§1205.5. Scholarship program

            A. It is the intent of the legislature to increase the number of primary care practitioners who practice in health professional shortage areas in the state. The department shall administer a state scholarship program. To be eligible for the scholarship program an applicant must:

            (1) Be accepted for enrollment, or be enrolled as a full-time student in a program offering a doctor of medicine degree at a professional school of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center or the Tulane University School of Medicine, an approved program offering training as a registered nurse in a public or regionally accredited independent institution of higher education, or an approved program offering training as a licensed practical nurse at a public institution.

            (2) Pursue an approved course of study and maintain an acceptable level of academic standing, leading to a degree in medicine, dentistry, or other health-related specialty, as determined by the secretary.

            (3) Agree in writing to serve in the health professional shortage areas, in Louisiana one and one-half years for each year of receiving the scholarship and to accept and maintain an open panel for Medicaid, Medicare, and uninsured patients during his service. Failure to serve as agreed to in writing shall result in the repayment of such scholarship and a substantial penalty as determined by the department.

            B. Subject to the availability of funding, the department shall provide scholarships equal to the lowest base tuition of a public medical school in the state and sufficient to provide for the graduation each year of the following:

            (1) Physicians from accredited graduate medical education training programs in the disciplines of general family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, general medicine/pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, dentistry, or optometry.

            (2) Registered or advanced practice nurses.

            (3) Licensed practical nurses.

            C. Subject to the availability of funding, any scholarship awarded by the department to a nursing student shall be equal to the lowest base tuition of a public nursing school in the state.

            D. The department may access state, federal, or grant funding made available to the department for the purpose of fulfilling the scholarships offered in accordance with this Part.

            Acts 1991, No. 502, §1; Acts 1992, No. 886, §1; Acts 1999, No. 802, §5, eff. July 2, 1999; Acts 2009, No. 383, §1, eff. July 6, 2009; Redesignated from R.S. 40:1300.5 by HCR 84 of 2015 R.S.