Rural Health Home
1. What is the purpose of the Health Professional Recruitment Incentive Program?
The program is intended to help recruit certain health professionals by providing a financial incentive for them to fill vacancies in health care facilities.
2. How does the program work?
The program provides $5,000 directly to each health professional who has entered into a contract and completed a two-year service obligation. The professional must provide full-time services within their occupation at an employing facility in South Dakota.
The payment each health professional receives is split between the state and employing facility. The proportion each pays is dependent on the size of the community in which the facility is located. Communities of 2,500 or less pay 25% of the $5,000. Communities over 2,500 pay 50% of the $5000. The community portion of the payment can be made at any time; the state payment occurs only after completion of the two-year service obligation.
3. Are there any other program requirements?
Yes, the healthcare professional must either be a new employee at an employing facility or plan to fill a budgeted vacancy for that occupation. A new employee is defined as an eligible health professional who has been employed within their occupation at this facility for no longer than eight months prior to the date the Department receives the application.
4. How many health professionals can the program accommodate?
The limit is currently 60.
5. How long is the program in effect?
The program is funded for another year, beginning July 1, 2008.
6. Who can submit an application and when can it be submitted?
Health professionals cannot submit applications. Rather, South Dakota licensed hospitals, nursing homes, federally certified home health agencies, licensed inpatient chemical dependency facilities, intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded, adjustment training centers, community mental health centers, ESRD facilities or community health centers must submit applications on behalf of health professionals. The facility must submit the application to the Office of Rural Health, South Dakota Department of Health. Applications will be accepted from May 1, 2008 until November 30, 2008 or until the program is full. If an insufficient number of applications have been received by November 30, the application period will be extended and applications selected by lottery.
7. Is every applicant guaranteed success?
No, only two applications can be selected per county through November 30. Applications are selected weekly on a "first come - first served basis". Therefore, our advice is to send applications in as soon as possible. If the maximum number of 60 health professionals has not been filled by the last business day in November, all remaining applications will be selected by lottery. Lottery drawings will be held, if necessary on the first business days in December, January and February. Thereafter the program is closed.
8. What types of health professionals are eligible for the program?
In order to enter into a Health Professional Recruitment Incentive Agreement, the health professional must either: a) have an unrestricted South Dakota license within the following professions -
| Dietitian or Nutritionist Nurse (LPN or RN) Occupational therapist Respiratory therapist |
Pharmacist Physical therapist Paramedic |
or b) be fully certified as either a Medical technologist/laboratory technologist (by ASCP, AMT, or AAB) or a Radiologic technologist (by ARRT, ARDMS, NMTC, or MDCB).
9. What do you mean by "full-time"?
Full-time is not less than 36 hours of professional services weekly for a minimum of 48 weeks per year.
10. If I have been working at an eligible facility for more than eight months do I still qualify for the program?
No, an eligible health professional must also be a "new employee," meaning that the individual cannot have been employed for more than eight months at the facility prior to the Department’s receipt of the application.
11. How will I know if my facility has been selected for the program?
The facility submitting the application will be notified if an application has been selected, starting in July. The next step in the process involves the three-party Recruitment Incentive Agreement which will need to be signed by a representative of the facility, the health professional receiving payment and the state.
12. Do I have to pay taxes on the payments I received from the facility and state?
Yes, the payments made to participants are regarded as income by the IRS.
13. Where can one get an application for the program?
Download the application or request a hard copy from the Office of Rural Health, 600 E. Capitol, Pierre, SD 57501 or by phone at 605-773-2679.
14. Who do I contact for more information?
Please contact Karen Cudmore, Recruitment Program Coordinator, Office of Rural Health at the above phone number for additional information.
