Primary Care Office (PCO)
The Wyoming PCO is established by funding from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). HRSA provides funding to the Wyoming Office of Rural Health to conduct healthcare workforce and shortage designation analysis, provide technical assistance, and collaborate with federal, state, and local partners to improve access to care for underserved populations.
Resources Regarding Workforce
Bureau of Health Workforce – strengthens the health workforce and connects skilled healthcare providers to communities in need. It offers scholarships and loan repayment to students and clinicians, and awards grants to organizations such as schools, hospitals, and health centers to improve health workforce training, increase diversity, and advance health equity.
Stroudwater’s Rural Physician & Advanced Practice Provider Compensation Survey Results – 2023 – a survey from Stroudwater Associates and the National Rural Health Association
(NRHA).
Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth – provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing by state and a provider portal to connect volunteer healthcare professionals to state agencies and healthcare entities.
Workforce Toolkit to Support Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Providers – This toolkit provides an overview of the healthcare workforce challenges in the United States. It outlines common workforce challenges faced by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and provides examples and links to external resources. These resources can help CAHs address their specific workforce needs and improve recruitment and retention.
Other Healthcare Programs
EduMed – EduMed.org connects students with online degree programs in more than 70 medical and health fields.
EduMed Online Healthcare Program Guide
CareerStep – job training courses to help you learn the skills needed for the office or home in a range of fields including medical, technology, and administration. Example: Medical coding and billing, Medical Transcription Editor, Medical Assistant, etc.
WWAMI Region Target Rural Underserved Track – Deadline: December 1, 2024. A curriculum and educational track offered by the University of Washington School of Medicine that assigns students to underserved rural and small city sites within the WWAMI region.
Wyoming State Loan Repayment Program – The 2024 Application Period is Closed.
EduMedGuide – an Online Student Loan Guidebook
Faculty Loan Repayment Program—This federal program provides educational loan repayment to degree-trained healthcare professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds who commit to serving on the faculty of an accredited health professions school.
Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program – this federal program provides educational loan repayment to healthcare professionals who commit to working in healthcare facilities serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Indian Health Service Scholarship Program – this federal program provides scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native health professions students.
National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program – this federal program provides educational loan repayment to health professionals in biomedical or biobehavioral research careers.
National Health Service Corps (NHSC) – This federal program provides educational loan repayment assistance and scholarships to healthcare professionals and health professions students in return for working at an approved site located in a HPSA.
- Loan Repayment Program – Information on the NHSC Loan Repayment Program
- Scholars Program – Information on NHSC Scholarships
- Applications – Applications for sites and individuals applying for Loan Repayment and Scholar programs. Click on the “Customer Service Portal” on either the Loan Repayment page or the Sites/Communities page to apply. If you have questions, feel free to contact the Wyoming Office of Rural Health for assistance.
Nebraska Neighbors: UNMC Nursing Rural Advantage Scholarship – Scholarships for nursing students entering the University of Nebraska Medical Center baccalaureate of science traditional or accelerated program from select neighboring states who plan to attend the college’s rural campuses in Scottsbluff, Kearney, or Norfolk.
Geographic coverage: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Sponsor: University of Nebraska Medical Center
Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program – this federal program provides educational loan repayment to nurses in return for working at a Critical Shortage Facility located in a HPSA or for working as nurse faculty at an eligible nursing school. Currently open until April 17, 5:30 p.m. MT.
Nurse Corps Scholarship Program – this federal program provides scholarships to nursing students in return for working at a Critical Shortage Facility located in an HPSA.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness – information on loan forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education for healthcare professionals employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not-for-profit organization.
Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) – provides a topic guide on scholarships, loans, and loan repayment for rural health professions.
Wyoming Health Resources Network (WHRN)
Wyoming’s 3RNet Network Coordinator – acts as a referral service for matching healthcare professionals who are looking for a position in Wyoming with appropriate vacancies throughout the state. The Wyoming Office of Rural Health may cover WHRN’s placement fee for certain facilities hiring an eligible candidate through WHRN.
3Rnet
The national Rural Recruitment and Retention Network – connects healthcare professionals with the right job by working through 54 network coordinators. 3Rnet provides recruitment and retention education and resources to employers and job-seeking professionals.
Conrad 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program
This program allows non-US citizen physicians in the US to apply for a visa waiver to stay in the US to practice. The Wyoming Department of Health acts as an interested government agency, and the Wyoming PCO coordinates the waiver process for the Wyoming Department of Health.
Waiver Application Information:
- WY Conrad 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Guidelines and Application Information
- WY J-1 Visa Waiver Policy Affidavit and Agreement
- WY J-1 Visa Waiver Physician Reporting Form
Additional resources for the Conrad 30 J-1 Visa Waiver program:
- 3Rnet – J-1 Visa Resources page includes information on navigating the J-1 Visa Waiver job search, contacts by state, waiver slots filled each year by state, application timelines, and overall program information.
- Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) – provides a topic guide on the Rural J-1 Visa Waiver.
HRSA certifies areas, populations, or facilities with a lack of healthcare services as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), Medically-Underserved Areas (MUAs), or Medically-Underserved Populations (MUPs). Designations are used in multiple federal programs including the Medicare HPSA Bonus Payment Program, the Rural Health Clinics and Federally-Qualified Health Centers programs, the Conrad 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program, and health professional loan repayment and scholarship programs including the National Health Service Corps, Nurse Corps, and Wyoming State Loan Repayment Program.
To search all HPSA, MUA, and MUP designations, please visit HRSA’s HPSA Find database
The Wyoming PCO assesses designations every three years or upon request. Please contact the Wyoming PCO to request designation or a designation update.
For additional information on shortage areas and the shortage designation process, please visit HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce, Workforce Shortage Areas page.
This website is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of awards to the State Office of Rural Health, the Wyomlng Primary Care Office (PCO), the Medicare Flexibility (Flex) Program and the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.