A. The "New Mexico health service corps" is created in the department to recruit and place health professionals in rural and other medically underserved areas. The secretary of health may employ a medical director to head the corps. The medical director may employ support staff and employ or contract with health professional staff. Employees are subject to the provisions of the Personnel Act [Chapter 10, Article 9 NMSA 1978].

B. The corps has the power to:

(1) enter into contracts to carry out the provisions of the Health Service Corps Act and sue for enforcement of those contracts; and

(2) adopt and file, in accordance with the State Rules Act [Chapter 14, Article 4 NMSA 1978], rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of the Health Service Corps Act.

C. The corps shall:

(1) recruit health professionals as employees or contractors of the corps;

(2) determine physician specialties to be recruited, with a focus on family practice physicians;

(3) establish criteria and procedures for the acceptance of applications and selection of recipients for commitment stipends;

(4) establish criteria and procedures for evaluating and qualifying corps health professionals;

(5) determine and maintain a list of eligible communities and practice sites;

(6) determine the need for health professionals at each practice site and assign staff as needed on a priority basis;

(7) provide support for health professionals at practice sites;

(8) work closely with the commission on higher education and the educational assistance foundation to coordinate the use of health professionals who have practice obligations pursuant to the Medical Student Loan for Service Act [Chapter 21, Article 22 NMSA 1978], the Osteopathic Medical Student Loan for Service Act [Chapter 21, Article 22A NMSA 1978] or the Nursing Student Loan for Service Act [Chapter 21, Article 22B NMSA 1978];

(9) work with the university of New Mexico school of medicine, college of nursing, the emergency medical services academy and any other entity to identify students or residents who qualify for the corps; and

(10) establish accounting and auditing procedures to account for all money paid to health professionals or received from communities and practice sites.

History: Laws 1994, ch. 63, § 3.