Effective: October 29, 2003
Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 51 - 125th General Assembly
The director of health, by rule, shall establish priorities among dental health resource shortage areas for use in recruiting dentists to sites within particular areas under the dentist loan repayment program. In establishing priorities, the director shall consider the ratio of dentists to the population in the dental health resource shortage area, the distance to dentists outside the area, dental health status indicators of the target population in the area, presence of dental health care provider sites in the area with vacancies for dentists, availability of an eligible candidate interested in being recruited to a particular site within an area, and the distribution of dental health care provider sites in urban and rural regions. The director shall give greatest priority to dental health resource shortage areas having a high ratio of population to dentists.
The director, by rule, shall establish priorities for use in determining eligibility among applicants for participation in the dentist loan repayment program. The priorities may include consideration of an applicant's background and career goals, the length of time the applicant is willing to provide dental services in a dental health care resource shortage area, and the amount of the educational expenses for which reimbursement is being sought through the program.