Posted September 11, 2018
The KSLRP is a loan repayment assistance program that helps to recruit and retain health care providers in rural and underserved communities across the state. Applicants selected to participate in the competitive program agree to work full time for two years providing primary care services at an eligible site located in a Health Professional Shortage Area. Participants receive tax-free student loan repayment for their service commitment.
Eligible applicants include physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, registered nurses, dentists, registered dental hygienists, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional clinical counselors, health service psychologists, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric nurse specialists, alcohol and substance abuse counselors, and pharmacists.
Common practice sites include federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, community mental health facilities, state and county health department clinics, free clinics, critical access hospitals affiliated with a qualified outpatient clinic, correctional or detention facilities, and private practices. Practice sites must be public or nonprofit private entities.
The KSLRP is a 50/50 match program: For every federal dollar provided by the KSLRP, participants must have a 1:1 match from a sponsor source. Sponsors can include employers at the practice site; private foundations, corporations, community organizations, and/or philanthropies; and, rurally-oriented organizations requesting that their funds be used to support the placement of practitioners in rural areas.
Maximum annual awards range from $10,000 to $40,000, depending on applicants’ disciplines and specialties, level of loan indebtedness and sponsor commitment level.
Program guidelines and all application materials can be found online at www.kyruralhealth.org/KSLRP.
The deadline to submit completed application materials is Monday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. EST.
The Kentucky Office of Rural Health (KORH) serves as the administrator for the KSLRP, which is funded through the National Health Service Corps, a federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Workforce.
Established in 1991, the KORH is a federal-state partnership authorized by federal legislation. The UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health serves as the federally-designated Kentucky Office of Rural Health. The KORH receives support from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. The mission of the KORH is to support the health and well-being of Kentuckians by promoting access to rural health services. The KORH assists clinicians, administrators and consumers in finding ways to improve communications, finances and access to quality health care while ensuring that funding agencies and policymakers are made aware of the needs of rural communities.
For more information, please contact Michael McGill at michael.mcgill@uky.edu or 606-439-3557.
