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NPI Registry MCP Server

by eliotk

NPI Registry MCP Server ๐Ÿฅ

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for searching the National Provider Identifier (NPI) registry. This server provides tools to search and retrieve information about healthcare providers and organizations in the United States.

Overview ๐Ÿ“‹

NPI is a unique identification number for covered health care providers in the United States. This MCP server allows Claude and other MCP-compatible clients to search the official NPI registry maintained by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and integrates the results into an LLM context for enhanced analysis and insights.

Features โœจ

  • Search by Provider Name: Find individual healthcare providers by first name, last name, or both

  • Search by Organization: Look up healthcare organizations by name

  • Search by NPI Number: Direct lookup using a specific 10-digit NPI

  • Location-based Search: Filter results by city, state, or postal code

  • Specialty Search: Find providers by their specialty or taxonomy description

  • Comprehensive Data: Returns detailed information including addresses, practice locations, specialties, and other identifiers

Use Cases ๐Ÿ’ก

  • Verify healthcare provider credentials

  • Find provider contact information and addresses

  • Look up organization details and authorized officials

  • Validate NPI numbers

  • Research provider specialties and taxonomies

  • Find providers in specific geographic areas

Related MCP server: mcp-registry

Installation ๐Ÿš€

Prerequisites ๐Ÿ“‹

  • Python 3.10 or higher

  • uv package manager

Development Setup ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ

  1. Clone the repository:

    git clone https://github.com/eliotk/npi-registry-mcp-server.git
    cd npi-registry-mcp-server
  2. Install uv (if not already installed):

    curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
  3. Create a virtual environment and install dependencies:

    uv venv
    source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
    uv pip install -e ".[dev]"
  4. Run the server directly (for testing):

    uv run python -m npi_registry_mcp.server
    # or using the entry point:
    uv run npi-registry-mcp-server

Production Installation ๐ŸŒŸ

Install from PyPI (once published):

uv pip install npi-registry-mcp-server

Or install from source:

uv pip install git+https://github.com/eliotk/npi-registry-mcp-server.git

Usage ๐Ÿ“š

Available Tools ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ

search_npi_registry ๐Ÿ”Ž

Search the NPI registry with various criteria:

Parameters:

  • first_name (optional): Provider's first name

  • last_name (optional): Provider's last name

  • organization_name (optional): Organization name

  • npi (optional): Specific 10-digit NPI number

  • city (optional): City name

  • state (optional): State abbreviation (e.g., 'CA', 'NY')

  • postal_code (optional): ZIP/postal code (supports wildcards)

  • specialty (optional): Provider specialty or taxonomy

  • limit (optional): Maximum results to return (1-200, default: 10)

Examples:

# Search for a specific provider by name
search_npi_registry(first_name="John", last_name="Smith", state="CA")

# Look up a specific NPI
search_npi_registry(npi="1234567890")

# Find organizations in a city
search_npi_registry(organization_name="Hospital", city="Los Angeles", state="CA")

# Search by specialty
search_npi_registry(specialty="cardiology", state="NY", limit=20)

# Find providers in a specific ZIP code area
search_npi_registry(postal_code="902*", state="CA")

Response Format ๐Ÿ“„

The search returns a structured response with:

{
  "success": true,
  "count": 5,
  "results": [
    {
      "npi": "1234567890",
      "entity_type": "Individual",
      "is_organization": false,
      "status": "A",
      "enumeration_date": "2010-05-05",
      "last_updated": "2023-01-15",
      "name": {
        "first": "John",
        "last": "Smith",
        "credential": "MD"
      },
      "addresses": [...],
      "practice_locations": [...],
      "taxonomies": [...],
      "identifiers": [...]
    }
  ]
}

Claude Desktop Configuration ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ

To use this MCP server with Claude Desktop, add the following configuration to your Claude Desktop config file:

macOS ๐ŸŽ

Location: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows ๐ŸชŸ

Location: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Configuration ๐Ÿ“

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "npi-registry": {
      "command": "uv", # may need full path to executable
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/path/to/npi-registry-mcp-server",
        "run",
        "npi-registry-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Verification โœ…

  1. Save the configuration file

  2. Restart Claude Desktop completely

  3. Look for the ๐Ÿ”ง icon in Claude Desktop to verify the server is connected

  4. Try asking Claude: "Search for doctors named Smith in California"

Development ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ป

Project Structure ๐Ÿ“

npi-registry-mcp-server/
โ”œโ”€โ”€ src/
โ”‚   โ””โ”€โ”€ npi_registry_mcp/
โ”‚       โ”œโ”€โ”€ __init__.py
โ”‚       โ””โ”€โ”€ server.py
โ”œโ”€โ”€ tests/
โ”œโ”€โ”€ pyproject.toml
โ”œโ”€โ”€ README.md
โ””โ”€โ”€ .gitignore

Running Tests ๐Ÿงช

uv run pytest

Code Formatting ๐ŸŽจ

# Format code
uv run black src/ tests/

# Sort imports
uv run isort src/ tests/

# Lint
uv run ruff check src/ tests/

# Type checking
uv run mypy src/

Building the Package ๐Ÿ“ฆ

uv build

API Reference ๐Ÿ“–

This server uses the official NPI Registry API provided by CMS:

