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Utah Health Care Workforce Program
Health Professional Education Financial Assistance

Please be aware that Program funding
was eliminated during the 2009 Legislaitve session.
Applications will no longer be accepted or considered for funding.

     The Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (PCRH), Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program, under the Utah Department of Health, has the responsibility to assist Utah rural and underserved communities in dealing with primary health care needs relating to recruiting health professionals, planning, and technical assistance. The Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program is responsible for assisting communities in development of new or expanded primary health care services and working with them to improve primary health care by providing information to increase the effectiveness of their systems, to decrease duplication and fragmentation of services, and to maximize community use of primary gifts, and local, state, and federal grants and contracts.

     As part of the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program are recruitment and retention assistance activities, and include programs which are geared to help rural and underserved urban communities in recruiting health professionals, including the federal National Health Service Corps Recruitment and Retention Assistance Program. Health Professionals covered by the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program include: Dentists (fully licensed DDS and DMD), Mental Health Therapists (fully licensed Clinical Psychologists, Clinical Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors), Nurses (fully licensed LPN through PhD - who received their degree from a college/school of nursing), Physicians (fully licensed DO and MD, with emphasis on primary care physicians), and Physician Assistants (must have passed the national certification and must be fully licensed).

     The Utah Health Care Workforce Program also offers recruitment assistance through our Clearinghouse Database to health professionals seeking employment in the State of Utah, but who are not interested in educational loan repayment. Information on Utah employment sites, the Conrad State 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program, Utah Licensing Requirements, and Links to other health professional web sites can be accessed by clicking on the "Employment and J-1 Waiver" button to the left.

     For general information on the Utah Health Care Workforce Program activities, you can review the "Utah Health Care Workforce Fact Sheet".

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bulletUtah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program
     The Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program was created to provide professional education loan repayment assistance to health care professionals who locate or continue to practice in underserved areas of Utah. A health care professional, along with the employment site, must apply to the Program as the same time. A health care professional CANNOT have practiced at an employment site for more than twenty-four (24) months in order to be eligible for the Program. A minimum two (2) year service commitment at an employment site approved by the Department, is required by those individuals that are awarded educational loan repayment funding.

     Health care professionals eligible for this Program include the following "fully licensed" health care professionals:
  • Dentist (D.D.S. and/or D.M.D.)
  • Non-Physician Mental Health Therapist (clinical psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, and/or marriage and family therapists)
  • Nurse (L.P.N. through Ph.D. - who received their degree from a college/school of nursing)
  • Physician (D.O. and/or M.D.)
  • Physician Assistant (must have passed the National Certification Examination in order to be eligible)
Funding priority will be given to primary care specialties, but other specialties may be considered by the Program.

Please be aware that Program funding
was eliminated during the 2009 Legislaitve session.
Applications will no longer be accepted or considered for funding.

     You may review a copy of the Act and Rule that govern the Program, at the following:
     Health Care Professional educational loan repayment applications to the Program are currently available. Beginning in "2008" both Health Care Professional and Employment Site Applications are ONLY accepted between April 1st and due no later than June 30th. Applications will be reviewed and award recommendations will be made and announced the end of August.

     Recommendations are made by the Committee in May. Award and Denial letters are mailed out the end of June.
DO NOT CONTACT THE OFFICE TO REQUEST THE DECISION.
YOU MUST WAIT FOR THE DECISION LETTER TO BE MAILED TO YOU.      The Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program requires a minimum two (2) year service obligation (commitment) working in a Utah underserved area or at a Utah Nursing School/Training Institution (for Nurse Educators/Instructors only). The law (Act) governing the Program has determined that an "underserved area" means an area designated by the Utah Department of Health as underserved by health care professionals, based upon the results of a needs assessment developed by the Utah Department of Health in consultation with the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee has determined that an employment site or Utah Nursing School/Training Institution must also apply to the Program (and in that application request a needed health care professional) in order to determine their eligibility.

Please be aware that Program funding
was eliminated during the 2009 Legislaitve session.
Applications will no longer be accepted or considered for funding.

     A current list of "Funding Options" by Health Profession is available by clicking on the following PDF file (adobe acrobat required) "Funding Options" Table.

     A current list of "Currently Approved Employment Sites" by County, then by City, is available by clicking on the following PDF file (adobe acrobat required) "Approved Employment Site Applications" Table. All Employment Sites that are currently approved will need to re-apply to the Utah Health Care Work Force Financial Assistance Program in order to retain their Eligibility and Approval.

          Employment sites must re-apply to the Program annually.
          The DEADLINE for Employment Sites to re-apply,
          is between April 1st and due no later than June 30th.
          Applications are ONLY accepted at that time.

Please be aware that Program funding
was eliminated during the 2009 Legislaitve session.
Applications will no longer be accepted or considered for funding.

     Employment Site Applications to the Program are currently available. Both Health Care Professional and Employment Site Applications are ONLY accepted between April 1st and due no later than June 30th. Please note: Employment sites seeking physicians (D.O./M.D.) that are SPECIALISTS must also complete the Secondary Form. Applications will be reviewed and award recommendations will be made and announced the end of August.

     Recommendations are made by the Committee in May. Award and Denial letters are mailed out the end of August.
DO NOT CONTACT THE OFFICE TO REQUEST THE DECISION.
YOU MUST WAIT FOR THE DECISION LETTER TO BE MAILED TO YOU.      Utah Nursing Schools/Training Institutions can also apply to have Nurse Educators/Instructors (Master's and/or Doctorate of Philosophy in Nursing only) received educational loan repayment. The Utah Nursing School/Training Institution must complete an Application to the Program. Utah Nursing School/Training Institution Applications for Nurse Educators/Instructors are currently available. Both Health Care Professional and Utah Nursing School/Training Institution Applications are ONLY accepted between April 1st and are due no later than June 30th. Applications will be reviewed and award decisions will be made the end of August.

Please be aware that Program funding
was eliminated during the 2009 Legislaitve session.
Applications will no longer be accepted or considered for funding.

bulletThe FEDERAL Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program
     The Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program (NELRP) offers registered nurses substantial assistance to repay educational loans in exchange for service in eligible facilities located in areas experiencing a shortage of nurses. Authorized by Section 846 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, the purpose of the NELRP is to assist in the recruitment and retention of professional nurses dedicated to providing health care to underserved populations.

     You can review information on the program by clicking on "NELRP".

     You may also review a listing of critical shortage facilities eligible for the NELRP by clicking on "2003 Critical Shortage Facilities".

bullet2001 Retention Survey of the Educational Loan Repayment (Grant) Program
     A survey of past educational Educational loan repayment (grant) program recipients was completed in October 2001. To review the results of that survey please click on "2001 Survey". You may also review a graph of the number of health professionals and those surveyed that had completed their service obligation and those that had been retained, by clicking on "2001 Survey Graph".

bulletCumulative Data, Utah Health Care Workforce Program
     Data on past educational loan repayment (grant) program recipients is included on the attached graph and data table. To review the cumulative data please click on "April 1, 2006 Cumulative Data".

bulletNational Health Service Corps
     The National Health Services Corps (NHSC) is helping to improve the Nation's health, one community at a time. The NHSC assists in the development, recruitment and retention of health care professionals dedicated to serving communities that lack adequate access to primary health care. For more details on the NHSC, you can click on their web site. For general information on the State of Utah National Health Service Corps activities, you can review the "State of Utah National Health Service Corps Fact Sheet".

If you have questions about this web page, please send comments to the PCRH Web Associate.