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Image Credit: Lee Coursey/Georgia Public Broadcasting
Preserving Rural Georgia through Healthcare Initiatives
An Interactive Presentation Powered by the Rural Studies Institute
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Image Credit: discovergeorgiahomes.com
Synopsis
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Rural Georgia is a vibrant, tight-knit community that is vital to the state's culture and economy. Despite this, rural Georgia's healthcare infrastructure has been in decline due to unsustainable policies and a lack of meaningful investment. However, personal stories of triumph and specific, effective policy could quickly transform this often-overlooked region.
Return here anytime
Index
1. Rural Focus is Key
4. Strategies for Change
5. Policy Proposals
2. Significant Healthcare Disparity
6. Conclusion
3. Personal Stories
Rural Focus is Key
Our Definition of "Rural"
The term "rural" does not have one accepted definition. Some are based on population, while others are baed on economy. In this presentation, we define a rural area as a county with a population under 50,000, the definition used by the US Department of Agriculture as well as the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
Image Credit: Georgia's Rural Center
The map from shows how many counties in Georgia are considered rural according to this definition.
Image Credit: World Atlas
Why do we want to preserve rural Georgia?
Rural Georgia brings a unique element to the culture of the state, known for its beautiful landscapes and tight-knit communities.
Rural Georgia is also an essential part of the state's economy, including industries like agrotourism, farming, and manufacturing. Southern areas and their traditions could be at risk in the future if current trends continue. Our goal is to support this often overlooked environment so these communities can flourish.
Image Credit: Southern Comfort Rental Cabins
Stories from Rural Georgia
Rural Renaissance
Rural Georgia's Podcast
Hometown Hero
Click the image above to listen to a podcast exploring life in rural Georgia. It centers on everyday perspectives with a focus on rural Georgia's unique healthcare challenges
Click the image above to read a story about growing up in rural Georgia and how small towns across the state are rediscovering their energy, identity, and sense of possibility.
Click the image above to read about Annie B. Jones, a bookseller whose community-driven work captures the spirit of rural Georgia
Major Healthcare Disparity
What is the significance of healthcare?
DISPARITY 2.32 million people live in rural Georgia, but the average health of people living in these communities is vastly different from those in urban areas (Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center).
COMMUNITY An increasing number of rural counties are seeing higher death rates than birth rates. Influencing this is "rural flight," a phenomenon attributing to an aging population and potential socioeconomic issues for rural areas (Hayslett).
PRECEDENT In Madison County, NC, increased investment in health had significant impacts. The obesity rate decreased by 18%, heart disease hospitalization decreased by 12%, and the cancer survival rate increased by 12% (Appalachian Regional Commission).
Image Credit: USDA.gov
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Image Credit: Brightside Media Group
The numbers tell the story.
According to the House of Representatives Rural Development Council...
Georgia's physician-to-patient ratio is 23% worse than the national average. 142 of 159 counties in Georgia, primarily rural ones, are designated Health Professional Shortage Areas, meaning there are 3,500+ patients per provider. These counties are facing a plethora of issues, including a lack of physicians, poor EMS services, hospital closures, and lack of transportation to providers. This has only increased in the years since the pandemic (House of Representatives Rural Development Council).
See Georgia's hospital availability by county
A lack of healthcare availability is disproportionately affecting rural Georgia.
Click the button for a local news video on healthcare in Hancock County.
Image Credit: Farm Credit Service America
Personal Stories Across the South
Many communties across the South have faced the difficulties of re-opening closed hospitals. These smaller communities have found it difficult to take matters into their own hands, but a few have managed to unite with government officials to secure funding and fight for their hospitals (Wright).
+ full story
Image Credit: Capital B News
Strategies for Change
The State's Role
Strategic investment is key because...
- It promotes regional growth in target areas, as seen in similar cases in the Appalachian region.
- It preserves rural Georgia’s identity by maintaining its communities.
