(A) The purpose of this rule is to
enhance the ability of the department to recruit and retain eligible, licensed
health professionals pursuant to section 5120.55 of the Revised Code, as civil
service employees in department operated correctional institutions or
department operated health care program areas through a licensed health
professionals loan recruitment program.
(B) The director, or the director's
designee, in consultation with the department's medical director or chief
psychiatrist, shall designate which department operated correctional
institutions or department operated health care areas, on an as needed basis,
may implement the licensed health professionals loan recruitment
program.
(C) Program eligibility shall be limited
to licensed health professionals who hold a current, valid license as set forth
in division (A) of section 5120.55 of the Revised Code.
(D) The department may implement this
program through written agreements with individual licensed health
professionals, approved by the director or the director's designee. 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, for not more than a total of four years, contingent
upon satisfactory annual performance reviews. If a licensed health professional
does not complete the agreed upon one full year of service or fails to comply
with other specified terms of the agreement, the licensed health professional
will pay the department a specified amount as damages, which shall be no less
than the amount already paid by the department pursuant to its
agreement.
(E) Funds for the loan repayment may come
from funds allocated from the general revenue fund as allocated by the general
assembly to the department.
(F) Funds for the loan repayment will be
disbursed at the licensed health professional's completion of agreed upon
hours of service or the licensed health professional's annual employment
anniversary date, whichever occurs later.
(G) A licensed health professional,
approved for loan repayment, shall provide verified documentation of the
outstanding loan amounts agreed to be repaid by the department. Loans eligible
for repayment are limited to those that remain outstanding for up to fifteen
years from the completion of the licensed health professional's accredited
training program.
(H) Loan amounts eligible for repayment
shall consist of the principal, interest and related expenses on government and
commercial loans received by the licensed health professionals, 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 feeds, books, and laboratory
expenses.
(I) At no time will the repaid loan
amounts exceed the amount of the outstanding loans for costs incurred during
the years the licensed health professional was attending an accredited medical
or osteopathic medical school, residency or fellowship.
(1) A licensed health
professional working one thousand forty hours or more in a twelve-month period
may enter into a loan repayment agreement that would pro rate the amount of
loan repayment against the annualized hours worked.
(2) Licensed health
professionals working less than one thousand forty hours in a twelve-month
period would not be eligible for the program.
(J) A licensed health
professional:
Upon establishment of funding source(s) may request to participate
in a licensed health professionals loan recruitment program through written
request to the director or the director's designee;
(K) The director or director's
designee:
(1) Will ensure the
licensed health professional meets all criteria for civil service
employment;
(2) Will ensure the
licensed health professional abides by all department rules and
policies;
(3) Will verify hours
worked, as a full time civil service employment licensed health professional,
prior to the distribution of funds on the licensed health professional's
anniversary date of employment or upon completion of the agreed hours of
service, whichever occurs later;
(4) Will ensure
completion, by the chief clinician or appropriate staff, of an annual
performance review of the licensed health professional and provide a copy of
that to the director or designee at the time of the request for a renewed loan
repayment agreement; and
(5) Will sign the loan
repayment agreement along with the licensed health professional to enact the
year-long program.
(6) The loan agreement
must also be signed by the chief clinician of the department.
