February 27, 2023 – Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Children’s) today announced they will be working together to launch a major initiative focused on improving pediatric healthcare in rural Georgia. The announcement, which was made by Gov. Brian Kemp at the Georgia State Capitol with legislators and healthcare leaders in attendance, includes a series of pilot programs focused on improving access to pediatric care close to home. The affiliation will be funded by a dedicated and long-term sustainable fund of $200 million that the Children’s Board of Trustees allocated in 2022.
One of the top priorities that Mercer has already identified is an urgent need for more pediatricians throughout Georgia. To help increase access to pediatricians in rural counties, Children’s is funding 10 full-tuition scholarships in 2023 through a program at Mercer University School of Medicine for medical students specializing in pediatrics who commit to serving in rural Georgia for at least four years after residency.
In addition, the funding will allow the School of Medicine to leverage its demonstrated understanding of the healthcare needs of rural communities to conduct and evaluate the pilot programs. Children’s will provide the specialized pediatric clinical knowledge needed to launch and sustain those programs.
Proposed Rural Healthcare pilots and projects include:
- Helping Rural Hospitals be “Kid Ready” – To help rural hospitals better prepare and treat pediatric patients in emergency departments, this initiative will assist rural hospitals enrolled in the pilot program to be considered “Kid Ready.”
- Supporting Rural Pediatricians – Training and resources will be provided to physicians focused on challenges regularly faced in rural practices. MUSM has identified a need for specialty consult services via telehealth for rural patients and a network of pediatricians focused on rural pediatric health.
- Expanding Behavioral and Mental Health Support – MUSM and Children’s will work with schools, pediatricians and hospitals to develop a comprehensive approach to pediatric mental health in two communities with virtual mental health services and a focus on suicide awareness and prevention.