42 U.S.C. § 254c–1a — Grants to nurse-managed health clinics

(a) Definitions. (1) Comprehensive primary health care services. In this section, this phrase means the same primary health services described in section 254b(b)(1) of this title. (2) Nurse-managed health clinic. An NMHC is a nurse-practice arrangement run by advanced practice nurses. It gives primary care or wellness services to underserved or vulnerable people. It must be connected to a nursing school, college, university, or department; a federally qualified health center; or an independent nonprofit health or social services agency. (b) Authority to award grants. The Secretary must give grants to cover the cost of running NMHCs that meet this section's rules. (c) Applications. To qualify for a grant, an entity must (1) be an NMHC, and (2) submit an application to the Secretary, in the time, form, and manner the Secretary requires, that includes: (A) assurances that nurses are the main service providers at the clinic and that at least one advanced practice nurse holds an executive management job there; (B) a promise to keep providing comprehensive primary health care or wellness services without regard to a patient's income or insurance status for the whole grant period; and (C) a promise that within 90 days of getting the grant, the clinic will set up a community advisory committee where most members are people the clinic serves. (d) Grant amount. The Secretary decides how much each grant is for each fiscal year, considering (1) the clinic's financial need — including state, local, and other operating funds it already gets — and (2) any other factors the Secretary thinks are appropriate. (e) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and whatever amount is necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2014.