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Ohio Administrative Code (Last Updated: January 12, 2021) |
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5122 Department of Mental Health - Administration and Director |
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Chapter5122-34. Physician Loan Repayment |
5122-34-01. Physician loan repayment
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(A) The purpose of this rule is to enhance the ability of the department to recruit and retain psychiatrists and other physicians, as civil service employees in department operated regional psychiatric hospitals through a physician loan repayment program.
(B) The director, or the director's designee, in consultation with the department's medical director, shall designate which regional psychiatric hospitals, on an as needed basis, may implement the physician loan repayment program.
(C) The department may implement this program through written agreements, approved by the director or the director's designee, with individual physicians. These agreements shall be contingent upon funds being available pursuant to section 126.07 of the Revised Code. The written agreements shall be for a term of one year, renewable annually contingent upon satisfactory annual performance reviews. If a physician does not complete the agreed upon one full year of service, the repayment loan monies will not be disbursed and the written agreement will be null and void.
(D) Funds for the loan repayment may come from the regional psychiatric hospital, central office, or a combination of the two funding sources.
(E) Funds for the loan repayment will be disbursed at the physician's completion of agreed upon hours of service or the physician's annual employment anniversary date, whichever occurs later.
(F) A physician, approved for loan repayment, shall provide verified documentation of the outstanding loan amounts agreed to be repaid by the department.
(G) Loan amounts eligible for repayment shall consist of the principal, interest and related expenses on government and commercial loans received by the physician, which are directly related to education for the medical degree and specialty training, and may include only tuition, reasonable room and board, and all other educational expenses including fees, books and laboratory expenses.
(H) At no time will the repaid loan amounts exceed the amount of the outstanding loans for costs incurred during the years the physician was attending an accredited medical or osteopathic medical school, residency or fellowship.
(I) A department regional psychiatric hospital chief executive officer:
(1) Upon establishment of funding source(s) may request to participate in a physician loan repayment program through written request to the director or the director's designee;
(2) May enter into negotiations with a prospective or current civil service employed physician about loan repayment, after a regional psychiatric hospital has been designated to utilize a loan repayment procedure,
(3) Will ensure the physician meets all criteria for civil service employment, if a prospective employee,
(4) May recommend a physician for loan repayment;
(5) Is to ensure the physician abides by all department rules and policies;
(6) Will verify hours worked, as a full time civil service employed physician, prior to the distribution of funds on the physician's anniversary date of employment or upon completion of the agreed hours of service, whichever occurs later;
(7) Will ensure completion, by the chief clinical officer or appropriate staff, of an annual performance review of the physician and provide a copy of that to the director at the time of the request for a renewed loan repayment agreement; and
(8) Will sign the loan repayment agreement along with the physician to enact the year long program.
(J) The loan agreement must also be signed by the medical director of the department.