PRIMARY CARE RESIDENCY PROGRAM EXPANSION.

(a) Only residency positions in family practice, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology shall be eligible for these funds.

(b) The committee shall recommend to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board an allocation of new primary care residency positions that are to receive state support. The committee shall take into consideration in recommending an allocation among the four primary care specialties designated for expansion the following factors:

(1) the current primary care specialties mix of Texas physicians in direct practice;

(2) projections for the primary care specialties mix of Texas physicians in direct practice;

(3) the current state-supported primary care positions;

(4) geographic shortages for primary care physicians;

(5) federally designated and state designated medically underserved areas;

(6) the demographics of the Texas population; and

(7) the infrastructure of existing residency programs.

(c) Once funds are awarded to support a resident position of a particular residency program, the board shall continue to award funds to support that residency position for all three or four postgraduate years of the residency training curriculum until the resident physician appointed to that position has completed or left the program. The position would then be eligible for reallocation by the Primary Care Residency Advisory Committee.