BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Health on Thursday announced the largest expansion of the Maryland Loan Repayment Program (MLRP) for the 2023 application cycle. In exchange for service obligations to practice in areas of healthcare professional shortage, eligible health care providers and support staff can earn higher education loan repayment assistance from $5,000 to $100,000, depending on licensure.
“MDH is committed to ensuring access to care for all Marylanders,” said MDH Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services Dr. Jinlene Chan. “Our healthcare professionals work diligently every day to meet the state’s health care needs even as workforce shortages persist. This loan repayment program aims to improve the recruitment and retention of the healthcare workforce, especially in areas experiencing critical health professional shortages.”
Broadened legislative authority and greater state and federal resources will allow applications from an expanded pool of healthcare professionals, including full and part-time physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and nursing support staff. The program has offered educational loan repayment to select full-time healthcare professionals since 1994, with largely unchanged funding levels from federal and state funding sources. The 2023 program expansion is the largest in its history.
The MDH Office of Population Health Improvement administers the program in addition to others that address healthcare workforce shortages in Maryland.
“In order to best support the health of all Marylanders, it is vital that we maintain a robust health system to do so, including its workforce,” said Office of Population Health Director Kimberly Hiner. “The Maryland Loan Repayment Programs help to do this.”
MDH will accept applications for the 2023 MLRP application cycle through April 15, 2023.
More information about the program, including eligibility criteria and application requirements, is available on the MLRP webpage.
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