MACON – The Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center (GRHIC), housed in the Mercer University School of Medicine, was recognized by the Georgia State Senate for its consistent record of service to Georgia’s 120 rural counties.
“We believe rural communities are great places, essential to Georgia’s prosperity” said GRHIC Executive Director Tiffany Nelson. “The Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center helps those communities reach their goals and achieve positive health care outcomes through community-led collaboration.”
Earlier this year, the State Senate passed Resolution 950, recognizing the GRHIC for its service to those rural communities. The GRHIC has implemented a Hospital Leadership Training Program for rural, not-for-profit hospitals; created the Georgia Health Data Hub, a one-stop shop for health information pertinent to rural Georgia; and established the Georgia Rural Grand Challenges, a unifying framework for addressing health care needs throughout rural Georgia.
“It’s nice to be recognized, but the only recognition we are looking for is a healthy Georgia,” said Dr. Jean Sumner, dean of the Mercer University School of Medicine. “We are determined to improve health status in rural Georgia so that every Georgian feels like they have quality care in their community.”
For more information about the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, and the work they do, please visit www.georgiaruralhealth.org or call 478-301-4700.
About the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center
In 2018, Georgia lawmakers dedicated special funds to establish a new Rural Health Innovation Center tasked with confronting the complex health care challenges and wellness disparities facing rural communities. Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) was awarded the grant funds in 2019 and formally established the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center on its Macon campus. MUSM boasts a longstanding commitment to serving rural Georgia’s health needs, with a mission to educate physicians dedicated to tackling the health challenges in rural Georgia. The Rural Health Innovation Center serves as a critical resource to rural communities to improve access and effectiveness of health care by offering research, collaboration and training opportunities.
