We, the undersigned, wholeheartedly support the initiative to increase the primary care physician workforce in underserved regions of Washington by creating a state medical school loan program.

All of us need quality healthcare to achieve our goals. We know that there are 19 severely underserved counties in Washington, with physician per-capita less than half of the national average. We appreciate that limited access to primary care takes a disproportionate toll on rural and poor communities. We believe all qualified Washingtonians should have the opportunity to pursue medical education and we believe all Washingtonians should receive excellent healthcare.

We therefore strongly support the initiative to use a self-sustaining incentivized loan program for medical students in order to address the primary care doctor shortage in underserved areas of Washington. We urge the state legislature to complete and fund the RCW 28B.97.010 Washington Higher Education Loan Program to create a state loan program that:

• includes interest-rate incentives for practicing in primary care and in underserved communities,
• would be open to any student enrolled at a Washington medical school, and
• prioritizes students who do not have adequate access to other loans.

We expect this program would:

• act synergistically with current loan repayment programs by engaging future physicians at the front-end of their careers, rather than after the completion of training,
• be a win-win in that the state either benefits from more doctors or a 7% return on investment,
• provide opportunities for students without access to federal loans to finance medical school,
• be financially self-sustaining.

We believe this self-sustaining effort will improve the overall health of our most neglected communities.

Sincerely,