OHIO DENTIST LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM SIGNS CONTRACTS WITH 7 NEW DENTISTS
The Ohio Dentist Loan Repayment Program recently signed contracts with seven new dentists who are serving in safety net dental clinics across Ohio.
Through the program, dentists sign two-year contracts for $50,000 of loan repayment ($25,000 per year) for working in a designated shortage area and agreeing to provide dental services for patients without regard to the patient’s ability to pay. They can contract for optional third and fourth years and receive up to $35,000 in loan repayment for each of those years.
“Knowing there is a contractual path to repaying my loans is a great ‘benefit,’” said Dr. Laura Lawrence, who recently signed a contract with the ODLRP. “I feel an urgency to unload my student debt and have confidence that accepting a lesser salary will not prevent me from repaying my loans in a timely manner. Because of the repayment program, I have little concern for being put in a position of resigning due to inability to repay student loans.”
Lawrence said she decided to work in a community health center because she found it was the best way to expand her reach into the larger communities that she was interested in providing care for.
“Whenever I make a big decision, I draw a pro vs. con list to help visualize the opportunity in a way that is more clearly defined,” she said. “Loan repayment was an item added to the pro list, meaning it held weight in my decision making, yet was not the sole reason I decided to join community health.”
Dr. Kyle Boyd, who recently signed a contract with the ODLRP, said he enjoyed serving in a safety net dental clinic environment during his residency, and after being in private practice missed the mission of the dental center and decided to return so he could help patients and educate residents at UC Health Dental Center.
“No one at our office ever looked at loan repayment as an option despite all of the great work that is done,” Boyd said. “We did some research and determined that our practice qualified. Working in an underserved area was definitely a drive for coming back to my current practice.”
Boyd said he really enjoys getting to work with the patients he is able to serve, and the loan repayment is an added bonus.
“The loan repayment will likely help with the recruitment of future providers so that they may spend some time helping underserved patients,” he said.
In 2024, a total of 19 dentists served in dental health resource shortage areas through the Ohio Dentist Loan Repayment Program.
The ODLRP, which is administered by the Ohio Department of Health, is funded by Ohio dentists, who pay a $40 surcharge that goes directly toward the ODLRP when they renew their licenses every two years.
A total of $97,500 in ODLRP funds was awarded in 2024. These dollars were leveraged by utilizing funds from the federal Bureau of Health Workforce State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) for 19 dentists ($500,000 SLRP funds). By leveraging the federal SLRP funds, a total of $597,500 was awarded to dentists through ODLRP/SLRP in 2024.
Since the program began in 2005, $1,655,578 state ODLRP dollars and $1,862,500 federal SLRP dollars have been awarded to dentists through the program.
From Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024, a total of 45,334 dental visits were provided to 29,286 patients by ODLRP dentists. Of those visits, 76% were provided to “vulnerable patients,” which include Medicaid, Medicare, sliding fee scale, no charge or other payer sources.
“Being a part of a safety net clinic has opened my eyes to the vast backgrounds of past medical/dental care, perspectives on health care based on country of origin and the meaningful services that can be provided within a safety net setting,” Lawrence said.
Since the program began, ODLRP dentists have seen 209,537 vulnerable patients (uninsured or on Medicaid), 272,877 total patients and provided 376,296 total visits.
“We see a greater percentage of adults with special needs in our practice. Being able to offer them a dental home is something that I really enjoy,” Boyd said. “Additionally, we have a large portion of our patient population that has multiple co-morbidities. Being able to help these patients alongside our medical colleagues allows us to focus on our patients’ overall health in addition to their oral health.”
42 dentists have completed service obligations through the ODLRP, and many dentists continue to practice in underserved areas after completing their contract with the ODLRP.
“I am very thankful that programs like this exist to help showcase/reward all the providers working in underserved areas,” Boyd said. “Hopefully, this will drive more providers to help patients who cannot find care elsewhere.”
The Ohio Dentist Loan Repayment Program (ODLRP) is currently accepting applications. The deadline to apply is March 14. For more information and to apply, click here.
