The general assembly finds that:
(1) It is the right of every citizen of the state to have ready access to quality health care; and
(2) Health care facilities serving the poor, including community health centers throughout the state, are experiencing increasing difficulty in attracting and retaining physicians and other health professionals to administer to the needy populations they serve. Therefore, it is the general assembly’s intent to provide incentives, in the form of loan repayment, to physicians, dentists, dental hygienists, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, physician assistants and any other eligible health care professional under § 338A of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. § 254l, who desire to serve the health care needs of medically underserved individuals in Rhode Island.