Section 283.25.4. Awarding of funds.

         25.4(1) Prior to accepting an offer of employment, the advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant must notify the commission of the service commitment area in which the advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant will be employed, and the commission will verify the eligibility of the service commitment area.

         25.4(2) The maximum award will be paid to the advanced registered nurse practitioner’s or physician assistant’s eligible loan lender in five equal installments, upon successful completion of each of the five 12-month employment obligations. Failure to complete all, or any portion, of the five-consecutive-year employment obligation will result in the forfeiture of all remaining unpaid payments. An advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant who fails to meet the requirements of these rules may also be subject to repayment of moneys advanced by the service commitment area as provided in any contract between the advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant and the service commitment area.

         25.4(3) No loan repayment amounts will be paid until the service commitment area provides the nonrefundable $2,000 contribution for deposit into the rural Iowa advanced registered nurse practitioner and physician assistant trust fund.

         25.4(4) If surplus funds are available, the commission will accept applications from physician assistants and advanced registered nurse practitioners practicing full-time in service commitment areas. Recipient selections shall be evenly divided between physician assistants and advanced registered nurse practitioners, to the extent possible. If surplus funds are not sufficient to fund all applicants, physician assistant and advanced registered nurse practitioner applicants will be prioritized by Iowa residency status, full-time employment status, individuals working in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or a Governor’s Designated Rural Health Clinic county, total eligible student loan debt (highest receiving priority), and application date (earliest submitted receiving priority). Recipients will enter into agreements with the commission, and payments will be made in accordance with subrules 25.4(2) and 25.4(3).

[ARC 1321C, IAB 2/19/14, effective 3/26/14; ARC 1686C, IAB 10/29/14, effective 12/3/14]