A. With such funds as are appropriated for this purpose, the Board of Health shall establish a physician loan repayment program for graduates of accredited medical schools who have a specialty in the primary care areas of family practice medicine, general internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics/gynecology, or who are currently employed in a geriatrics fellowship, and who meet other criteria as determined by the Board. The Commissioner shall act as the fiscal agent for the Board in administration of these funds. Prior to awarding any funds, the Board shall require the recipient to agree to perform a period of medical service in the Commonwealth in a medically underserved area as defined in § 32.1-122.5 or a health professional shortage area designated in accordance with the criteria established in 42 C.F.R. Part 5, or, in the case of graduates of accredited medical schools who are currently employed in a geriatrics fellowship, the Board shall require the recipient to agree to perform, at minimum, a two-year period of medical service in the Commonwealth.

B. The Board shall promulgate regulations for the implementation of the Physician Loan Repayment Program. Applications for participation in the program will be accepted from a graduate of any accredited medical school, but preference will be given to graduates of medical schools located in the Commonwealth.

C. Any loan repayment amounts repaid by recipients who fail to honor the obligation to perform a period of medical service in an underserved area or a two-year period as required by this section, and any interest thereon, shall be used only for the purposes of this section and shall not revert to the general fund.

1994, c. 111; 2000, c. 926; 2001, c. 188; 2013, c. 255.