, retired, etc.)
Practice locations – primary & satellite
FTE - practice location hours
Primary specialty
Practice specialties
Preferred contact address (facility or residential)
National Practitioner Identification (NPI)
Facilities
Location address (mapping & mailing)
Telephone number
Fax number
Professionals (primary & satellite)

6. HPTS Professionals - 2019 Physicians (MDs, DOs and TEPs)
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(NPs, CRNAs, CNSs, CNMs)
Physician Assistants
Dentists
Pharmacists
Behavioral Health Professionals
(Psychologists, LIMHPs, LMHPs, LADCs, CMSWs)
Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists

7. Diligent Persistence…
Dedicated Staff…
Work closely with NE DHHS, Office of Rural Health
Surveys - professionals & facilities
Licensure comparisons (continuous)
Returned mail notifications
Articles/advertisements
Telephone verifications
“Good Will” notifications
Internet research

8. Physicians (MD/DO/TEP) Licensed in NE August 2018

9. It is the result of dedicated
Quality data does not just happen…
It is the result of dedicated
resources & staff
and we all contribute

10. Nebraska State Shortage Area Process
Every 3 years - State Office of Rural Health gets latest information from HPTS
FTEs are stripped of ER time and other specialty work and normalized to a 40 hour week
High needs indicators included
Maps are created and made available for public comment

11. Example of Information shared with Critical Access Hospital Administrators

12. Nebraska State Shortage Areas
All incentive programs require practice in a shortage area, but shortage areas are different for each specialty (and for state and federal programs)
Rural Health Advisory Commission designates state shortage areas in Nebraska and selects state Loan Repayment recipients
Available Online:

14. STATE of NEBRASKA Loan Repayment Programs
Helping People Live better Lives.

15. Loan Repayment Programs
For eligible licensed health professionals
(do not have to be a Nebraska resident or graduate of a Nebraska college)
Moving funding from Student Loan to Loan Repayment due to default rates – soon to be published study shows LR has more financial benefit than SL and leads to more satisfied practitioners. Federal programs have been moving this way for years.

16. Student Loan Debt by Profession
Average
Range
Dentists
$270,395.00
$103,730-$464,822
MD/DO
$216,951.00
$63,915-$461,038 PA
$97,043.00
$34,542-$197,443
LMHP
$93,098.00
$11,000-$208,000
Pharmacists
$126,994.00
$59,974-$195,903

17. State Managed Loan Repayment Programs Requirements
Providers must have an employer and local match lined up
Local entity (employer or a community foundation) must agree to provide local match and verify practice
Local entity fills out the second half of the application
Loan requirements
must be Government or Commercial educational loans
only educational loans to student in student’s name are eligible
loans to parents, consumer loans (ex: credit card), mortgage loans,
and private loans are not eligible
Health professional cannot be self-monitored.
Intent of loan repayment legislation is to have community buy-in.

18. State Managed Loan Repayment Programs Other Requirements
2-4 year practice obligation in a designated shortage area
Must be licensed to participate, but can apply up to 18 months in advance of being fully licensed (waiting list)
Must be a US Citizen/National (or legal resident for the state program)
Cannot participate in multiple programs simultaneously
Waitlist is currently 1 year or longer

19. State Managed Loan Repayment Programs Benefits
Maximum of $100,000 - $200,000 over 2-4 years for physicians, dentists, and psychologists
Maximum of $50,000 - $100,000 over 2-4 years for all other eligible professions
Loan repayment no longer taxable income (effective January 1, 2009 as per P.L , 3/23/10)

27. Federal Shortage Areas are designated using the federal criteria which is more challenging to meet than Nebraska state shortage area criteria which is based on the ratio of provider to population ratios to eliminate health care provider access at the county level.

29. We don’t recommend it! The Statute that created our state program is very strict – the only way out of a contract is through permanent disability or death. You can usually move to working for another employer as long as they’re located in a shortage area. You need to be sure you can stay in the area for 2-3 years when you sign this contract

31. What are we doing to assist rural and underserved communities in Nebraska
We work with health care providers and communities to match the resources we are given to maximize the effects of each loan repayment program.
We work with training programs, Area Health Education Centers, Rural Health Advisory Commission and others to aid the pipeline of health care providers to underserved areas.

32. Recruitment and Retention
We can assist by approving positions openings on the Rural Recruitment and Retention Network (
We survey and monitor the retention of obligated healthcare providers through HPTS and Retention Management System.

33. Where to Look for a JOB
These recruitment web sites are focused on serving the underserved
and many times will provide assistance with student loans.
National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network
National Health Service Corps – NHSC Connector

34. Healthcare Professional Data
Rural Nebraska
2016 vs 2017 MDs - Rural Nebraska
Net Change - decrease of 5
The decrease of 5 is actually made up of:
- 87 MDs no longer identified as practicing in Rural NE
+ 82 MDs identified as newly practicing in Rural NE
169 Actual Change

35. Healthcare Professional Data
2016 vs 2017 MDs - Rural Nebraska
- 87 MDs not longer identified as practicing in Rural NE
26% retired, 5% deceased, 6% license inactive,
9% move to Urban NE, 28% left NE, 26% unknown
can also identify –
Age brackets, specialties, education location
+ 82 MDs identified as newly practicing in Rural NE

36. Federally managed – federal funds
Tom handles the federal shortage area designations
NLRP – state funds
SLRP – federal funds

37. Multi-State Retention Collaborative and Data Management System 2013 - 2019
Federally managed – federal funds
Tom handles the federal shortage area designations
NLRP – state funds
SLRP – federal funds

38. Federally managed – federal funds
Tom handles the federal shortage area designations
NLRP – state funds
SLRP – federal funds

39. Questions? Contact:
Tom Rauner or Rachael Wolfe or