Section 31-34-5. Service cancelable loan; amount; repayment; determination of physician underserved rural areas

   (a) (1) The board shall have the authority to grant to each applicant approved by the board on a one-year renewable basis a service cancelable loan for a period not exceeding four years. The amount of the loan shall be determined by the board, but such amount shall be related to the applicant's outstanding obligations incurred as a direct result of completing medical education and training.

   (2) A loan or loans to each approved applicant shall be granted on the condition that the full amount of the loan or loans shall be repaid to the State of Georgia in services to be rendered by the applicant's practicing his or her profession in a board approved physician underserved rural area of Georgia. For each full year of practicing his or her profession in such a physician underserved rural area, the physician who obtained the loan shall receive credit for the full amount of one year's loan plus regular interest which accrued on such amount.

(b) (1) The board shall have the authority to make grants to each applicant hospital or other health care entity, local government, or civic organization approved by the board on a yearly basis, renewable each year at the discretion of the board. The amount of the grant shall be determined by the board, but such amount shall be related to and shall not exceed the applicant's proposed expenditures to enhance recruitment efforts in bringing one or more physicians to the physician underserved rural area.

   (2) A grant to an approved applicant shall be made on any condition or conditions determined by the board, which may include, but not be limited to, that one or more physicians are employed and retained in the physician underserved rural area for a prescribed minimum length of time.

(c) In making a determination of physician underserved rural areas of Georgia, the board shall seek the advice and assistance of the Department of Public Health, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, the Department of Community Affairs, and such other public or private associations or organizations as the board determines to be of assistance in making such determinations. Criteria to determine physician underserved rural areas shall include, but shall not be limited to, relevant statistical data related to the following:

   (1) The ratio of physicians to population in the area;

   (2) Indications of the health status of the population in the area;

   (3) The poverty level and dependent age groups of the population in the area;

   (4) Indications of community support for more physicians in the area; and

   (5) Indications that access to the physician's services is available to every person in the underserved area regardless of ability to pay.

Code 1981, § 31-34-5, enacted by Ga. L. 1989, p. 1234, § 1; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 1-4/HB 228; Ga. L. 2010, p. 322, § 1/HB 866; Ga. L. 2011, p. 459, § 3/HB 509; Ga. L. 2011, p. 705, § 6-3/HB 214.