Georgia Rules & Regulations|Rule 195-15-.03 - Review Process

                                                
 RULE 195-15-.03. Review Process 
 
(1) Administrative Review. 
 
A. The Board Staff shall collect and maintain documentation of the following information from Physician Assistants for Rural Areas Assistance Program applicants: 
 
1. Application form. 
 
2. Full disclosure of all outstanding physician assistant education debt. 
 
3. Documentation of the county and city/town population where the practice is located. 
 
4. Documentation that the practice will be located in a rural Georgia community which needs additional physician assistants to practice. 
 
5. Copy of the contract between the practice entity and the physician assistant or attestation from the Physician Assistant documenting full time (40+ hours per week) practice in the rural community where the practice is located. 
 
6. Documentation verifying enrollment in the Georgia Medicaid program. 
 
7. Attestation from the applicant that the applicant does not have any other current service obligations. 
 
B. The Board staff shall review application materials to ensure eligibility requirements are met and all required documentation has been submitted. 
 
C. Staff will compile the information and prepare a summary of each applicant for the Board's review.
 
(2) Board Review, Criteria for Prioritizing Awards and Approval Process.
 
A. The Board shall receive and act upon all applications for the Physician Assistants for Rural Areas Assistance Program made by eligible and qualified Physician Assistants. 
 
B. The Board shall make a careful and full investigation of the ability, character and qualifications of each applicant and determine the applicant's fitness to become the recipient of such loan. 
 
C. The Board may employ such methods of applicant evaluation that it deems proper. 
 
D. The Board shall not discriminate or evaluate applicants on the basis of race, religion, gender or national origin. 
 
E. The Board shall review all documentation submitted by the applicant and by the Board staff to assure that the applicant meets all eligibility requirements for the Physician Assistants for Rural Assistance Program. 
 
F. The Board shall prioritize awards based on the following criteria: 
 
(1) Applicants who have prior life experience in rural communities, rural physician assistants practice experience, or special areas of expertise of use to rural communities shall be given priority and may be moved up in the rank order list of applicants at the discretion of the Board.
 
(2) Applicants entering practice in a county with fewer physician assistant providers per population may be given priority and may be moved up in the rank order list of applicants at the discretion of the Board.
 
G. The Board shall establish a final ranking of all qualified applicants from highest priority to lowest priority and shall allocate awards based on availability of funds and the final rank order of the applicants. 
 
H. Action approving the applicant ranking and order of awards shall be made upon majority vote of the Board members present. 
 
I. Action on awards shall be duly recorded in the minutes of the Board meeting.
 
 O.C.G.A. §49-10-3. 
 (Original Rule entitled "Review Process" adopted. F. Oct. 31, 2016; eff. Nov. 20, 2016. Repealed: New Rule of the same title adopted. F. Dec. 31, 2019; eff. Jan. 20, 2020.)