- It helps to expand its local industries in healthcare for long term benefits.
Image Credit: Piepho.com
3 Policy Suggestions
(Proposals and information are from these 2024 recommendations by the Rural Development Council)
Increase EMS standards
Proposal 3:
Increase rural hospital tax credit
Proposal 2:
Primary Care
Proposal 1:
Image Credit: EMS Rig
Image Credit: Wellington AMC
Image Credit: Wake 8 News
Conclusion
Focus on primary care, tax credit, and EMS standards
Heatlhcare is an issue in southern, rural Georgia
Get the word out and we can make a difference
Communities have come together to address the problem
For widespread, longterm solutions, state investment is key
image credit: Explore Georgia
Click the logo below!
Want more information?
Visit the Rural Studies Institute's website. There, you can explore more rural Georgian stories, learn about rural living, and get into contact with experts.
Works Cited
- Appalachian Regional Commission. “Strengthening the Future of Appalachia’s Healthcare Workforce.” Appalachian Regional Commission, 20 Nov. 2024, www.arc.gov/investment/strengthening-the-future-of-appalachias-healthcare-workforce/.
- Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. Rural Hospitals at Risk of Closing. CHQPR, 2023, https://chqpr.org/downloads/Rural_Hospitals_at_Risk_of_Closing.pdf.
- Georgia Department of Community Affairs. “Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act.” Georgia Department of Community Affairs, https://dca.georgia.gov/financing-tools/incentives/georgia-agribusiness-and-rural-jobs-act. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
- Georgia Department of Community Health. “SORH Maps of Georgia.” State Office of Rural Health, 2025, https://dch.georgia.gov/divisionsoffices/state-office-rural-health/sorh-maps-georgia.
- Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center. “Rural Health Information.” Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, https://www.georgiaruralhealth.org/rural-health-information/. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
- Greene, Gerald, and Mack Jackson, co-chairs. House of Representatives Rural Development Council: 2024 Overview and Recommendations. Georgia House Rural Development Council, Dec. 2024, www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/house-study-committee-document-library-page/rural-development-council/2024-house-rural-development-council-final-report.pdf?sfvrsn=10ea438b_2.
- Hayslett, Charles. “Mapping the Death of Rural Georgia.” Trouble in God’s Country, 12 Aug. 2025, https://troubleingodscountry.com/2025/08/12/mapping-the-death-of-rural-georgia/.
- Williams, Kamilah. “Sparta Health Departments to Improve County Health Care Access After Health Ranking.” 13WMAZ, 30 May 2023, https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/health/sparta-health-departments-to-improve-county-health-care-access-after-health-ranking-1/93-e0625ce8-cd92-43c4-96bd-5e4de3ebd8f8.
- Wright, Aallyah. “Healing a Dark Past: The Long Road to Reopening Hospitals in the Rural South.” Capital B News, 12 Aug. 2024, https://capitalbnews.org/reversing-rural-hospital-closures/.
Support new families
PRIMARY CARE
Solid primary care is the foundation for a solid healthcare system. The biggest issue in many of these rural areas is simply that they have no primary care provider near them. Funding to create more pediatric infrastructure could solve a multitude of problems for residents of rural counties, creating a snowball effect that ultimately leads to more people looking to move to and work in rural Georgia.
incentivize medical development
INCREASE RURAL HOSPITAL TAX CREDIT
Another broad way to help healthcare in rural Georgia is to increase tax credit for healthcare providers. The current annual aggregate limit for Georgia's Rural Hospital Tax Credit is $100M. This program has been great for rural hospitals since it started in 2017, but it is simply not enough in its current state. Increasing this tax credit to $150M can give rural healthcare providers the ability to adopt new technologies to help more rural citizens as well as to increase wages and provide other benefits to attract workers to the area.
These points are recommendations from Georgia’s Rural Center during the House Rural Development Committee’s (HRDC) 2024 end-of-year meeting.
