Primary Care
Health Access Provider Survey (HAPS)
The Office of Primary Care conducts a Census of Tennessee Providers annually to obtain necessary data to support the health provider shortage area. Data is used to determine where we have shortages, allowing for qualified recruitment programs to be instituted to increase access in areas of shortage.
These programs include the 3-R Net program for healthcare organizations' recruitment of providers. Then there are TSLRP (state funding) and NHSC (federal funding) offering incentives for healthcare providers who go to work for approved sites.
For more information on HAPS, contact the Director of Office of Primary Care Marcus Flatt at 615-253-5799 or email Rural.Health@tn.gov.
HAPS Census Participation
The State Office of Rural Health is conducting an annual census of primary care-adjacent health professionals. Completion of the census takes less than 5 minutes, but the data collected helps to determine shortage areas for the next year. Shortage area designations are important in the allocation of state and federal assistance made available to patients and providers in these areas.
We are requesting information from Physicians, Physician Assistants, and Advanced Practice Nurses practicing in an outpatient setting, in the following specialties:
Family Practice • General Practice • Pediatrics • General Internal Medicine • Public Health • Gynecology • Obstetrics • Obstetrics/Gynecology
Click to complete the Primary Care Provider Census.
Click for information on the next Dental Provider Census.
Primary Care Office
The Primary Care Office is responsible for determining the shortage designations for Primary Care, Dental Health, and Mental and Behavioral Health. Data collection and reporting are primary tasks of the office as well as being the liaison to State and Federal programs.
Primary Care Health Resource Shortage Areas 2023
Health Access Program
The Health Access Act of 1989 created the State Treasurer's Health Access Incentive Account and was created to improve health access for the citizens of Tennessee by encouraging healthcare practitioners to locate within areas of the state designated as Health Resource Shortage Areas (HRSA). Funds authorized under the Act may be used to assist communities to enhance health access by identifying appropriate practitioners of health care to provide services or locate practices.
The purpose of the Health Access Program is to assist communities in enhancing health by identifying appropriate practitioners of healthcare to provide services or locate practices and to provide health or dental care services. The activities within the Program will be coordinated with programs and institutions involved in the training of health care practitioners and non-physician health care practitioners (HCPRO) and dental care practitioners (DCPs).
Contact
Marcus Flatt, Director of Office of Primary CareState Office of Rural Health
Division of Health Disparities
Tennessee Department of Health
Andrew Johnson Tower, 2nd Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243 Phone: 615-253-5799 Marcus.Flatt@tn.gov