DOVER, DE (March 14, 2023) The Division of Public Health (DPH) is continuing its recruitment push to attract more medical professionals to live and work in Delaware.
As part of that recruitment effort, DPH, in conjunction with the Middletown-based Epic Marketing Consultants Corporation, developed a recruitment video touting the benefits of being a health care professional in Delaware. The video features a number of health care professionals from across the state, including Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, MSN, PhD; Dr. Megan Werner, MD, MPH, FAAFP, Westside Family Healthcare; Karyl Rattay, MD, MS, former director of the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH); and others.
“It is a home environment, and whether they choose a beach, a rural western area in our state, or if they choose to go to the inner city of Wilmington or in our state capital of Dover, there are a lot of opportunities in the seven health systems,” Lt. Gov. Hall-Long said as part of the recruitment video.
As Delaware’s population grows and becomes more diverse, health care providers are seeing an increase in demand for a range of services and assistance in various communities across the state. Delaware has a number of federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) seeking highly qualified providers in the areas of family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, gynecology/obstetrics, dentistry, and psychiatry.
Medical professionals living in Delaware may also be eligible to receive financial benefits — such as National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and state loan repayment opportunities — that position them to get the best return on their investment and can help remunerate medical education expenses.
- The Delaware State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) provides educational debt relief to cover a portion of government and commercial loans incurred during one’s health profession education up to $50,000 annually.
- The Delaware Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program (HCPLRP) is a state-sponsored educational debt relief program for medical providers, awarding up to $50,000 annually to eligible health care professionals.
- The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) provides practical experience to physicians around the country and offers financial incentives like the NHSC Loan Repayment Program and the NHSC Scholar Program, both offering tax-free funding for educational expenses.
Another opportunity for health care professionals considering Delaware is the Conrad State 30/J-1 Visa Waiver program, which allows foreign medical graduates who have been admitted to the U.S. for medical training to remain in Delaware. Up to 30 J-1 physicians per year are accepted into the waiver program in Delaware, where they serve in HPSAs and MUAs. Each of Delaware’s three counties have major hospital systems with which to affiliate, and the state ranks first for hospital quality in the nation (“Best States Rankings,” U.S. News & World Report, 2019). The state is home to several leading hospitals and health care systems that offer state-of-the-art facilities and a range of specialties. These institutions provide health care providers with access to advanced technology and resources to deliver high-quality care. DHSS is also hoping to attract medical professionals to the area as both a great place to live and to work. The First State has abundant resources, amenities, and attractive locations. Delaware has a favorable regulatory environment for health care providers, with relatively low malpractice insurance rates, no sales tax, and low personal income tax rates. The state’s central location on the East Coast provides easy access to major metropolitan areas like Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C., which opens up additional opportunities for networking and professional development. DHSS is available to link medical professionals with the programs best suited to their needs and interests. Call the Division of Public Health’s Primary Care Office at 302-741-8599 or visit https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/hsm/bhprmhome.html to learn more about the Delaware advantage and opportunities available.