SHARP: Providing Support-for-Service to Health Care Practitioners

Important Notices

SHARP-I – Behavioral Health Specific Solicitation

• Public Notice (July 14, 2016)
  SHARP-I: New Opportunity for Healthcare Practitioner Loan Repayment for State Fiscal Year 2017

The State of Alaska’s SHARP-I Program is holding an application cycle for SHARP-I – Behavioral Health Solicitation from July 15, 2016 through September 8, 2016. This solicitation is open to behavioral health practitioners only.

Overview

The purpose of SHARP is to address the worsening shortage of certain health professionals in the state by increasing the number and improving the distribution of healthcare professionals who provide direct patient care.  SHARP particularly focuses on increasing the access to healthcare for higher-needs populations by working to increase the recruitment and retention of selected health care practitioners.  SHARP provides support-for-service to practitioners in the form of either repayment of qualifying education loans and/or payment of direct incentive, pursuant to a signed SHARP contract with the State of Alaska. 

SHARP-I

The purpose of the SHARP-I program option is to recruit and retain selected primary health care professionals to serve in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) in exchange for the repayment of qualifying educational loans, pursuant to a signed SHARP MOA with the State of Alaska. 

Funding

SHARP is operated by the State of Alaska, Department of Health and Social Services, and is jointly supported by funds from several sources including the State of Alaska’s General Fund, the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, and the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), and required partial employer match.

Occupations eligible for this solicitation are:

Tier 1

• Psychiatrist

Tier 2

• Registered Nurse,  Nurse Practitioner (psychiatry specialization)
• Physician Assistant (psychiatry specialization)
• Health Service Psychologist, clinical or counseling (Ph.D. or PsyD)
• Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT)

This is a two year commitment. SHARP-I pays up to $35,000 annually directly to lenders/loan holders for Tier-1 and up to $20,000 for Tier 2 for "regular fill" positions. All practitioners must provide service in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) designated by the National Health Service Corps. For more information about HPSAs in Alaska go to HPSA Find.

All admitted clinicians and their respective sites must sign a required service contract (Memorandum of Agreement).  This contract specifies all terms of agreement, including the amount of required partial employer match-funding.

For those employers who are recruiting psychiatrists via the Tier-1 process detailed above, that recruitment must conclude no later than 12/31/16 at 5:00 pm (AT).  This means that the employer must have sent a “Letter of Intent to Hire” the clinician-candidate by that date. 

SHARP recognizes that there may be assorted system factors that slow completed Alaska practice-licensure, etc., and thus it is acceptable that the employer’s “Letter of Employment Offer” may be dated later than 12/31/16.

Clinician Application

• SHARP-I: Behavioral Health Specific Solicitation Clinician Application

Site Application Components

• SHARP-I Site Application
• SHARP-I Attestation Page
• SHARP-I Site Agreement Form

For more information about this solicitation contact Robert Sewell, SHARP Program Director, by phone at (907) 465-4065 or by email at Robert.Sewell@alaska.gov.

Alaska's SHARP Program:

Providing Support-for-Service to Health Care Practitioners

One currently-planned future clinician application openings is coming up. Both full-time and half-time positions are potentially eligible.

• SHARP-I:  clinician application cycle potentially opening in early Spring 2017; with start dates as early as:  3/1/17

What People are Saying About SHARP

SHARP is working and we're making progress!

• See what people are saying about the SHARP Program.

Attention Interested Employer Sites:

SHARP Program Site Applications can be submitted at any time.

• SHARP-I Site Application
• SHARP-I Attestation Page

SHARP Employer Sites Seeking Clinicians

• Employer Sites Seeking Clinicians provides a minimum, illustrative list of employer sites that are eligible under the SHARP-I Program. The list is arranged by occupation category.

SHARP-II:

• SHARP-II is currently not taking any new clinician applications. Any questions about all matters regarding SHARP should be directed to:
• Robert Sewell, Ph.D., Program Manager
  SHARP Program, Alaska DHSS
  (907) 465-4065 phone
  E-mail: robert.sewell@alaska.gov

Learn More about SHARP-II

• AS 18.29.010-099, Heath Care Professions Loan Repayment and Incentive Program.
• SHARP-II adopted regulations.

 

SHARP-II was established by the passage of AS 18.29 in Alaska’s 27th Legislature, and is also known as the Health Care Professions Loan Repayment and Incentive Program (Chapter 25, SLA 12).  It is exclusively supported by non-federal sources, including the State General Fund and required partial employer-match.  The loan repayments and direct inventive payments provided by this statute are intended to ensure that residents throughout the state, including recipients of medical assistance and Medicare, have access to healthcare and that residents of rural areas of the state, in particular, experience improved access to healthcare services. 

Overview

SHARP-II provides loan repayment and direct incentive. Both full-time and half-time contract options are available. After an initial three years of service, those clinicians in good standing may gain the opportunity for another three-year contract through a competitive application process.

• Tier-1: Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists
• Tier-2: Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, RN-Level Nurse, Physical Therapists, Clinical Psychologists, Clinical Social Workers, and Dental Hygienists

SHARP-II has certain stipulations, a key one being that holding a concurrent service obligation with virtually any other entity is specifically disallowed (e.g., NHSC, I.H.S., and so on). Another key stipulation is that each participating Site must contribute a partial employer match to its clinician’s support-for-service payment, although reduction of this required match amount may be possible in some circumstances. Further, all participating Sites must be within Alaska-designated health care service shortage areas (HCSSAs). Sites must accept patients who receive Medicaid or Medicare, and the uninsured on a sliding fee basis. Under SHARP-II a significantly expanded range of facilities may become designated as eligible practice Sites.

Important Notice about Concurrent Service Obligations

Concurrent service obligations are not allowed in the SHARP Program. SHARP participants can only receive one support-for-service award. In some cases an employer will offer the clinician a signing bonus and/or moving expenses as a service obligation. Clinicians who receive these benefits can participate in the SHARP Program as long as the employer stipulates that these benefits don’t constitute a service obligation.

• Alaska's SHARP program and support for service obligations.
• Cancelation letter to waive moving expenses and signing bonuses as service obligation.

Questions?

To request additional information about the SHARP Program, please email Robert Sewell. Email: robert.sewell@alaska.gov.

Or fill out the SHARP Inquiry Form

• Robert Sewell, Ph.D., Program Director
  Alaska Division of Public Health
  Section of Health Planning & Systems Development
  P.O. Box 110610
  Juneau, AK 99811-0610
  Phone: (907) 465-4065

 

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