§ 18A:71C-32 — Definitions.

18A:71C-32. "Approved site" means a site located within a State designated underserved area or a health professional shortage area, or a clinic which is part of the extramural network of dental clinics established by the New Jersey Dental School of Rutgers, The State University, or a site that has been determined by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, in consultation with the Department of Health and Senior Services, to serve medically underserved populations according to criteria determined by the authority, including, but not limited to, the percentage of medically underserved patients served. "Authority" means the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. "Eligible qualifying loan expenses" means the cumulative outstanding balance of student loans covering the cost of attendance at an undergraduate institution of medical, dental, or other primary care professional education at the time an applicant is selected for the program. Interest paid or due on qualifying loans that an applicant has taken out for use in paying the costs of undergraduate medical, dental, or other primary care professional education shall be considered eligible for reimbursement under the program. The authority may establish a limit on the total amount of qualifying loans which may be redeemed for participants under the program, provided that the total redemption of qualifying loans does not exceed $120,000, or the maximum amount authorized by the federal government, whichever is greater, either in State funds or the sum of federal, State, and other non-federal matching funds, pursuant to section 338I of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.s.254q-1), whichever is applicable. "Executive director" means the executive director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. "Health professional shortage area" (HPSA) means an urban or rural area, a population group or a public or non-profit private medical or dental facility or other public facility which the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines has a health professional shortage pursuant to section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. s.254e). "Primary care" means the practice of family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, general obstetrics, gynecology, pediatric dentistry, general dentistry, public health dentistry, and any other areas of medicine or dentistry which the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services may define as primary care. Primary care also includes the practice of a nurse-practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, and physician assistant. "Primary care practitioner" means a State-licensed or certified health care professional who has obtained a degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or another primary care profession at an undergraduate institution of medical, dental, or other primary care professional education, as applicable. "Program" means the Primary Care Practitioner Loan Redemption Program established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71C-33. "Program participant" means a primary care practitioner who contracts with the authority to engage in the clinical practice of primary care at an approved site in exchange for the redemption of eligible qualifying loan expenses provided under the program. "Qualifying loan" means a government or commercial loan for the actual costs paid for tuition and reasonable education and living expenses relating to the obtaining of a degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or another primary care profession. "State designated underserved area" means a geographic area in this State which has been ranked by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services on the basis of health status and economic indicators as reflecting a medical or dental health professional shortage. "Total and permanent disability" means a physical or mental disability that is expected to continue indefinitely or result in death and renders a participant in the program unable to perform that person's service obligation, as determined by the executive director or his designee. "Undergraduate medical, dental, or other primary care professional education" means the period of time between entry into medical school, dental school, or other primary care professional training program and the award of a degree in allopathic or osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or another primary care profession, respectively. amended 2009, c.145, s.1; 2012, c.45, s.99.