71-5665. Commission; designate health profession shortage areas; factors.
The commission shall periodically designate health profession shortage areas within the state for the following professions: Medicine and surgery, physician assistants' practice, nurse practitioners' practice, psychology, and mental health practitioner's practice. The commission shall also periodically designate separate health profession shortage areas for each of the following professions: Pharmacy, dentistry, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. In making such designations the commission shall consider, after consultation with other appropriate agencies concerned with health services and with appropriate professional organizations, among other factors:
(1) The latest reliable statistical data available regarding the number of health professionals practicing in an area and the population to be served by such practitioners;
(2) Inaccessibility of health care services to residents of an area;
(3) Particular local health problems;
(4) Age or incapacity of local practitioners rendering services; and
(5) Demographic trends in an area both past and future.
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