Nebraskans in 47 of 93 counties have limited access to dentists and
those in 16 counties have no dentists in the county. In April, Gov. Mike
Johanns signed into law LB 1115 that aims to reduce these shortages by
providing financial incentives established by the Nebraska Rural Health
Systems and Professional Incentive Act.
The bill adds dentistry and physician assistant students to its Nebraska
Student Loan Program forgivable student loan incentive program for eligible
students who agree to practice an approved specialty in a state-designated
health professions shortage area. Since 1979, the program had awarded low-interest
loans to medical students who agreed to practice in shortage areas.
Three first-year dental students at the University of Nebraska Medical
Center College of Dentistry in Lincoln are the first dental students to
be awarded the loans by the Rural Health Advisory Commission through the
Nebraska Student Loan Program. Dental students will receive $15,000 in
loans this year and will be eligible to receive student loans for the next
three years.
The students are: Kendra Bargen, of Hebron; Craig Braun, of Creighton;
and Travis Lambert, of Crawford.
We are looking to place dentists in rural Nebraska to address the dental
needs of Nebraskans, said Kim McFarland, D.D.S., dental health director
of the Nebraska Health and Human Services System. This program does that.
She said the 16 counties in Nebraska that have no dentists are expected
to increase to 20 in the next few years due to dentists retiring. We are
anticipating more shortages, especially in western Nebraska.
The awards are made by the Rural Health Advisory Commission based on
the student’s understanding of and commitment to the practice of primary
care in rural Nebraska. Applicants are interviewed by the Rural Health
Advisory Commission. To be eligible for the program, students must be enrolled
or accepted for enrollment in medical or dental school at UNMC or Creighton
University, or in a physician assistant program at a Nebraska college.
Fourteen UNMC medical students are receiving first-time or continuation
loans. Currently there are no physician assistant students in the program
due to lack of community requests for PAs in designated shortage areas.
Students must agree to practice one year in a shortage area for each
year a student loan is awarded and to practice in general dentistry, pediatric
dentistry or oral surgery. If a student loan recipient fails to practice
in a shortage area or pursues a non-approved specialty, the full amount
of the award plus simple interest must be repaid.
The number and amount of student loans are determined annually based
on state funding. The maximum annual student loan amount for a medical
or dental student is $20,000 and $5,000 for a physician assistant student.
Shortage areas for each specialty are designated by the Rural Health
Advisory Commission, based on health status indicators and the supply of
health care providers.
For more information, students may contact the Nebraska Office of Rural
Health at (402) 471-2337. The application period is from April 1 to June
1 each year.