The University of Iowa Health Alliance will announce a major commitment over several years to help fund the Iowa Rural Physician Loan Repayment Program at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6 in the Medical Education and Research Facility (MERF) atrium on the UI campus in Iowa City.

The Iowa Legislature established the Rural Physician Loan Repayment Program in 2012. The program provides loan repayments for medical students who agree to practice as physicians in rural areas for five years following graduation and meet certain requirements.

Leaders attending the announcement include Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad; Board of Regents, State of Iowa, President Bruce Rastetter; UI President Sally Mason; Jean Robillard, M.D., UI vice president for medical affairs; Dave Vellinga, board chair, UI Health Alliance; Debra Schwinn, M.D., dean, UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine; and Brent Hoehns, M.D., incoming president of the Iowa Academy of Family Physicians.

A mult-box will be provided and time is reserved on the schedule of the event for responding to questions from journalists.