Data Sources ๐Ÿ—ƒ๏ธ

All data comes directly from the official NPI Registry maintained by:

  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Contributing ๐Ÿค

  1. Fork the repository

  2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature-name

  3. Make your changes and add tests

  4. Run the test suite: uv run pytest

  5. Format your code: uv run black src/ tests/

  6. Submit a pull request

License ๐Ÿ“„

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Support ๐Ÿ†˜

  • Issues: Report bugs and request features via GitHub Issues

  • Documentation: Additional documentation available in the /docs directory

  • API Questions: Refer to the official NPI Registry API documentation

Changelog ๐Ÿ“

v0.1.0 ๐ŸŽ‰

  • Initial release

  • Basic NPI registry search functionality

  • Support for individual and organization searches

  • Location and specialty filtering

  • Comprehensive provider data retrieval


For more information about the Model Context Protocol, visit: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/

Available Tools

1 tool
search_npi_registryA

Search the National Provider Identifier (NPI) registry.

The NPI registry contains information about healthcare providers and organizations in the United States. You can search by various criteria including name, NPI number, location, and specialty.

WILDCARD SUPPORT: Most text fields support wildcard searches using '' after at least 2 characters for fuzzy matching (e.g., 'smith', 'hosp*', 'cardi*').

Args: first_name: Provider's first name (supports wildcards: 'john*' matches 'John', 'Johnny', etc.) last_name: Provider's last name (supports wildcards: 'smith*' matches 'Smith', 'Smithson', etc.) organization_name: Organization name (supports wildcards: 'hosp*' matches 'Hospital', 'Hospice', etc.) npi: Specific 10-digit NPI number to look up (exact match only) city: City name (supports wildcards: 'san*' matches 'San Francisco', 'San Diego', etc.) state: State abbreviation (e.g., 'CA', 'NY', 'TX') - exact match only postal_code: ZIP/postal code (supports wildcards: '902*' matches '90210', '90211', etc.) specialty: Provider specialty or taxonomy (supports wildcards: 'cardi*' matches 'Cardiology', 'Cardiac Surgery', etc.) limit: Maximum number of results to return (1-200, default: 10)

Examples: - Find all Smiths: last_name='smith*' - Find hospitals: organization_name='hosp*' - Find cardiologists: specialty='cardio*' - Find providers in San cities: city='san*' - Find providers in 90210 area: postal_code='902*'

Returns: Dictionary containing search results with provider information

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
first_nameNo
last_nameNo
organization_nameNo
npiNo
cityNo
stateNo
postal_codeNo
specialtyNo
limitNo

TDQS

A4.4/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations provided, the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It effectively adds context beyond basic functionality by detailing wildcard support rules (e.g., '*' after at least 2 characters), exact vs. fuzzy matching for parameters like NPI and state, and the default limit of 10 results. It doesn't cover aspects like rate limits or authentication needs, but provides substantial operational guidance.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is well-structured with clear sections (overview, wildcard support, args, examples, returns) and front-loaded key information. It's appropriately sized but could be slightly more concise by integrating some details more tightly. Every sentence adds value, though minor trimming might improve flow.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a search tool with 9 parameters, 0% schema coverage, no annotations, and no output schema, the description is highly complete. It covers purpose, usage, parameter details, examples, and return format. It lacks some advanced behavioral traits like error handling or pagination, but provides enough context for effective use given the complexity.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters5/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Given 0% schema description coverage and 9 parameters, the description compensates fully by explaining each parameter's purpose, wildcard support, and constraints (e.g., NPI is exact match, state abbreviations, limit range 1-200). Examples illustrate usage, adding significant value beyond the bare schema. This exceeds the baseline expectation for such low coverage.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool searches the NPI registry for healthcare providers and organizations in the US, specifying the resource (NPI registry) and action (search). It distinguishes the tool's purpose by listing specific search criteria like name, NPI number, location, and specialty, making it highly specific and informative even without sibling tools for comparison.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides clear context on when to use the tool by listing searchable criteria and examples, such as finding providers by name, location, or specialty. However, it lacks explicit guidance on when not to use it or alternatives, which prevents a perfect score. No sibling tools are mentioned, so no comparison is needed.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

TDQS

A4.1/5.0
Disambiguation5/5

With only one tool, there is no ambiguity or overlap between tools. The single tool has a clear, distinct purpose of searching the NPI registry, so an agent cannot misselect between multiple tools.

Naming Consistency5/5

With only one tool, naming consistency is inherently perfect. The tool name 'search_npi_registry' follows a clear verb_noun pattern that would be consistent if more tools existed.

Tool Count2/5

A single tool for an NPI registry server feels too thin for the apparent scope. The registry likely supports more operations beyond search, such as retrieving specific records by ID or filtering by additional criteria, making the tool count insufficient for comprehensive coverage.

Completeness2/5

The tool surface is severely incomplete for an NPI registry domain. While search is well-implemented with various criteria, there are obvious gaps such as no tools for retrieving a specific provider by NPI number (get_npi), updating records, or managing provider data, which limits agent workflows.

Maintenance

ActivityInactive
ResponsivenessSyncing

Resources

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