Utah Code Title 26B. Utah Health and Human Services Codes § 26B-4-702. Creation of Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program--Duties of department

(a) “Eligible professional” means a geriatric professional or a health care professional who is eligible to participate in the program.

(b) “Geriatric professional” means a person who:

(c) “Health care professional” means:

(d) “Program” means the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program created in this section.

(e) “Underserved area” means an area designated by the department as underserved by health care professionals, based upon the results of a needs assessment developed by the department.

(a) professional education scholarships and loan repayment assistance to health care professionals who locate or continue to practice in underserved areas; and

(b) loan repayment assistance to geriatric professionals who locate or continue to practice in underserved areas.

(a) application procedures;

(b) eligibility criteria;

(c) selection criteria;

(d) service conditions, which at a minimum shall include professional service in an underserved area for a minimum period of time by any person receiving a scholarship or loan repayment assistance;

(e) penalties for failure to comply with service conditions or other terms of a scholarship or loan repayment contract;

(f) criteria for modifying or waiving service conditions or penalties in case of extreme hardship or other good cause; and

(g) administration of contracts entered into before the effective date of this act,  1 between the department and scholarship or loan repayment recipients, as authorized by law.

(a) agrees to practice in an underserved area for the duration of the eligible professional's participation in the program; and

(b) submits a written commitment from the health care facility employing the eligible professional that the health care facility will provide education loan repayment assistance to the eligible professional in an amount equal to 20% of the total award amount provided to the eligible professional.

(a) shall be a line item within the appropriations act;

(b) shall be nonlapsing unless designated otherwise by the Legislature; and

(c) may be used to cover administrative costs of the program.