Video Credit: 13WMAZ News
Listen to the testimonials from residents of Hancock County as they detail the difficulties they've had with the recent state of rural healthcare.
Video Credit: 13WMAZ News
Listen to the testimonials from residents of Hancock County as they detail the difficulties they've had with the recent state of rural healthcare.
Very few rural counties have hospitals. The ones that do are often only for critical patients, demonstrating the lack of support that comes from the present hospitals in rural Georgia.
Image Credit: State Office of Rural Health
shorten response times
INCREASE EMS STANDARDS
Similarly to primary care, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) systems are essential to keeping a healthy community and preventing emigration from rural areas. In many rural counties, there are not enough ambulances to keep up with medical needs, often preventing people from getting the care they need. Having proper legislation to require a certain amount of ambulances per county will greatly help out these areas.
These points are recommendations from Georgia’s Rural Center during the House Rural Development Committee’s (HRDC) 2024 end-of-year meeting. Click this text to see the full document and recommendations.
How Closures Harm Communities:
- The only hospital in Cuthbert, Georgia closed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased costs from aging infrastructure.
- Residents were now expected to have to travel 30+ minutes for all healthcare.
- However the Cuthbert community took matters into their own hands. After conveying the issue through several testimonies to council officials, they secured more than $4 million from the USDA Community Facilities Program, enough to begin reopening the hospital in some capacity (Wright).
Image Credit: Georgia Public Broadcasting
Read the full Captial B News article here
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Transcript
First, how are you viewing?
On a phone
On a computer
Image Credit: Lee Coursey/Georgia Public Broadcasting
Preserving Rural Georgia through Healthcare Initiatives
An Interactive Presentation Powered by the Rural Studies Institute
Let's go!
Image Credit: discovergeorgiahomes.com
Synopsis
Take me to the first page!
Rural Georgia is a vibrant, tight-knit community that is vital to the state's culture and economy. Despite this, rural Georgia's healthcare infrastructure has been in decline due to unsustainable policies and a lack of meaningful investment. However, personal stories of triumph and specific, effective policy could quickly transform this often-overlooked region.
Return here anytime
Index
1. Rural Focus is Key
4. Strategies for Change
5. Policy Proposals
2. Significant Healthcare Disparity
6. Conclusion
3. Personal Stories
Rural Focus is Key
Our Definition of "Rural"
The term "rural" does not have one accepted definition. Some are based on population, while others are baed on economy. In this presentation, we define a rural area as a county with a population under 50,000, the definition used by the US Department of Agriculture as well as the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
Image Credit: Georgia's Rural Center
The map from shows how many counties in Georgia are considered rural according to this definition.
Image Credit: World Atlas
Why do we want to preserve rural Georgia?
Rural Georgia brings a unique element to the culture of the state, known for its beautiful landscapes and tight-knit communities.
Rural Georgia is also an essential part of the state's economy, including industries like agrotourism, farming, and manufacturing. Southern areas and their traditions could be at risk in the future if current trends continue. Our goal is to support this often overlooked environment so these communities can flourish.
Image Credit: Southern Comfort Rental Cabins
Stories from Rural Georgia
Rural Renaissance
Rural Georgia's Podcast
Hometown Hero
Click the image above to listen to a podcast exploring life in rural Georgia. It centers on everyday perspectives with a focus on rural Georgia's unique healthcare challenges
Click the image above to read a story about growing up in rural Georgia and how small towns across the state are rediscovering their energy, identity, and sense of possibility.
Click the image above to read about Annie B. Jones, a bookseller whose community-driven work captures the spirit of rural Georgia
Major Healthcare Disparity
What is the significance of healthcare?
DISPARITY 2.32 million people live in rural Georgia, but the average health of people living in these communities is vastly different from those in urban areas (Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center).
COMMUNITY An increasing number of rural counties are seeing higher death rates than birth rates. Influencing this is "rural flight," a phenomenon attributing to an aging population and potential socioeconomic issues for rural areas (Hayslett).
