Support California’s Physician Loan Repayment Program
[Posted 12/21/06]

Physicians closing out their accounts for the year may want to consider a tax-deductible donation to the Steven M. Thompson Loan Repayment Program. By supporting this program you will help improve access to care in underserved communities in California.

Physicians selected for the program receive medical school loan repayment grants of up to $105,000 in exchange for a three-year commitment to serve in a medically underserved area of the state. The program was created under a CMA-sponsored law in 2002.

To qualify for a tax deduction on your 2006 return, your donation must be post-marked by December 31. (Donation forms are available here.)

The program is open to newly licensed physicians who commit to serve a minimum of three years in the approved geographic areas, which include official “health professionals shortage areas” (HPSA) and federally qualified “health center look-alikes,” community health centers, migrant health centers, and public housing centers. Last year, loan recipients worked in a variety of underserved areas throughout the state, from community clinics in downtown Los Angeles to farmworker health clinics in the Central Valley and rural health facilities in Northern California.

Please consider supporting this worthy program with a tax-deductible year-end donation. You will also have the opportunity to support the program with a voluntary donation during the medical license renewal process.

Contact: Susan Bassett, 916/444-5532 or sbassett@cmanet.org.