Department of Health
Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN, Commissioner

Rural Health

Health Access Incentive Program

Tennessee is one of the few states in the country that has designed a health access incentive program for physicians and mid-level practitioners. For the minimum service obligation of 3 years, qualified providers are given practice incentive grants.

Beginning this year, funds are available through a new Health Access Community Initiative which allows local, underserved areas new opportunities to initiate efforts to recruit, place, and retain health and/or expand health or dental care services in their communities.

These grants may be used for matters such as student loan repayment, start-up costs, etc. Providers placed by the program include family practice and preventative medicine physicians, internists, obstetricians, pediatricians, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and physician assistants. Since its inception in 1989, the program has placed over 200 primary care providers in state-designated Health Resource Shortage Areas for Primary Care in 71 of Tennessee's 95 counties. Following are maps depicting the shortage areas.

To display a hospital/contact information for a particular county, click here.

(Blue indicates counties with shortages).