Pediatric Healthcare Deserts in Rural Georgia

Rural towns across Georgia are home to special, tight-knit communities that fill vital roles in our state economy. Unfortunately, lack of access to high-quality medical care can make it challenging to raise a healthy family in those communities. Together, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Mercer University School of Medicine are on a mission to change that.

Access to quality healthcare in rural areas affects everyone, whether it’s where a family calls home, where their loved ones reside or where they happen to be when an emergency unfolds.

Of the 159 counties in Georgia, 120 are considered rural and more than half of those rural counties do not have a pediatrician practicing within county lines. When a family needs to travel for healthcare needs, it can disrupt everything from the parents’ work to the child’s education. Important checkups and screenings can be missed, and quick access to quality care in the event of an emergency is another story.

That’s why Children’s and Mercer University School of Medicine announced an initiative to improve access to pediatric medical care closer to home for families in rural Georgia. Two years later, programs are underway to increase the pipeline of pediatricians practicing in rural communities, improve the quality of care in rural hospitals, and expand local access to behavioral and mental health support.

In this episode, we’re joined by three special guests—Dean Jean Sumner of Mercer University School of Medicine; Marc Welsh, Vice President of Child Advocacy at Children’s; and Lauren Brooker, a medical school scholarship recipient who plans to start practicing in 2028. Together, they share unique insight into what’s being done to change the trajectory of kids’ health in rural Georgia—and, more importantly, why such efforts are so important. 

For more about this episode and our podcast, visit www.choa.org/podcasts.

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This podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be considered medical advice for any particular patient. Clinicians must rely on their own informed clinical judgments when making recommendations for their patients. Patients in need of medical or behavioral advice should consult their family healthcare providers. In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency department. Product mentions are not endorsements.