(1) The Office of Rural Health shall provide technical assistance to rural communities interested in developing health care delivery systems.

(2) Communities shall make application for this technical assistance on forms developed by the office for this purpose.

(3) The office may make grants or loans to rural communities for the purpose of establishing or maintaining medical care services.

(4) The office shall make the final decision concerning which communities receive the moneys and whether a loan is made or a grant is given.

(5) The office shall provide technical assistance and coordination of rural health activities through staff services, which include monitoring, evaluation, community needs analysis, information gathering and disseminating, guidance, linkages and research. [1979 c.513 § 8; 1981 c.693 § 22; 1983 c.482 § 21; 2021 c.97 § 58]