(A) As used in this rule, "advanced practice registered nurse," "clinician," "physician," and "physician assistant" have the same meanings as in section 5119.185 of the Revised Code.
(B) The department has established a clinician loan repayment program to enhance its ability to recruit and retain physicians (including psychiatrists), advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants as civil service employees in the department's regional psychiatric hospitals. The director or the director's designee, in consultation with the department's medical director, is to designate which regional psychiatric hospitals, on an as needed basis, may implement the clinician loan repayment program.
(C) To be approved for loan repayment, a clinician is to have attended a school specified in division (B)(1), (B)(2), or (B)(3) of section 5119.185 of the Revised Code, as applicable, meet criteria for civil service employment, and be willing to execute a contract with the department that includes the terms in paragraph (F) of this rule.
(D) Subject to the limits in paragraph (E) of this rule, the department may repay all or a portion of the principal, interest, or related expenses of a government or commercial educational loan a clinician has incurred for the expenses specified in division (C)(2) of section 5119.185 of the Revised Code that are directly related to the clinician's education for the relevant clinical degree or specialty training. The department will neither repay taxes the clinician has paid on loan amounts or taxes incurred in the receipt of the clinician loan repayment benefit nor pay an amount that exceeds the amount incurred by the clinician during the loan repayment agreement period.
(1) The criteria the department will consider when determining the portion of an individual clinician's loan the department will repay are all of the following:
(a) The amount of funds available pursuant to section 126.07 of the Revised Code;
(b) The number of clinicians eligible or potentially eligible for loan repayment;
(c) The department's staffing needs;
(d) Economic and market factors affecting the department's ability to recruit and retain that particular type of clinician.
(2) The department will consider the current average prices of the items specified in division (C)(2)(b) of section 5119.185 of the Revised Code when determining the reasonable amount of such expenses the department will repay. The criteria the department will consider when determining the reasonable amount of room and board the department will repay are current average rental rates or dormitory charges, as applicable, in the region where the clinician undertook their clinical education or specialty training. The department may use any source it determines appropriate in determining average prices, rental rates, or dormitory charges.
(E) The department is limited to paying no more than the following amounts on an annual basis for a maximum of ten years:
(1) For a clinician who is a physician, thirty thousand dollars; or
(2) For a clinician who is an advanced practice registered nurse or physician assistant, seven thousand five hundred dollars.
(F) The department is to enter into a contract with each clinician approved for the program. The contract is to contain the terms in division (C) of section 5119.185 of the Revised Code and specify the following:
(1) That the term of a contract is one year, renewable annually for a maximum of ten years at the sole discretion of the department after the department has considered any factor it determines appropriate including whether the clinician has successfully completed the performance reviews described in paragraph (G)(3) of this rule;
(2) That funds, in an amount determined by the department not to exceed the applicable amount specified in paragraph (E) of this rule for the year, will be distributed directly to the clinician on a date determined by the department, as follows:
(a) On a reimbursement basis, whereby the clinician submits documentation satisfactory to the department of the loan payments the clinician has made to the lender in the immediately preceding twelve months;
(b) Only after the department has verified both of the following:
(i) That the clinician has completed the agreed upon hours in the immediately preceding twelve months; and
(ii) That the clinician has successfully completed the performance reviews described in paragraph (G)(3) of this rule.
(3) That if the department is unable to verify that the criteria in paragraph (F)(2)(b) of this rule have been satisfied, the repayment loan monies will not be distributed and the contract is null and void.
(4) That the department's ability to repay a clinician's educational loan is contingent on funds being available pursuant to section 126.07 of the Revised Code.
The contract is to be signed by the clinician and hospital chief executive officer. The hospital chief executive officer is to send a copy of the signed contract to the department's medical director.
(G) Once executed, a hospital chief executive officer is responsible for monitoring a clinician's compliance with the contract terms. Associated with that responsibility, the chief executive officer is to do all of the following:
(1) Ensure that the clinician complies with all department rules and policies;
(2) Prior to any distribution of funds to the clinician, verify that the clinician has satisfied the criteria specified in paragraph (F)(2)(b) of this rule; and
(3) Ensure that the clinician is subject to performance reviews on an ongoing basis, at least once annually.
Last updated April 17, 2024 at 9:01 PM