                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

CONDITIONAL GRANTS FOR CERTAIN PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDENTS (§ 32.1-122.6:03)

A. The Board of Health shall establish annual physician assistant scholarships
for students who intend to enter an accredited physician assistant program in
designated schools. The amounts and numbers of such scholarships shall be
determined annually as provided in the appropriation act. The Commissioner shall
act as fiscal agent for the Board in administration of the scholarship program
through a physician assistant scholarship committee.

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

   1. Qualifications of applicants;

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

   3. Standards to ensure that these scholarships increase access to primary
   health care for individuals who are indigent or who are recipients of public
   assistance;

   4. Assurances that residents of Virginia, as determined by &#xA7; 23.1-502,
   minority students and residents of medically underserved areas are given
   preference in determining scholarship eligibility and awards;

   5. Assurances that a scholarship recipient will practice as a physician
   assistant in an underserved area of the Commonwealth within two years
   following completion of training;

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

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

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

C. Prior to promulgating any regulation establishing any preferences noted in
subdivision B 4, the Board shall issue written findings stating the bases for
its decisions that any such preferences provided by the regulation comply with
constitutional principles of equal protection.

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

E. For purposes of this section, the term &#8220;underserved area&#8221; shall
include those medically underserved areas designated by the Board pursuant to
&#xA7; 32.1-122.5 and health professional shortage areas designated in
accordance with 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 section and
shall not revert to the general fund.

HISTORY: 1997, c. 806; 2000, c. 926; 2001, c. 188.