EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR OF DELAWARE
Grant: $100,000 - Health Resources and Services Administration - Sep. 16, 2009
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Award Description: The purpose of the ARRA 2009 State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) funding opportunity is to support Delaware's well established program to achieve an appropriate number and geographic distribution of health professionals in Delaware, with a particular focus on areas of the state federally designated as underserved. The SLRP offers licensed health professionals an opportunity to receive awards for repayment of educational loans in exchange for their committment to serving the uninsured, underinsured, Medicaid, and Medicare populations in DE. The SLRP helps to address health professional workforce shortages that may cause disparities in access to health care.
Project Description: SLRP applications are accepted by the Delaware Health Care Commission on a cotinuous basis and reviewed by the Loan Repayment Committee, at quarterly, regularly scheduled meetings. The review/recommendations are based on the objective review of data (public health indicators, the number and spatial distribution of providers practicing in DE, hospital needs assessments), the availability of funding, applicant clinician characteristics (location/urban-rural, racial/ethnic characterisitcs, languages spoken, education and work experience) practice sites (i.e. number/percentage of Medicaid/low-income uninsured served) and (where applicable) the outcome of face to face interviews between the selected applicant clinicians. Recommendations of the Committee regarding medical provider applications are forwarded to the Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research Board (DIMER), dental recommendations are forwarded to the Delaware Institute of Dental Education and Research Board (DIDER), and finally to the Health Care Commission for ultimate decision. The Delaware State Loan Repayment program has the potential to benefit healthcare in underserved communities of the state in a variety of ways: Fill gaps in acess of primary care services by increasiing the number of providers in underserved areas, thereby increasing the number of patients who can obtain acess to primary care services on a timely basis; improve the retention of providers by providing incentives for those to stay who otehrwise might leave to pursue higher salaries elsewhere; address health disparities via application review criteria that take into acount gender, racial/ethnic background and languages spoken; assure quality health care by considering the education and experience of providers of applicant clinicians.
Jobs Summary: Under the SLRP program, authorized awards for repayment of outstanding government and commercial loans incurred during undergraduate and/or granduate education (i.e. principal, interest and related expenses for tuition and educaitonal costs) are provided to eligible health professionals who agree to practice in underserved areas of the state. Eligible applicants include advanced degree practitioners (i.e. primary care physicians, providers of geriatric services, general psychiatry, pediatric dentists, general practice dentists) and mid-level practitioners (i.e. primary care certified nurse practitioners, nurse mid-wives, physician assistants, psychiatric nurse specialists, lincensed clinical social workers, mental health counselors, registered clinical dental hygienists). Loan repayments make clinician salaries and benefits packages more attractive and competitive. Just as this can be helpful when recruiting providers, it can help a practice retain providers in their employment, who otherwise might be lured by higher salaries elsewhere. (Total jobs reported: 0)
Project Status: Not Started
This award's data was last updated on Sep. 16, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
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