Recruitment and Retention Programs

The South Carolina AHEC is committed to assist with the recruitment and retention of health professionals in South Carolina. The South Carolina AHEC Recruitment and Retention Programs sponsor a number of initiatives to address the employment needs of the state’s health care workforce.

Physician Incentive Program Grants
Rural Physician Program Incentive Grants provide a financial base for physicians and advanced level practitioners to assist them in establishing practices in South Carolina. Grants are available to board certified primary care physicians who commit to practice primary care medicine in a Health Professions Shortage Area of their choice for four years. Statistics have shown that retention rates are greatly enhanced if these professionals remain in a site for four or more years. This is true in South Carolina’s program, which has a retention rate of approximately 90% for those in private practice.


Funding is also available to advanced level practitioners (nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, physician assistants) who agree to provide primary health care to citizens of rural, remote or underserved areas of our State. Grants may be awarded for four years, for up to $20,000, in exchange for a commitment to a designated underserved area.

The National Health Services Corps’ State Loan Repayment Program
The NHSC Loan Repayment Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration. This program provides grants to physicians and advanced level practitioners to pay off their educational loans in exchange for a commitment to practice in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas in South Carolina. Eligible practitioners include primary care physicians, nurse midwives, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who may contract to practice for a maximum of four years. The maximum repayment amount is $20,000 per year for physicians, and $10,000 per year for advanced level participants.

Family Medicine Interest Day
The Family Medicine Interest Day is designed to promote the specialty of family medicine as a career option and to recruit medical students into the South Carolina AHEC’s Family Medicine Residency Training Programs. Medical students have the opportunity to network with family medicine residency training program directors and their residents. Medical students from the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine are invited, along with medical students from all the southeastern medical schools. This event is a joint venture between the South Carolina AHEC, the South Carolina Family Practice Residency Programs and the South Carolina Academy of Family Physicians.

The Locum Tenens Program
The Locum Tenens Program provides assistance to family practice and pediatric physicians who work in rural or isolated practice sites by allowing the physicians to attend medical education seminars or take vacation with their families. Locum Tenens services provide relief for physicians who might otherwise burnout and abandon a rural practice in favor of a more urban site where relief is more readily available. This service is provided at a substantially reduced rate when compared to professional Locum Tenens services, due to multiple funding sources including South Carolina AHEC, the statewide Family Practice Residency Program Directors, and the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Rural Dentist Program Incentive Grants
In July of 2005, the Rural Dentist Program was established by the South Carolina Legislature. The funds for this program are appropriated to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and are administered by the South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium. The program assists in the repayment for educational loans of dentists who practice in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or serve as full-time faculty at the MUSC College of Dental Medicine. The expectation is that during their commitment period these dentists will establish viable practices or academic careers at the College of Dental Medicine, become involved in their respective communities and remain after the funding period is over. Priority for this program is given to those demonstrating need and expressing intent to remain in an underserved area or in an area of critical need at the MUSC College of Dental Medicine. Applications can be downloaded HERE.

For more information about South Carolina AHEC’s Recruitment and Retention Programs, please contact Becky Seignious at (843) 792-4439 or seignior@musc.edu

SC Office of Rural Health - Recruitment Website
The SC Office of Rural Health is dedicated to improving access to quality healthcare in rural communities.  An important part of that mission involves recruiting the best providers.  Providers interested in an interactive website that connects physicians and advanced level practitioners with jobs and employers in rural areas of South Carolina should visit www.schealthcare.com.  There are over 160 jobs posted across the state and this number is expected to grow.  The SC Office of Rural Health looks forward to helping you with your search!