Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Physician Grants Available

The Arkansas Department of Health, Office of Rural Health has announced the release of funds for the Rural Physicians Incentive Program.

This initiative was created to encourage physicians to locate and remain in the practice of family medicine in an Arkansas rural community.

In order to enhance retention as well as the recruitment of physicians in rural communities, each physician will be awarded grants totaling $50,000 over a five-year period for continuous service in a qualifying full-time practice in the same rural community.

Payment is made at the end of each full year of practice in the community in the following allocations: year one $6,000, year two $8,000, year three $10,000, year four $12,000, and year five $14,000.

Eligibility requirements include: (1) physician must be newly established (fewer than three years);

(2) practice must be full time family practice a minimum of 32 hours a week;

(3) must be located in a medically under-served area as designated by the U.S. Department of Human Services with a population of 15,000 or less; and

(4) must serve a proportionate amount of Medicaid patients.

Applicants with professional income guarantees from other sources are not qualified for funding under this initiative. This is a competitive process and grants are awarded on the basis of available funds with priority given to rural communities having the greatest need.

Physicians interested in receiving an application should contact Pam Christie, Office of Rural Health, Freeway Medical Building, 5800 West 10th, Suite 401, Little Rock, AR 72204, or phone (501)661-2541.

The deadline for submitting an application is October 31.