HRSA Information Center

1-888-Ask HRSA (275-4772)
Publications, resources, and referrals on health care services for low-income, uninsured individuals and those with special health care needs

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Q: Where can I get more information about HIV/AIDS?

A: You can obtain free publications on HIV/AIDS through the HRSA Information Center (IC). Click on the "Search the Information Center" link on this page and select HIV/AIDS from the "Search by Keywords" drop down menu to search for publications, or contact the IC at 888-275-4772 (toll free). You can also contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Sexually Transmitted Disease and AIDS Hotline at 800-342-2437. This toll-free telephone service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Services for Spanish-speaking audiences (800-344-7432) and the hearing impaired (800-243-7889) are also available.

Q: What type of funding does HRSA offer through the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB)?

A: HAB offers different types of funding through the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act (CARE). For further information and a listing and description of grant programs go to http://hab.hrsa.gov/grant.

Q: What is the Ryan White CARE Act?

A: The Ryan White CARE Act is Federal legislation that addresses the unmet health needs of persons living with HIV disease by funding primary health care and support services. The CARE Act was named after Ryan White, an Indiana teenager whose courageous struggle with HIV/AIDS and against AIDS-related discrimination helped educate the Nation. For more information, go to http://hab.hrsa.gov.

Q: Where can I find information on funding opportunities and grants offered through HRSA?

A: You can obtain a copy of Grant Funding Opportunities. Click on the "Search the Information Center" link on this page and enter "Grant Funding Opportunities" in the "Search by Title" field, or contact the HRSA Information Center at 888-275-4772 (toll free). You can also go to www.hrsa.gov for more information on 2004 grant funding opportunities.

Q: What is HIPAA and where can I get information on HIPAA regulations?

A: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is Federal legislation passed to protect the privacy of your health information. It may help lower your chance of losing existing health insurance coverage, make it easier to switch health plans, and/or help you buy coverage on your own if you lose your employer's plan and have no other coverage available. For more information and specific regulations, please refer to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid at http://cms.hhs.gov/hipaa or call 877-267-2323 (toll free).

Q: What types of programs are available through the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC), which offers health care to low income and/or uninsured individuals and families?

A: BPHC offers funding for Community Health Centers (CHCs) to provide family-oriented primary medical care and preventive health care services for people living in medically underserved communities. CHCs exist in areas where there is limited access to primary health care. To search for a CHC in your area, go to http://ask.hrsa.gov/pc/, type in your information and search your local area for a BPHC funded center. Call the Center directly for hours of operation, appointments, services offered, reimbursement, and eligibility.

Q: Where can I find more information on free or low-cost prenatal services and health insurance for my baby and me?

A: You can visit the HRSA/Maternal Child Health Bureau Women & Infants and Prenatal Care Web site at: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs/womeninfants/prenatal.htm or call 800-311-BABY (800-311-2229). Spanish-speaking services are available by calling 800-504-7081. You can also find State Medicaid office listings at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Medicaid/consumer.asp.

Q: Where can I find information on funding opportunities and grants offered through HRSA?

Q: Where can I find a Community Health Status Report?

A: For Community Health Status data, please go to the U.S. Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov or the National Center for Health Statistics at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/.

Q: What is HIPAA and where can I get information on HIPAA regulations?

Q: Where can I obtain more information about low-cost medical insurance for children?

A: Each State provides health insurance for low income or uninsured children. For more information, contact the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid at 877-267-2323 (toll free) to inquire about the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), or go to http://cms.hhs.gov/schip.

Q: How do I apply for Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)?

A: You must contact an agency serving your area to schedule an appointment. A list of State agencies is located at http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/Contacts/tollfreenumbers.htm. You can also refer to the WIC Web site at http://www.fnsu.usda/wic/ for further information.

Q: Where can children receive free or low-cost vaccinations?

A: The local health department in your area can administer vaccinations. For a listing of State Health Departments, go to http://www.vaccines.ashastd.org/states/index.html.

Q: Where can I find information on healthy pregnancy?

