Downtown in Williamston, NC. Rural communities that are struggling to bring in medical care practitioners could benefit from a new program offering loan repayment for local physicians. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
North Carolina’s new loan repayment initiative aims to attract and retain primary care physicians in rural areas.
North Carolina is taking bold steps to address the critical shortage of healthcare providers in its rural communities, which serve nearly one-third of the state’s population.
Through its new loan repayment initiative, the state aims to attract and retain primary care physicians in areas where medical services are needed most.
New incentive program targets rural healthcare gaps
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has launched the North Carolina Primary Care Physician Incentive program, offering educational loan repayment to physicians who commit to practicing in independent private practices in rural counties. The initiative is part of a larger $50 million funding package approved by the state’s General Assembly to strengthen healthcare services across the state.
North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai emphasized the program’s importance, stating, “We deeply value the dedication of our private practice physicians and recognize the essential role they play in ensuring health care access for our rural communities. Through this program, we aim to offset some of the financial burden and invest in our health care workforce, particularly in our rural counties.”
Program eligibility and distribution
The incentive program specifically targets physicians practicing in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties, which are classified based on economic distress rankings. Eligible specialties include:
- Family medicine
- General internal medicine
- General surgery (critical access hospitals only)
- General pediatrics
- Obstetrics/gynecology
- Psychiatry
The NCDHHS will distribute up to 16 awards in each of the six Medicaid Regions, with applications being processed on a first-come, first-served basis. With more than 4.6 million residents living in rural counties, the program aims to ensure these communities have access to essential healthcare services.
Healthcare providers interested in applying can find detailed eligibility criteria and application information on the NCDHHS Office of Rural Health website. The office also offers additional incentives for medical, dental, and behavioral health providers.
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This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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