Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 195 - GEORGIA BOARD FOR HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE › Chapter 195-25 - GEORGIA PHYSICIAN EDUCATION LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM › Rule 195-25-.01 - General Definitions

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
(1) "Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce"
			 means the organization and its office created under O.C.G.A. §
								49-10-1.
(2) "Georgia Physician Education Loan
			 Repayment Program (GPELRP)" refers to that program of the Georgia Board of
			 Health Care Workforce authorized under O.C.G.A. §
								49-10-3.(2) and O.C.G.A §
								31-34-1 through O.C.G.A. §
								31-34-9, which awards service
			 cancelable financial loans to physicians who desire to practice in rural
			 communities of Georgia.
(3) "Loans"
			 refers to a four (4) year service repayable grant awarded by the Georgia Board
			 of Health Care Workforce to applicants who are desirous of becoming practicing
			 physicians in rural areas of Georgia.
(4) "Loan Repayment" refers to repayment of
			 all or a portion of recipient's outstanding medical education, and training
			 loan debt.
(5) "Qualifying debt" is
			 any debt held by an established lending institution, identifiable by a
			 promissory note as origination from the debt incurred to obtain a medical
			 education, fully disclosed at the time of application, and is currently not in
			 default even if the creditor now considers the defaulted loan to be in good
			 standing.
(6) "Medical Education
			 and Training Loan Debt" refers to loans incurred by the applicant to finance
			 his/her medical education and training that remain unpaid during the contract
			 period.
(7) "Eligible and Qualified
			 Applicant" is defined as a physician with outstanding medical education and
			 training loan debt, holding a current, unrestricted license to practice
			 medicine in the State of Georgia, who desires to serve in a Board-approved,
			 medically underserved rural area of Georgia.
(8) "Medical School" means an institution of
			 medical education that has received accreditation or provisional accreditation
			 by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education of the American Medical
			 Association (LCME) or Bureau of Professional Education of the American
			 Osteopathic Association (AOA) for a program in medical education designed to
			 qualify the graduate for licensure by the Georgia Composite Medical
			 Board.
(9) "Recipient" means any
			 person who receives any amount of funding from the Georgia Physician Education
			 Loan Repayment Program administered by the Georgia Board of Health Care
			 Workforce.
(10) "Service Repayment"
			 means the period of service earned by the physician, as approved by the Board,
			 toward repayment of the service cancelable loan in professional medical
			 services rendered by the recipient and as required under the provisions of the
			 loan contract.
(11) "Credit" means
			 the amount of time credited to the recipient for services rendered in
			 compliance with the provisions of the contract. Credit is typically applied
			 with one year of funding for each year of service rendered in compliance with
			 the repayment provisions of the contract.
(12) "Rural and Underserved Area" means a
			 Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce approved rural county in Georgia of
			 50,000 population or less according to the United States decennial census of
			 2010 or any future such census or at any hospital or facility operated by or
			 under the jurisdiction of Department of Public Health or at any facility
			 operated by or under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections or at
			 any facility operated by or under the jurisdiction of the Department of
			 Juvenile Justice or at any facility operated under the jurisdiction of the
			 Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Facilities
			 falling under the jurisdiction of the mentioned state agencies must include
			 physician employment by an approved agency or, in the case of contracted
			 employment, the physician must be treating patients of the approved agency with
			 equal provisions given to that agency's missions.
(13) "Board Certification" means the process
			 of examining and certifying the qualifications of a physician or other
			 professional by a board of specialists in the field.
(14) "Award Amount" refers to the annual
			 amount obligated to a loan repayment recipient. The following maximum annual
			 award amounts apply to physicians whose initial applications for participation
			 in the program:
* Year 1 - $25,000 or 15% if the total loan balance is less
				than $150,000
* Year 2 - $35,000 or 20% if the total loan balance is less
				than $150,000
* Year 3 - $40,000 or 30% if the total loan balance is less
				than $150,000
* Year 4 - $50,000 or 35% if the total loan balance is less
				than $150,000
(15) "Approved
			 Primary Care Specialties" refers to the priority of award consideration given
			 to physician applicants. All specialties can apply with priority given to:
* Family Medicine/Family Practice
* General Internal Medicine
* General Pediatrics
* Obstetrics/Gynecology
* Internal Medicine-Pediatrics
* Psychiatry
* Geriatrics
* General Surgery
(16) "Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce"
			 means that the agency of Georgia State Government, created under O.C.G.A.
			 §
								49-10-1, is responsible for
			 monitoring Georgia's physician workforce needs and identifying areas of need by
			 physician specialty and geographic area.
(17) "Default" means breach of contract by
			 the recipient in failing to begin of failing to complete the contractual
			 service obligation of the Georgia Physician Education Loan Repayment
			 Program.
(18) "Ad Damnum or Double
			 Damages" refers to the penalty resulting from a loan repayment recipient
			 defaulting on their contractual obligations. Default requires immediate
			 repayment of double the award amount for the unfulfilled service period as
			 outlined in 195-25-.01(14) less any pro-rated amount for repaid service as
			 provided in the contract.
(19)
			 "Cancellation of Contract" refers to the discretionary power of the Georgia
			 Board of Health Care Workforce to cancel any contract for cause deemed
			 sufficient by the Board provided such authority is not exercised unreasonably
			 or arbitrarily.
(20) "Full Time"
			 refers to the minimum number of hours of work required per week to fulfill
			 services obligation. Full-time is considered a minimum of 32 clinical hours,
			 providing direct patient care during normal clinic hours at the approved
			 practice site. The remaining hours must be spent providing inpatient care to
			 patients and/or in practice-related administrative activities. On-call hours
			 are not considered part of the full-time requirement. Full-time hours for an
			 OBGYN or Family Practice physicians who practice OB are considered at least 21
			 of the minimum 40-hour work week must be spent providing direct patient care
			 during normal clinic hours at the approved practice site. The remaining hours
			 must be spent providing inpatient care to patients of the approved site and/or
			 in practice-related administrative activities, not exceeding 8 hours per week.
			 40 hours per week for General Surgery is combined clinical/office hours and
			 surgery/inpatient care with no more than 8 hours per week devoted to
			 practice-related administrative duties. For all specialties employed under
			 state jurisdiction, the full-time equivalent recognized by the respective state
			 or federal agency is acceptable. No more than 7 weeks (35 workdays) per year
			 can be spent away from the practice for vacation, holidays, continuing
			 professional education, illness, or any other reason. Absences greater than 7
			 weeks in a service year will extend the service commitment.
O.C.G.A.
				§
										49-10-3.(2), 31-34-1,
				31-34-3.