HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Gov. Tom Wolf is rolling out a new program aimed at incentivizing medical professionals to work in areas hardest hit by the opioid epidemic.

Wolf announced Wednesday the state will allocate $5 million in federal funding to an education loan repayment program for health care practitioners who provide treatment for substance abuse in areas with high opioid use and a shortage of practitioners.

The funding comes from a nearly $56 million Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant.

“The idea is to get doctors into underserved areas, doctors who would otherwise not be there, and to help them where they need help most, and that is to pay off the medical school debt that allowed them to learn the things we need them to know and help us address this opioid problem,” Wolf said.

Applications for the program will be available through June 3.

Practitioners are required to have already served two years treating substance use disorder and opioid addiction.