Section 37-153-213 - Accelerate Mississippi Nursing/Allied Health Grant Program established; purpose; definitions; application process; prioritization for approval; Office of Workforce Development duties(1) There is established the Accelerate Mississippi Physician Residency and Fellowship Start-Up Grant Program, which shall be directed by the office for the purpose of creating new or increasing capacity in existing physician residency and fellowship programs in hospitals, which were severely impacted by the disruption to the economy and workforce caused by COVID-19.(2) For purposes of this section, the following words shall have the meanings ascribed herein unless the context requires otherwise: (a) "Grant program" means the program established in this section, which provides funding, as determined by the office, from federal COVID-19 relief funds to create new or increase capacity in existing physician residency and fellowship programs at general acute care hospitals in the State of Mississippi which are licensed by the Mississippi State Department of Health.(b) "Recipient" means a general acute care hospital in the State of Mississippi which is licensed by the Mississippi State Department of Health.(c) "Residency and fellowship programs" means advanced training programs in medical or surgical specialty areas which are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or a similar accreditation body.(d) "COVID-19" means the Coronavirus Disease 2019.(e) "Federal COVID-19 relief funds" means funds allocated to the State of Mississippi from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund in Section 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law No. 117-2).(f) "Eligible expenses" means a cost incurred by a recipient, pursuant to this article, to include:(i) Equipment or other supplies necessary for accreditation;(ii) Necessary infrastructure, including building, renovation or construction, for accreditation;(iii) Curricula or other academic or training materials necessary for accreditation;(iv) Stipends for the recruitment, hiring and development of program directors, program coordinators, faculty and/or teaching staff and clinic staff necessary for accreditation; and(v) Remote learning or other classroom technology.(3) The Department of Employment Security shall serve as fiscal agent in administering the funds.(4) Subject to appropriation by the Legislature, allocations to recipients shall be awarded by the office through an application process, which shall require the applicant to provide:(a) Evidence that the applicant is in the process of preparing for accreditation, has applied for accreditation or has received accreditation for a new residency or fellowship program, or increased capacity in an existing residency or fellowship program;(b) A detailed explanation of the residency or fellowship program the applicant intends to use awarded funds to create or expand, to include: (i) A description of the workforce shortage the residency or fellowship program is intended to address, including specific information from health care providers in the region;(ii) Any relevant waitlist or other information demonstrating high demand for medical school graduates to enter the residency or fellowship program;(iii) The number of residents who will be served by the residency or fellowship program;(iv) The budget for the residency or fellowship program, including a plan showing sustainability after accreditation and any required federal approval of the program; and(v) The average wage rate for residents or fellows receiving employment after completing the program;(c) A proposed budget on how awarded funds will be expended, including a plan to consistently report expenditures to the office throughout the funding commitment;(d) A plan to provide data on participation and outcomes of the residency or fellowship program, including a plan to report outcomes to the office throughout the funding commitment; and(e) Other relevant information as determined appropriate by the office.(5) Applicants agreeing to commit a portion of their federal COVID-19 relief funds, if they received federal COVID-19 relief funds directly, or other state, federal or private funds as supplemental matching funds to offset the total cost of the approved program shall be prioritized for approval.(6) The office shall:(a) Inform each recipient of its portion of the funds appropriated to the grant program;(b) Develop regulations and procedures to govern the administration of the grant program;(c) Prioritize residency or fellowship programs within medical or surgical specialties which are currently experiencing staffing shortages in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities and other health care providers across the state;(d) Prioritize residency or fellowship programs which produce graduates in high-demand medical and surgical fields;(e) Establish a schedule of application deadlines and a system for considering applications on a rotating basis; and(f) Ensure that every effort be made, in accordance with the priorities in this subsection, to provide funds for the placement of one (1) resident with each recipient before considering awarding funds for the placement of additional residents in the same round of consideration.Added by Laws, 2023, ch. 473, SB 2371,§ 4, eff. 7/1/2023.