DOH Seeking Applications for Doctors Across New York Initiative
Today, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) released a Request for Applications (RFA) for two components of the Doctors Across New York Program: Physician Loan Repayment and Practice Support. Bidders’ conferences are scheduled for Friday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to noon at six locations across the state: the Empire State Plaza in Albany; 90 Church Street in New York City; WCA Hospital in Jamestown; Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake; Iroquois Health Alliance in Syracuse; and Erie-Niagara Area Health Education Center in Buffalo.
Physician Loan Repayment Program
New York State has made available $1.96 million in the 2008-09 Budget to the Physician Loan Repayment Program, which provides $150,000 in loan repayment to physicians for a five-year service commitment. There are two components to the loan forgiveness program: physician loan repayment and residency program repayment. The Physician Loan Repayment Program reduces educational debt of physicians willing to practice in, or provide services to, underserved areas for a minimum of five years. Physicians must begin their service obligation no later than 90 days after executing a loan repayment contract, and preferably earlier under this component. The Residency Program Loan Repayment Track reduces the educational debt of physicians identified by teaching hospitals who agree to complete training in a primary care or specialty track that provides training experience to underserved areas and subsequently serve in, or provide services to, these areas. Physicians are required to commit five years of service in exchange for a loan repayment contract.
Practice Support Program
Provides of the 2008-09 State Budget make available $4.9 million, providing up to $100,000 to physicians in exchange for a two-year service commitment. There are two components to the Practice Support Program: providing support to establish or join a practice or to recruit new physicians. Under the first provision, the program provides funds directly to physicians seeking to establish or join practices in underserved communities. The second component provides funding to general hospitals, health care providers, and physician practice organizations for recruiting new physicians to provide services in underserved areas.
Applications for the Doctors Across New York Program will be available on the DOH Web site at www.nyhealth.gov/funding. For additional information, contact Sherry Chorost at schorost@hanys.org or at (518) 431-7726. Contact: Fred Heigel
