Wisconsin Primary Care Programs - Request Designation | Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Request designation as a Health Professional Shortage Area (primary care, dental, or mental health HPSA)

Please send a written request by email to Wisconsin HPSA team.
Your request needs to identify:
- The type of HPSA you are requesting (primary care, dental, or mental health).
- The geographic service area for your request.
- Why your community needs a HPSA including which HPSA-linked benefits your community needs (federal loan repayment, Rural Health Clinic certification, Medicare provider bonus payments).

Please send a written request by email to Wisconsin HPSA team.
In the email please identify:
- Which path you are taking to try to start a new Community Health Center (new applicant, planning grant, partner with existing CHC, etc.).
- Which area you are targeting for a new CHC site.
- Where your community is in terms of in readiness to meet all federal requirements to submit an application for a new CHC.

Please send a written request by email to Wisconsin HPSA team.
The Primary Care Office will prioritize requests for existing RHCs that do not have a current HPSA designation.
Your request needs to identify:
- The reason for your request: to retain an existing RHC or to establish a new RHC in an area without a current HPSA designation.
- The proposed service area.
- RHC contact person who will help collect primary care physician FTE data for their service area (contact's name, phone, and email address).

Plan ahead. It can take several months to review your request, collect the required provider data, submit a state application to HRSA, and for HRSA to approve a new designation.
No guarantees. The Primary Care Office works very hard to see if communities can meet federal criteria for a shortage designation, but cannot guarantee that an area will meet the criteria required by federal law.