September 05, 2019
GBHCW opens application process for 2020 loan repayment programs
The Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce is now accepting applications for its physician, dentist, physician assistant and advanced practice registered nurse service-cancelable loan repayment programs for 2020. These programs pay debt incurred toward the completion of educational degrees for practitioners who agree to practice or who are already practicing full-time in an underserved, rural county in Georgia with a population of 50,000 or less according to data from the most recent U.S. Census.
“The Board is proud to administer these important programs and assist rural practitioners,” Board Chairman Antonio Rios, M.D. said. “Since the physician program’s inception almost 30 years ago, the retention rate for recipients who continue to practice in rural areas after completion in this program hovers around 67 percent, so the Board believes these programs play a vital role in attracting and retaining practitioners to rural Georgia.”
Physician and dentist recipients are eligible for $25,000 per year up to four years, while PA and APRN recipients are awarded $10,000 per year up to four years. The recipient must agree to a 12-month commitment for each year of the award with at least 40 hours per week of clinical practice.
The application period will run from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 on the Board’s website. All applications collected will be reviewed by the Board at its quarterly meeting in January 2020.
In 2019, the Board awarded 40 physician loan repayments, 12 dentist loan repayments, 41 APRN and PA loan repayments, which provided 60 different rural Georgia counties with much-needed access to care.
More information, including applications and full program eligibility requirements, can be found on the Board’s website by clicking here.