A new student loan repayment program in the state may give our area the shot in the arm we need to boost residents’ health.

Johnson City state Sen. Rusty Crowe and Rep. John Holsclaw of Elizabethton successfully ushered the Family Medicine Student Loan Repayment grant program through the General Assembly this session.

The program, signed by Gov. Bill Lee last week, provides up to $40,000 per year for up to five years for doctors in residency training who commit to provide medical services in an area of the state considered a health resource shortage area for five years after their training ends.

For a variety of reasons, including poor compensation and burnout, communities all over the country are experiencing the negative effects of a shortage of medical professionals.

The Association of American Medical Colleges projects a nationwide primary care physician shortage of between 17,800 and 48,000 in the next 10 years.

Those consequences can compound in rural areas like ours, where an aging population is experiencing a growing number of health problems.

We hope the student loan repayment program spearheaded by our local legislators will incentivize more family practitioners to serve our area and help to alleviate shortages, and we look forward to welcoming these new, dedicated doctors into our community.

-Johnson City Press