A: You can obtain free publications about women and pregnancy through the HRSA Information Center (IC). Click on the "Search the Information Center" link on this page and select pregnancy from the "Search by Keywords" drop down menu to search for publications, or contact the IC at 888-275-4772 (toll free). You can also contact the National Prenatal Care Hotline at 800-311-BABY for information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle to promote a healthy pregnancy.

Q: Where can I find more information on free or low-cost prenatal services and health insurance for my baby and me?

Q: Where can I find information on funding opportunities and grants offered through HRSA?

Q: What is HIPAA and where can I get information on HIPAA regulations?

Q: What scholarships and loan programs are offered through the Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr)?

A: BHPr offers several different types of assistance: scholarships and loans for disadvantaged students, Health Professionals' Student loans, and Nursing Student Loans. To be eligible, students must attend a participating school and apply through the school's financial aid office. A list of contacts for participating schools can be found at http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/dsa/pages/programs.htm#anchor1039973.

Q: How do I apply for the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program?

A: You can apply at http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/loanrepay.htm. The Web site also provides an overview of the program, eligibility requirements, application guidance, and answers frequently asked questions. You can also call 877-464-4772 (toll free) for more information.

Q: What is the National Health Services Corps (NHSC) and where can I find more information about the organization?

A: The NHSC is committed to improving the health of the Nation's underserved population. The NHSC provides comprehensive team-based health care that bridges geographic, financial, cultural, and language barriers. NHSC recruits health professionals to deliver health care in underserved areas. For applications and job opportunities, please go to http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/jobs or call 800-221-9393.

Q: Is my area a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or a Medically Underserved Area/Medically Underserved Population (MUA/P)?

A: To find out if your area is a HPSA or MUA/MUP go to http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/shortage/ or call 800-400-2742 for assistance.

Q: Where can I find information on funding opportunities and grants offered through HRSA?

Q: What is HIPAA and where can I get information on HIPAA regulations?

A: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), is Federal legislation passed to protect the privacy of your health information. It may help lower your chance of losing existing health insurance coverage, make it easier to switch health plans, and/or help you buy coverage on your own if you lose your employer's plan and have no other coverage available. For more information and specific regulations, please refer to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid at http://cms.hhs.gov/hipaa or call 877-267-2323 (toll free).

Q: Are there any grants available to rural health providers or offices?

A: The Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) promotes better health care service in rural America and offers several types of grants for rural health providers. These grants are aimed at expanding access to, coordinating, restraining cost of, and improving the quality of essential health care in rural areas. Current grants include: Rural Health Outreach Grant Program, Network Development Grant Program, Network Development Planning Grant Program, State Offices of Rural Health Grant Program, and Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program. For more information on these grants and all services offered through ORHP, go to http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/funding/.

Q: What are federally-funded Rural Health Research Centers and where can I find a list of these centers?

A: Rural Health Research Centers study critical concerns facing rural communities in their quest to secure adequate, affordable, high quality health services. For a list of these centers, go to http://ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/policy/rhrcs.htm.

Q: Where can I go for help in finding information on resources/funding for rural health care in our community?

A: You can contact the Rural Assistance Center (RAC). RAC was established in 2002 as a rural health and human services "information portal" to help rural communities access the full range of available programs, funding, and research that can help provide quality health care to rural residents. For more information contact RAC by mail at RAC, PO Box 9037, Grand Forks, ND 58202; by phone at 800-270-1898; by fax at 800-270-1913; or by e-mail at info@raconline.org, or go to http://www.raconline.org/.

Q: Where can I find information on funding opportunities and grants offered through HRSA?

Q: What is HIPAA and where can I get information on HIPAA regulations?

Q: Who is eligible to become an organ donor?

A: Any person can express his or her wish to become an organ donor. Anyone under 18 years of age must have parental consent.

Q: How do I express my wish to become an organ and tissue donor?

A: There are several ways this can be done. You can indicate your choice on your driver's license and/or you may also carry a completed organ donor card. If you do make the decision to become a donor, please discuss your wish with your family so they are aware of your decision if an emergency should arise.

Q: Is there an age limit to become a donor?

