2006 Code of Virginia § 32.1-122.6:03 - Conditional grants for certain physician assistant students

32.1-122.6:03. Conditional grants for certain physician assistant students.

A. The Board of Health shall establish annual physician assistantscholarships for students who intend to enter an accredited physicianassistant program in designated schools. The amounts and numbers of suchscholarships shall be determined annually as provided in the appropriationact. The Commissioner shall act as fiscal agent for the Board inadministration of the scholarship program through a physician assistantscholarship committee.

B. To administer the scholarship program, the Board shall promulgateregulations that shall include, but are not limited to:

1. Qualifications of applicants;

2. Criteria for awarding the scholarship to ensure that a recipient willfulfill the practice obligations established in this section;

3. Standards to ensure that these scholarships increase access to primaryhealth care for individuals who are indigent or who are recipients of publicassistance;

4. Assurances that residents of Virginia, as determined by 23-7.4, minoritystudents and residents of medically underserved areas are given preference indetermining scholarship eligibility and awards;

5. Assurances that a scholarship recipient will practice as a physicianassistant in an underserved area of the Commonwealth within two yearsfollowing completion of training;

6. Methods for reimbursement to the Commonwealth by a recipient who fails tocomplete the educational program or who fails to honor the obligation toengage in practice as a physician assistant for a period of years equal tothe number of annual scholarships received;

7. Procedures for reimbursing any recipient who has repaid the Commonwealthfor part or all of any scholarship and who later fulfills the terms of hiscontract; and

8. Methods for reporting data related to the recipients of the scholarships.

C. Prior to promulgating any regulation establishing any preferences noted insubdivision B 4, the Board shall issue written findings stating the bases forits decisions that any such preferences provided by the regulation complywith constitutional principles of equal protection.

D. Until such time as a fully accredited physician assistant educationprogram is established at any health science center in the Commonwealth, theBoard may designate that attendance at an accredited program in a nearbystate is acceptable for scholarship eligibility.

E. For purposes of this section, the term "underserved area" shall includethose medically underserved areas designated by the Board pursuant to 32.1-122.5 and health professional shortage areas designated in accordancewith the criteria established in 42 C.F.R. Part 5.

F. Any scholarship amounts repaid by recipients pursuant to subdivision B 6,and any interest thereon, shall be used only for the purposes of this sectionand shall not revert to the general fund.

(1997, c. 806; 2000, c. 926; 2001, c. 188.)