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With the increased funding, the National Health Service Corps will provide scholarships or loan assistance for approximately 1,800 physicians, dentists and other clinicians to practice in underserved areas. Nearly half of the program's clinicians currently serve in Community Health Centers, which provide health care to people regardless of their ability to pay and target services in areas where people face financial and social barriers to accessing high-quality care.

"The President's proposal recognizes the importance of increasing access to quality health care in local communities and improving the health of the nation's underserved individuals," Secretary Thompson said. "The National Health Service Corps has served millions of people, and expanding this program will help even more uninsured individuals and those in underserved areas to get the health care they need."

The increase in the Nurse Education Loan Repayment program will support 800 new nursing education loan agreements. The program repays the education loans of clinical care nurses who agree to work for two years in designated public or nonprofit health facilities that face a critical shortage of nurses.

"The nursing shortage in our country is severe and as the demand for health care grows, it's absolutely critical that we encourage more of our nation's top students to choose careers in nursing," Secretary Thompson said. "These funds will help ease the emerging shortage of qualified nurses available to provide essential health care services in many underserved communities nationwide.

Secretary Thompson early in his tenure identified the shortage of nurses as a critical national priority. HHS' 2002 appropriation for the program is $10 million.

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