The department shall establish or contract for a health professional temporary substitute resource pool. The purpose of the pool is to provide short-term physician, physician assistant, pharmacist, and *advanced registered nurse practitioner personnel to rural communities where these health care providers:

(1) Are unavailable due to provider shortages;

(2) Need time off from practice to attend continuing education and other training programs; and

(3) Need time off from practice to attend to personal matters or recover from illness.

The health professional temporary substitute resource pool is intended to provide short-term assistance and should complement active health provider recruitment efforts by rural communities where shortages exist.

*Reviser's note: The term "advanced registered nurse practitioner" was changed to "advanced practice registered nurse" by 2024 c 239 s 1, effective June 30, 2027.