A Critical Health Manpower Shortage Area (CHMSA) is a medical service area that has inadequate opportunities for access to medical care, mostly primary care (the first line encounter which diagnoses and treats sick or injured people). Most CHMSA's are located far from large population centers. Six hundred seventy three CHMSA's are found in approximately 700 U.S. counties; about a third of these are in the region that includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. Distances, population scarcity, low per capita income, racial discrimination, and communication and organization problems all act as barriers to access to health care. An area designated as a CHMSA may receive manpower assistance from the National Health Service Corp, which pays medical personnel to serve two year terms in an area. Other Health, Education and Welfare programs serving such areas are Community Health Centers, Maternal and Child Health, Family Planning, Migrant Health, and Health Maintenance Organizations. The Rural Health Initiative program will act to coordinate within rural communities those projects funded by separate programs. CHMSA's will receive further assistance from the 200 Health Services Agencies across the U.S. who seek to determine area health needs, set goals, establish criteria for reaching them, and help communities begin implementation. (DS)