NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro, Ark., will waive some physicians’ medical school debt in exchange for a seven-year work commitment.
In an effort to attract physicians in difficult-to-recruit specialties, NEA Baptist is offering to reimburse medical school debt with the Chris and Jamie Fowler Family Physician Recruitment Fund, Arkansas Business reported Aug. 4.
The $10 million fund will be used to recruit these specialties: cardiology, critical care, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, internal medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, nocturnist, OB-GYN, oncology, orthopedic surgery, pediatrics, pulmonary and urology, according to the report.
There is no cap on how much debt the hospital will reimburse, provided the amount aligns with fair market value. Physicians who do not fulfill the seven-year employment commitment may be required to repay the reimbursement, the report said.
The 228-bed hospital is affiliated with Baptist Memorial Health Care, a 24-hospital system based in Memphis, Tenn. A spokesperson told Becker’s the list of specialties could change depending on future staffing needs.
NEA Baptist expects to hire up to six specialists through the program this year, the spokesperson said.
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