Effective: March 23, 2015
Latest Legislation: House Bill 463 - 130th General Assembly
(A) As used in this section:
(1) "Full-time practice" and "part-time practice" have the same meanings as in section 3702.71 of the Revised Code;
(2) "Teaching activities" means supervising dental hygiene students at the service site specified in the contract described in division (B) of this section.
(B) An individual who has been approved for participation under section 3702.964 of the Revised Code may enter into a contract with the director of health for participation in the dental hygienist loan repayment program. The dental hygienist's employer or other funding source may also be a party to the contract.
(C) The contract shall include all of the following obligations:
(1) The individual agrees to provide dental hygiene services in the dental health resource shortage area for the number of hours and duration specified in the contract.
(2) The department of health agrees, as provided in section 3702.96 of the Revised Code, to repay, so long as the individual performs the service obligation agreed to under division (C)(1) of this section, all or part of the principal and interest of a government or other educational loan taken by the individual for expenses described in section 3702.96 of the Revised Code.
(3) The individual agrees to pay the department of health an amount established by rules adopted under section 3702.961 of the Revised Code, if the individual fails to complete the service obligation agreed to under division (C)(1) of this section.
(D) The contract shall include the following terms as agreed upon by the parties:
(1) The particular site within a dental health resource shortage area where the dental hygiene services are to be performed;
(2) The individual's required length of service in the dental health resource shortage area, which must be at least two years;
(3) The number of weekly hours the individual will be engaged in full-time practice or part-time practice;
(4) The maximum amount that the department will repay on behalf of the individual;
(5) The extent to which the individual's teaching activities will be counted toward the individual's full-time practice or part-time practice hours under the contract.
(E) Before agreeing to the amount specified in division (D)(4) of this section, the department of health shall consult with the Ohio dental hygienists' association regarding the amount. If this amount includes funds from the bureau of clinician recruitment and service in the United States department of health and human services, the amount of state funds repaid on the individual's behalf shall be the same as the amount of those funds.