(1) The primary care office has, at a minimum, the following powers and duties:
To assess the health care and behavioral health care professional needs of areas throughout the state and create and administer state-designated health professional shortage areas in accordance with state board rules adopted under this subsection (1)(a) establishing statespecific methodologies for designating areas experiencing a shortage of health care professionals or behavioral health care providers. The primary care office shall coordinate with the department of health care policy and financing in developing the health professional shortage area designation methodologies and in drafting rules under this subsection (1)(a).
To apply to the United States department of health and human services, when appropriate, for designation of communities in the state as medically underserved areas, medically underserved populations, or health professional shortage areas or as any other designations necessary to participate in a federal program to address health care professional shortages;
To maximize the placement of health care professionals who serve communities designated as medically underserved areas, medically underserved populations, or health professional shortage areas, or any other communities eligible for participation in a federal, state, or private program to address health care professional shortages, for the purpose of qualifying said communities for increased reimbursements, grants, and health care professional placements;
To administer the Colorado health service corps pursuant to part 5 of this article;
To administer or provide technical assistance to participants in applicable federalprograms intended to address health care professional shortages, including the Conrad 30 J-1 visa waiver program, the national interest waiver program, and the national health service corps. The state board may promulgate rules as necessary for the administration of these programs and shall establish by rule application fees for the Conrad 30 J-1 visa waiver program and the national interest waiver program. The primary care office shall transfer the fee amounts collected to the state treasurer for crediting to the visa waiver program fund established in section 25-1.5405.
To seek and accept public or private gifts, grants, or donations to apply to the costsincurred in fulfilling the duties specified in this section and otherwise administering the programs within the office; and
To administer nursing and health care professional faculty loan repayment pursuantto part 5 of this article.
Source: L. 2013: Entire part added with relocations, (HB 13-1074), ch. 150, p. 481, § 1, effective August 7. L. 2018: (1)(a) amended, (SB 18-024), ch. 222, p. 1411, § 3, effective July 1.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 25-20.5-604 as it existed prior to 2013.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 18-024, see section 1 of chapter 222, Session Laws of Colorado 2018.