Washington Health Corps. In 2019, the Legislature established the Washington Health Corps. It consists of certain loan repayment and scholarship programs for licensed health professions who meet certain criteria and provide service in underserved communities. These programs are:
The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) administers these programs in collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH). Both programs provide a maximum loan repayment award of $75,000 for a minimum three-year service obligation of full-time employment. A participant is required to work at least a 24-hour work week and is allowed 40 days per year in leave. If the participant works less than a full-time work schedule, employment may be prorated up to five years. Each program then differs in the type of licensed health professionals and geographic areas of service that may qualify. Under the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program, rules require that participants be providing Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) through primary medical care, behavioral/mental health services or dental services, or both.
Both programs are subject to appropriation.
The bill as referred to committee not considered.
The Nurse Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program (program) is created under the Washington Health Corps. The program is established for nurses employed by participating employers. A participating employer is one that has elected to participate in the program, is licensed by DOH, and is one of the following:
The Office of Student Financial Assistance (office) is responsible for administration of the program which includes the selection of nurses to participate in the program on a quarterly basis and administration of a process for employers to elect to become participating employers.
The office must establish the annual award amount which must be based on a calculation of 50 percent of the sum of the required monthly student loan payments for 130 percent of the median participating nurse's loan amount. The total amount awarded per year cannot exceed the appropriation for that fiscal year. The maximum award duration is five years.
Participating employers are responsible for 50 percent of the loan repayments funded under the program. The office is responsible for collecting funds for the repayment from participating employers.
PRO: There is a major workforce challenge when it comes to nursing and there must be a solution. In the healthcare space when there are workforce challenges the outcomes can be severe. Hospitals are at a breaking point. Staff burnout is at record levels. This bill is a nurse loan repayment matching program where employers put in half and the state puts in half. This program will aid nurses with the monthly student loan payment for up to five years if they work for a participating employer. This will cover about 65 percent of the median RN borrower's monthly payment amount. Participating hospitals that are not critical access or sole community hospitals would reimburse the state for half the amount awarded to their employees in a public private partnership. There is a variety of places in the healthcare sector to participate in this program. Appropriations may be a challenge, and a creative way to pay for this must be found. There are two focuses in the nursing space. How to get more nurses in the pipeline. This helps retention and can be used as a recruitment tool.