(a) "Designated service site" means a rural health clinic as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)(2), a rural critical access hospital as defined in ORS 442.470, a federally qualified health center as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1396d(l)(2) or any geographic area, population group or facility that is located in Oregon and has been designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services as a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area or a medically underserved population.

(b) "Health care practitioner" means a:

(A) Physician licensed under ORS chapter 677;

(B) Dentist licensed under ORS chapter 679;

(C) Nurse practitioner licensed under ORS 678.375 to 678.390;

(D) Physician assistant licensed under ORS 677.505 to 677.525; or

(E) Certified registered nurse anesthetist licensed under ORS chapter 678.

(c) "Participant" means a person who has been selected by the Oregon Health and Science University to receive a scholarship under subsection (5) of this section.

(d) "Prospective health care practitioner" means a person who has been accepted into, but has not yet started, a health care program at the Oregon Health and Science University that meets the educational requirements for licensure as a physician, dentist, nurse practitioner, physician assistant or certified registered nurse anesthetist.

(e) "Service agreement" means the agreement executed by a prospective health care practitioner under subsection (3) of this section.

(2) There is created the Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative, to be administered by the Oregon Health and Science University pursuant to rules adopted by the university.

(3) A prospective health care practitioner who wishes to participate in the initiative shall submit an application to the Oregon Health and Science University in accordance with rules adopted by the university. To be eligible to be a participant in the initiative, a prospective health care practitioner must:

(a) Have been accepted into, but not yet started, the first year of the prospective health care practitioner’s health care education at the Oregon Health and Science University;

(b) Be considered a resident of Oregon under the university’s admission guidelines or qualify as a student exempted from paying nonresident tuition under ORS 352.287;

(c) Execute a service agreement stating that:

(A) Immediately upon the prospective health care practitioner’s completion of the health care education degree, residency or training, as established for each degree by the Oregon Health and Science University by rule, the participant will practice as a health care practitioner in a designated service site in this state approved by the university for one year longer than the number of years the participant spent in the health care program for which the participant received a scholarship; and

(B) While practicing as a health care practitioner in a designated service site, the participant must see all patients, regardless of any patient’s ability to pay for services; and

(d) Meet other requirements established by the university by rule.

(4) The Oregon Health and Science University may select participants from among the prospective health care practitioners who submit applications as provided in subsection (3) of this section. The university shall give preference to prospective health care practitioners who are:

(a) Individuals admitted to the Oregon Health and Science University as a student from rural heritage, as defined by the university’s admission policy;

(b) First generation college students; or

(c) Individuals from a diverse or underrepresented community.

(5) The Oregon Health and Science University shall provide a scholarship covering the entire cost of tuition and fees for the participant’s health care education at the university.

(6) A participant receiving a scholarship under subsection (5) of this section who fails to complete the terms of the service agreement shall repay the amount received plus an additional penalty of 25 percent of the amount received to the Oregon Health and Science University. The total amount to be paid to the university under this subsection shall be reduced for every full year that the participant complied with the service agreement on a pro rata basis, as computed by the total number of years agreed to in the service agreement.

(7) A participant receiving a scholarship under subsection (5) of this section who fails to complete the health care degree for which the scholarship was awarded shall repay the amount received to the Oregon Health and Science University.

(8) In the event that a participant is required to repay the Oregon Health and Science University under subsection (6) or (7) of this section, the university may:

(a) Collect any amounts due;

(b) Have any amounts due be collected by the Collections Unit in the Department of Revenue under ORS 293.250; or

(c) Contract with a collections agency to collect any amounts due.

(9) Any moneys received or collected by the Oregon Health and Science University under subsections (6) to (8) of this section shall be deposited into a separate fund held by the university for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this section. The university may not use the moneys in these funds for any other purpose.

(10) The Oregon Health and Science University may accept funds from any public or private source for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this section.

(11) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, the Oregon Health and Science University shall report to the Legislative Assembly on the status of the Scholars for a Healthy Oregon Initiative. The report shall include, for the previous biennium:

(a) The total number of active participants in the initiative; and

(b) A breakdown of active participants in the initiative by health care practitioner category. [2013 c.511 §1; 2015 c.846 §5; 2017 c.718 §7]

Note: 348.303 was enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but was not added to or made a part of ORS chapter 348 or any series therein by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.