Bill > H1029

This bill establishes a Health Care Workforce Center within the department to improve access to health care services by coordinating state efforts, monitoring trends in primary and oral health care provider access, examining workforce capacity and satisfaction, reviewing factors affecting recruitment and retention, making projections on future needs, identifying strategies to address shortages, and studying the capacity of educational institutions to expand the supply of providers. The bill also creates a Health Care Workforce Advisory Council, expanding its membership to 19 individuals representing various healthcare professions and organizations, to advise the center on workforce capacity, access to care, and loan repayment programs. Furthermore, it establishes a Health Care Workforce Loan Repayment Program to provide financial assistance for medical and dental school loans to graduates who specialize in certain areas and agree to serve in medically underserved areas for at least two years, with the center responsible for developing criteria to identify these areas and administering the program, including penalties for non-compliance with service contracts.