A: No, there is no age limitation on organ donation. Anyone under 18 years of age must have parental consent.

Q: What organs and tissue can be donated?

A: Your heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver, and intestines can be donated. The cornea, skin, bone marrow, heart valves, and connective tissue can also be donated.

Q: What, if any, are the costs to my family for donation?

A: There are no costs to the donor's family.

Q: Is it legal to sell organs?

A: No. It is illegal to sell human organs and tissues. Violators are subject to fines and imprisonment.

Q: Can I be a donor and also donate my body to medical science?

A: No, medical facilities/schools use donated bodies for research and require that a body be intact. If you wish to donate your body to a medical facility or school, please contact the facility directly for further information.

Q: What is minority health?

A: Minority health is a new and rapidly evolving field of study being shaped by the changing demographics and multicultural nature of our society.

Q: What are HRSA's initiatives to improve health care access to minority health populations?

A: The current focus of HRSA's Office of Minority Health (OMH) includes, but is not limited to, addressing issues related to eliminating health disparities for racial/ethnic minorities; providing an understanding of the benefits of culturally competent health care, thereby reducing the potential for misdiagnosis of clients and inappropriate treatment; and developing strategies to overcome racial biases in the delivery of health care. For more information, please go to http://www.hrsa.gov/OMH/.

Q: Where can I find data and statistics on minority health?

A: Please refer to http://www.omhrc.gov/OMH/sidebar/datastats.htm.

Q: What is cultural competency and where can I obtain information on providing health care workers with cultural competency training?

A: Cultural competency is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals and enable that system, agency or those professionals, to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. You can obtain free publications on cultural competency through the HRSA Information Center (IC). Click on the "Search the Information Center" link on this page and select Cultural Competency from the "Search by Keywords" drop down menu, or contact the IC at 888-275-4772 (toll free).

Q: What is HIPAA and where can I get information on HIPAA regulations?

Q: Where can I find low-cost dental services?

A: You can find this information at http://ask.hrsa.gov/pc/ by searching for a Community Health Center in your area that offers dental services. You can also refer to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid at 877-267-2323 (toll free) or go to http://cms.hhs.gov/ for more dental information.

Q: Does HRSA offer any scholarship programs for oral health professionals?

A: The Bureau of Health Professionals offers dental professional grants, scholarships, and opportunities to participate in the National Health Services Corps. For more information, go to http://www.bhpr.hrsa.gov/medicine-denistry/default.htm or call the National Health Services Corps at 800-221-9393.

Q: Where can I find information on funding opportunities and grants offered through HRSA?

Q: What is HIPAA and where can I get information on HIPAA regulations?

Q: Where can I find more information about proper nutrition?

A: You can obtain free publications on nutrition through the HRSA Information Center (IC). Click on the "Search the Information Center" link on this page and select Women's Health from the "Search by Keywords" drop down menu to search for publications, or contact the IC at 888-275-4772 (toll free). You can also refer to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Web site at http://www.fda.gov and the Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) at the U.S. Department of Agricultural (USDA) http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/ for additional information.

Q: Where can I receive low-cost prenatal care?

A: You can search the Bureau of Primary Health Care Web site at http://ask.hrsa.gov/pc/ for a Community Health Center in your area that offers obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) care. You can visit the HRSA/Maternal Child Health Bureau Women & Infants and Prenatal Care Web site at: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs/womeninfants/prenatal.htm or call 800-311-BABY (800-311-2229). Spanish-speaking services are available by calling 800-504-7081. You can also find State Medicaid office listings at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Medicaid/consumer.asp.

Q: Where can I find more information on laws concerning maternity leave?

A: Please contact the U.S. Department of Labor/Women's Bureau at 800-827-5335 for more information.

Q: What, if any, are HRSA's initiatives concerning Women's Health Issues?

A: The HRSA Office of Women's Health (OWH) coordinates women's activities across more than 80 HRSA programs. The program focuses on ensuring that all women receive comprehensive, culturally competent, quality health care. For more information go to http://www.hrsa.gov/WomensHealth/.

Q: What is HIPAA and where can I get information on HIPAA regulations?