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Overview
The Colorado General
Assembly passed legislation in 1991 to assist medically underserved
communities in the recruitment and retention of needed health
care providers. This legislation, the Colorado Health Professions
Loan Repayment program (CHPLRP), was sponsored by the University
of Colorado Health Sciences Center (UCHSC) in conjunction with
the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and
the Colorado Community Health Network. The program will assist
communities by providing matching funds to repay the educational
loans of primary care physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners,
and certified nurse-midwives.
This program is administered
by the UCHSC’s Colorado Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
program with matching loan funds provided by the National Health
Service Corps. The program will repay qualified educational
loans up to $70,000 or a maximum of 20,000 a year per primary
health care providers who agree to practice in federally-designated
Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA). Communities, as well
as the health care providers, must meet stipulated federal requirements
in order to participate in the program.
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Eligibility Requirements
COMMUNITY
To
be eligible to apply, a community organization must:
- Be
a public or nonprofit private entity providing primary health
care services in Colorado.
- Be
within a federally-designated Health Professional Shortage
Area (HPSA) for the provider being sponsored. If you are unsure
if your community qualifies for this designation, contact
Ms. Kitty Stevens of the Colorado Department of Public Health
and Environment, Division of Primary Care and Health Services,
(303) 692-2470.
- Provide
a community cash match equivalent to one-half of the authorized
loan repayment amount requested.
- Assume
responsibility for completion of timely annual reports concerning
compliance with program requirements.
PROVIDER
The provider must be willing to enter into a contractual
agreement with the community nonprofit agency or public sponsor
and the CHPLRP. This agreement requires the provider to:
Hold
a current license to practice one of the following professions:
Physicians
Family
medicine (allopathic & osteopathic)
Internal medicine
General pediatrics
Obstetrics and gynecology
Psychiatry
Primary care dentists
Physician assistants
Nurse practitioners
Certified nurse-midwives
Dental Hygienists
Clinical/Counseling Psychologists
Clinical Social Workers
Psychiatric Nurse Specialists
Mental Health Counselors
Licensed Professional Counselors
Marriage and Family Therapists
Charge
for his/her services at the prevailing usual and customary
rate. If a person is unable to pay such charges, the person
should be charged at a reduced rate or not charged any fee.
Not
discriminate on the basis of the individual’s ability
to pay for care or the source of payment. These payment sources
may include Title XVIII or Title XIX of the Social Security
Act. The provider must agree to accept assignment for payment
under the Social Security Act.
Practice
full time in the designated area for a minimum of two years.
This contract may be extended up to a maximum of six years.
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How
to Apply
Applications
and assistance in preparing the community application are available
at the UCHSC Central Colorado AHEC program or at any of the four
regional Area Health Education Center offices. To obtain a copy
of the program guidelines and applications, call the UCHSC/AHEC
office or contact your local AHEC office:
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The
Colorado Loan Repayment Program is one of several National Health
Service Corps programs funded by the Department of Health &
Human Services Public Health Service, Health Resources & Services
(HRSA), Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC).
Need
information on other National Health Service Corps programs including
the NHSC Scholarship Program? Click
here
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