Alternative Community Resource

The Alternative Community Resource is a health institution located at 188 Gilbert Street in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States. This institution is part of the National Health Service Corps programs, which provide scholarships and student loan repayment for primary care providers in the medical, dental, and behavioral health fields. These providers agree to practice in areas of the country that have health professional shortages.

In 2015, over 9,600 National Health Service Corps clinicians were providing care to more than 10.2 million people in rural, urban, and frontier communities at over 5,000 NHSC-approved sites. Corps members fulfill their service requirement by working at NHSC-approved sites located in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). Completing all program requirements can lead to up to $50,000 in loan forgiveness.

Eligible disciplines for the NHSC program include physicians, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, physician assistants, dentists, dental hygienists, psychiatrists, and more. The NHSC is administered by the Bureau of Health Workforce in the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

NHSC-approved sites are health care facilities that provide comprehensive outpatient, ambulatory, primary health care services to populations residing in HPSAs. This program helps attract high-level mental health professionals to provide better services to residents in the Johnstown area. It is a nationally recognized program that aids in the recruitment and retention of health professionals.