(1) On the basis of the assessment and the evaluation conducted under ORS § 676.459 and 676.463, the Oregon Health Policy Board shall determine the best allocation of moneys in the Health Care Provider Incentive Fund established under ORS § 676.450 toward providing:

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(a) Incentives through the health care provider incentive program created by ORS § 676.454.

(b) Loans or grants to support communities’ plans for addressing the unmet health care workforce needs in each community, including but not limited to:

(A) Funding start-up costs for new health care professional training programs that:

(i) Are designed to expand the racial and ethnic diversity of Oregon’s health care workforce;

(ii) Are designed to expand the health care workforce in medically underserved areas;

(iii) Provide financial incentives to faculty members in health care professional training programs and clinical preceptors;

(iv) Ensure that individuals enrolled in the programs are adequately compensated; and

(v) Include technical assistance; and

(B) Supplementing Medicare funding paid to hospitals for graduate medical education.

(2) With respect to the loans and grants provided under subsection (1)(b) of this section, the board shall:

(a) Prescribe the process and procedures for communities to apply for loans or grants and for the board to award loans and grants.

(b) Establish criteria to ensure that the moneys support community plans that:

(A) Include a substantial financial investment by the community, as determined by the board, and may include financial or in-kind support;

(B) Are designed to improve the access to health care by medical assistance recipients and Medicare enrollees to the same extent that each plan improves access to health care by the general population of the community; and

(C) Are sustainable over the long term.

(c) Conduct outreach to communities to solicit ideas and applications for new training programs and other incentive programs.

(d) Collaborate with community colleges and public universities in this state.

(3) The board shall enter into an agreement with the Oregon Health and Science University to administer this section under the board’s direction. [2017 c.718 § 3]