A rural community eligible to participate in the recruitment assistance program is any community in this state which:
(1) Has a population of ten thousand persons or less;
(2) Agrees to provide its portion of the incentive payment pursuant to the provisions of §§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive; and
(3) Is determined to be eligible by the Department of Health.
Before making a determination of eligibility, the Department of Health shall conduct a community assessment designed to evaluate the community's need for eligible providers and its ability to sustain and support the additional providers. The department shall maintain a list of communities which have been assessed and which are eligible for participation in the recruitment assistance program established by §§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive. The department may revise any community assessment or conduct a new assessment as necessary to reflect any change in conditions within a community.