12VAC5-525-10. Definitions.
The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings:
"Approved physician assistant program" means a fully accredited physician assistant school in Virginia as approved by the board.
"Board" or "Board of Health" means the State Board of Health.
"Commissioner" means the State Health Commissioner.
"Department" means Virginia Department of Health.
"Full-time" means at least 32 hours per week for 45 weeks per year.
"Health professional shortage area" or "HPSA" means an area in Virginia designated by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services as having a shortage of health professionals in accordance with the procedures of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC § 254e) and implementing regulations (42 CFR Part 5).
"Interest" means the legal rate of interest pursuant to § 6.2-302 of the Code of Virginia.
"Penalty" means twice the amount of all monetary payments to the scholarship award recipient, less any service obligation completed.
"Physician assistant" or "PA" means an individual who has met the requirements of the Board of Medicine for licensure and who works under the supervision of a licensed doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatry as defined in § 54.1-2900 of the Code of Virginia.
"Practice" means the practice of medicine by a recipient in one of the defined primary care specialties in a location within Virginia that is designated as a health professional shortage area or a Virginia medically underserved area to fulfill the recipient's service obligation.
"Primary care" means the specialties of family practice medicine, general internal medicine, pediatric medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology.
"Recipient" means an eligible registered physician assistant student of an approved physician assistant program who enters into a contract with the commissioner and participates in the scholarship program.
"Virginia medically underserved area" or "VMUA" means an area in Virginia designated by the State Board of Health in accordance with the Rules and Regulations for the Identification of Medically Underserved Areas in Virginia (12VAC5-540) or § 32.1-122.5 of the Code of Virginia.
Statutory Authority
§ 32.1-122.6:03 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 38, Issue 11, eff. February 17, 2022.