Act means the Public Health Service Act, as amended.

Health professional(s) shortage area means any of the following which the Secretary determines has a shortage of health professional(s): (1) An urban or rural area (which need not conform to the geographic boundaries of a political subdivision and which is a rational area for the delivery of health services); (2) a population group; or (3) a public or nonprofit private medical facility.

Health service area means a health service area whose boundaries have been designated by the Secretary, under section 1511 of the Act, for purposes of health planning activities.

Health systems agency or HSA means the health systems agency designated, under section 1515 of the Act, to carry out health planning activities for a specific health service area.

Medical facility means a facility for the delivery of health services and includes: (1) A community health center, public health center, outpatient medical facility, or community mental health center; (2) a hospital, State mental hospital, facility for long-term care, or rehabilitation facility; (3) a migrant health center or an Indian Health service facility; (4) a facility for delivery of health services to inmates in a U.S. penal or correctional institution (under section 323 of the Act) or a State correctional institution; (5) a Public Health Service medical facility (used in connection with the delivery of health services under section 320, 321, 322, 324, 325, or 326 of the Act); or (6) any other Federal medical facility.

Metropolitan area means an area which has been designated by the Office of Management and Budget as a standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA). All other areas are “non-metropolitan areas.”

Poverty level means the povery level as defined by the Bureau of the Census, using the poverty index adopted by a Federal Interagency Committee in 1969, and updated each year to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index.

Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services and any other officer or employee of the Department to whom the authority involved has been delegated.

State includes, in addition to the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

State health planning and development agency or SHPDA means a State health planning and development agency designated under section 1521 of the Act.