In an effort to address the shortage of primary care physicians in Georgia (currently totaling 200 physicians per 100,000 population), an additional $2 million in the Board of Regents budget to allow a tax-deduction for $1000 for community-based physicians who take physicians and nurse-practitioner students into their practice for required clinical rotations (Senate Bill 391). House Bill 998 allowed the Physicians Workforce some latitude to establish population and sparcity rules for medical student scholarships without legislative approval.

The General Assembly added $2 million in additional funds for residency program development and increased the number of rural loan repayments to 26 and approved an additional $333 per capitation payment for contracted students. The FY15 Budget also added an additional $300,000 in housing and travel funds for medical students performing community-based rotations.

(Information from Senator Jack Hill’s “Notes from the Senate,” June 6, 2014).

See also “STEM Prioritization, Program Cuts” by Alexis Hart.