1. The Area Health Education Center Program is hereby established within the University of Nevada School of Medicine to support education and training programs for students studying to become practitioners, or residents or practitioners who will provide or are providing health care services in medically underserved areas in this state, including urban and rural areas. The Area Health Education Center Program shall:

(a) Assist the area health education centers within Nevada in providing:

(1) Career opportunities in health care;

(2) Information to practitioners and other providers of health care;

(3) Continuing education for practitioners and other providers of health care; and

(4) Stipends for the education and training of students studying to become practitioners and residents who will provide or who are providing health care services in medically underserved areas in this state;

(b) Assess and develop training programs concerning the appropriate curriculum for primary care and other priority health care services;

(c) Enhance the training programs in primary care by providing additional entry-level positions and faculty to increase the availability of practitioners and other providers of health care;

(d) Increase the percentage of medical students committing to residencies and careers in primary care;

(e) Provide a greater percentage of primary care residents to medically underserved areas in this state;

(f) Develop and enhance training programs necessary to address the primary health care needs of persons in this state; and

(g) Establish interdisciplinary opportunities for education and training for practitioners and other providers of health care.

2. Any gift, donation, bequest, grant or other source of money received by the Area Health Education Center Program may be used to carry out the provisions of this section.

3. As used in this section, “practitioner” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 439A.0195.

(Added to NRS by 2003, 20th Special Session, 277)