§ 6-81-701 - Definitions.

6-81-701. Definitions.

As used in this subchapter:

(1) "Board" means the Arkansas Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board;

(2) "Designated specialty" means a medical practice other than primary care that a loan or income incentive recipient and the board have agreed will be practiced in the qualified rural community;

(3) "Medically underserved" means an area that the board determines to have unmet needs for medical services due to factors including without limitation:

(A) The ratio of primary care physicians to population;

(B) The infant mortality rate;

(C) The percentage of:

(i) Population with incomes below the federal poverty level, as it existed on January 1, 2007;

(ii) Resident individuals sixty (60) years of age and older; and

(iii) Physicians sixty (60) years of age and older;

(D) Accessibility within the area to primary care medicine; and

(E) Other relevant criteria the board may deem necessary for a determination of unmet needs for medical services;

(4) "Primary care medicine" means health care provided in one (1) of the following areas of practice:

(A) Family medicine;

(B) General internal medicine;

(C) General internal medicine and pediatrics;

(D) General pediatrics;

(E) General obstetrics and gynecology;

(F) General surgery;

(G) Emergency medicine; and

(H) Geriatrics; and

(5) "Qualified rural community" means an area reasonably determined by the board to be medically underserved.