39-5903. DEFINITIONS. As used in this chapter:

(1) "Applicant" means an entity submitting documents required by the department for the purpose of requesting a grant from the rural health care access and physician incentive program.

(2) "Application period" means the time period from July 1 to August 30 of the state fiscal year for which funding is requested.

(3) "Approval" means written notification that the application will be awarded funding through the rural health care access and physician incentive program.

(4) "Board" means the joint health care access and physician incentive grant review board.

(5) "Community sponsoring organization" means a hospital, medical clinic or other medical organization that is located in an eligible area and employs physicians for purposes of providing primary care medical services to patients.

(6) "Department" means the department of health and welfare.

(7) "Director" means the director of the department of health and welfare.

(8) "Eligible area for physician incentive grants" means a medically underserved area of Idaho, further defined to mean an area designated by the United States secretary of health and human services as a health professional shortage area.

(9) "Grant period" means the time immediately following the application period from July 1 through June 30 (state fiscal year) for which funding is granted.

(10) "Nurse practitioner" means a health care provider licensed pursuant to chapter 14, title 54, Idaho Code.

(11) "Oral health care provider" means a dentist or dental hygienist licensed pursuant to chapter 9, title 54, Idaho Code.

(12) "Physician assistant" means a health care provider licensed pursuant to chapter 18, title 54, Idaho Code.

(13) "Primary care," for purposes of rural health care access grants, means the provision of professional comprehensive health services, including oral health care services, that includes health education and disease prevention, initial assessment of health problems, treatment of acute care and chronic health problems, and the overall management of an individual’s or family’s health care services as provided by an Idaho licensed internist, obstetrician, gynecologist, pediatrician, family practitioner, general practitioner, dentist, dental hygienist, nurse practitioner or physician assistant. It provides the initial contact for health services and referral for secondary and tertiary care.

(14) "Primary care health professional shortage area" means a geographic area or population group which the U.S. secretary of health and human services has determined is underserved by primary care health professional(s).

(15) "Primary care medicine," for purposes of rural physician incentive grants, means family medicine, general internal medicine and general pediatrics. Provided however, if there is a demonstrated high level of need in an eligible area as determined by the board, it may also include obstetrics and gynecology, general psychiatry, general surgery and emergency medicine.

(16) "Medically underserved area" means a geographic area which the U.S. secretary of health and human services has determined is underserved by primary care health professional(s).

(17) "Qualified medical education debt" means a debt with a financial aid program or financial institution incurred to meet the educational costs of attending a medical school.

(18) "Rural health care access grant" means a grant awarded pursuant to this chapter.

(19) "Rural health care access and physician incentive program" means the program that administers the rural health care access and physician incentive funds.

(20) "Rural physician," for purposes of physician incentive grants, means a licensed Idaho physician, whether a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathic medicine, who spends a minimum of twenty-eight (28) hours per week, on average, providing primary care medicine services to patients in an eligible area.

(21) "Rural physician incentive fee" means the fee assessed by the state to students preparing to be physicians in the fields of medicine or osteopathic medicine who are supported by the state pursuant to an interstate compact for professional education in those fields, as those fields are defined by the compact.

(22) "Rural physician incentive fund" means the special revenue account in the state treasury created pursuant to section 39-5902, Idaho Code, relating to the rural health care access and physician incentive grant program.

History:

[39-5903, added 2000, ch. 262, sec. 2, p. 735; am. 2002, ch. 354, sec. 1, p. 1010; am. 2007, ch. 199, sec. 2, p. 608; am. 2009, ch. 119, sec. 1, p. 382; am. 2012, ch. 44, sec. 5, p. 133.]