MACON – Glenda Grant, who has served as interim executive director of the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center (GRHIC) at Mercer University School of Medicine since April 6, 2021, has been selected as its executive director, Jean Sumner, M.D., FACP, dean of the School of Medicine, announced recently.
Grant joined the School of Medicine in 2017 in the Department of Academic Affairs and has worked with Special Programs, Academic Success, and most recently served as director of strategic initiatives. She has a strong background in rural hospital administration, nonprofit management and higher education.
“Glenda is an incredible leader, creative problem-solver, tireless worker and accomplished individual. She is deeply committed to the mission of the GRHIC and has an innate ability to inspire and empower her teammates to achieve their best work,” said Dr. Sumner. “Her skill, intellect and experience in rural health make her the perfect individual to lead the center.”
Grant has held many roles in health care administration, from starting a medical foundation to building a wellness center to managing rural health clinics. She is also dedicated to making a difference in the community. Whether Grant is serving as president of Main Street Business Association or delivering meals to the homeless, she has a heart for service and a love for people.
“My roots and my heart are in rural Georgia. The team of people in the Center are exceptional and want to make a difference. I am honored and excited to collaborate with rural communities to bring solutions that improve health and access to care,” said Grant.
Grant earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Valdosta State University and will complete her Master of Business Administration with a focus on health care administration from Mercer’s Stetson-Hatcher School of Business this summer. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma and Sigma Tau Delta honor societies.
Grant was raised in Thomaston, Georgia, and has resided in Macon for more than 10 years. She and her husband, Keith, have two children, a daughter who is an undergraduate at Mercer and a son who is a paramedic working with adults with disabilities in Utah.
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 health 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.
