A House committee working with rural communities to find ways to encourage economic growth and job creation met for two days last week – hearing testimony from agency heads, state and local leaders and numerous stakeholders on several areas of concern and importance that impact Georgia’s rural communities. Most of the testimony during the House Rural Development Council meetings focused on access to rural health care, aging support, medical coverage for veterans and service members, resources for children and families and updates on juvenile justice and mental health for young Georgians.
“Georgia’s rural communities make up the majority of the state’s population; therefore, it is imperative that we as a legislative body continue to prioritize the needs of Georgians living in rural parts of the state,” said state Rep. Gerald Green, R-Cuthbert.
Green serves as co-chair of the council for the 2023-2024 legislative term, along with state Rep. Mack Jackson, D-Sandersville. The House Rural Development Council was first created in 2017. During the 2023 legislative session, the council was renewed for the current term through the unanimous adoption of House Resolution 488.
The council received an update from the Georgia Health Initiative on various rural health indicators highlighting the needs and disparities for accessible health care across the state. This included an overview of county health rankings based on four overall categories: health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment. According to the report, approximately three in five rural counties are ranked in the bottom half for health outcomes and health factors.
Leaders of the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) spoke on the impact that the Rural Hospital Tax Credit Program has had on hospitals in rural Georgia and how those tax credit dollars are being spent to best serve the needs of all Georgians living in rural communities. And, Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) Commissioner Russel Carlson provided a review of supplemental funding for rural hospitals and the sources of that funding, including the State Directed Payment Preprints (DPP), the Rural Hospital Tax Credit (RHTC) Program and the Rural Hospital Stabilization (RHS) Grant Program.
Representatives from The Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University spoke on the need for more doctors and medical professionals across the state. According to their report, Georgia ranks 40th in the number of active physicians and 40th in the number of primary care physicians. In addition, the university reported that 89 of Georgia’s 159 counties are designated as care health professional shortage areas.
Also presenting to the council were representatives from the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) and the Georgia’s Council on Aging – who predicts the proportion of Georgia’s population who are age 60 and older is projected to grow rapidly in the next 20 years.
On the second day of hearings, the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) provided the council with an update on Georgia’s foster care system and emphasized the need for increased mental health services for adults and youth.
Representatives from Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) presented the council with an outline of their initiatives for rural Georgia. Currently, DBHDD is partnering with sheriffs in 30 southwest and central Georgia counties to conduct a transportation study assessing the impact of mental health transports on local law enforcement, particularly in rural areas. They also discussed the Georgia Apex Program, a school-based mental health program aimed at enhancing the accessibility of mental health services for school-aged youth from Pre-K to 12th grade across the state. DBHDD reports that 49.7 percent of Apex schools are in rural Georgia.