PRECEDENT In Madison County, NC, increased investment in health had significant impacts. The obesity rate decreased by 18%, heart disease hospitalization decreased by 12%, and the cancer survival rate increased by 12% (Appalachian Regional Commission).
Image Credit: USDA.gov
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Image Credit: Brightside Media Group
The numbers tell the story.
According to the House of Representatives Rural Development Council...
Georgia's physician-to-patient ratio is 23% worse than the national average. 142 of 159 counties in Georgia, primarily rural ones, are designated Health Professional Shortage Areas, meaning there are 3,500+ patients per provider. These counties are facing a plethora of issues, including a lack of physicians, poor EMS services, hospital closures, and lack of transportation to providers. This has only increased in the years since the pandemic (House of Representatives Rural Development Council).
See Georgia's hospital availability by county
A lack of healthcare availability is disproportionately affecting rural Georgia.
Click the button for a local news video on healthcare in Hancock County.
Image Credit: Farm Credit Service America
Personal Stories Across the South
Many communties across the South have faced the difficulties of re-opening closed hospitals. These smaller communities have found it difficult to take matters into their own hands, but a few have managed to unite with government officials to secure funding and fight for their hospitals (Wright).
+ full story
Image Credit: Capital B News
Strategies for Change
The State's Role
Strategic investment is key because...
Image Credit: Piepho.com
3 Policy Suggestions
(Proposals and information are from these 2024 recommendations by the Rural Development Council)
Increase EMS standards
Proposal 3:
Increase rural hospital tax credit
Proposal 2:
Primary Care
Proposal 1:
Image Credit: EMS Rig
Image Credit: Wellington AMC
Image Credit: Wake 8 News
Conclusion
Focus on primary care, tax credit, and EMS standards
Heatlhcare is an issue in southern, rural Georgia
Get the word out and we can make a difference
Communities have come together to address the problem
For widespread, longterm solutions, state investment is key
image credit: Explore Georgia
Click the logo below!
Want more information?
Visit the Rural Studies Institute's website. There, you can explore more rural Georgian stories, learn about rural living, and get into contact with experts.
Works Cited
Support new families
PRIMARY CARE
Solid primary care is the foundation for a solid healthcare system. The biggest issue in many of these rural areas is simply that they have no primary care provider near them. Funding to create more pediatric infrastructure could solve a multitude of problems for residents of rural counties, creating a snowball effect that ultimately leads to more people looking to move to and work in rural Georgia.
incentivize medical development
INCREASE RURAL HOSPITAL TAX CREDIT
Another broad way to help healthcare in rural Georgia is to increase tax credit for healthcare providers. The current annual aggregate limit for Georgia's Rural Hospital Tax Credit is $100M. This program has been great for rural hospitals since it started in 2017, but it is simply not enough in its current state. Increasing this tax credit to $150M can give rural healthcare providers the ability to adopt new technologies to help more rural citizens as well as to increase wages and provide other benefits to attract workers to the area.
These points are recommendations from Georgia’s Rural Center during the House Rural Development Committee’s (HRDC) 2024 end-of-year meeting.
Video Credit: 13WMAZ News
Listen to the testimonials from residents of Hancock County as they detail the difficulties they've had with the recent state of rural healthcare.
Video Credit: 13WMAZ News
Listen to the testimonials from residents of Hancock County as they detail the difficulties they've had with the recent state of rural healthcare.
Very few rural counties have hospitals. The ones that do are often only for critical patients, demonstrating the lack of support that comes from the present hospitals in rural Georgia.
Image Credit: State Office of Rural Health
shorten response times
INCREASE EMS STANDARDS
Similarly to primary care, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) systems are essential to keeping a healthy community and preventing emigration from rural areas. In many rural counties, there are not enough ambulances to keep up with medical needs, often preventing people from getting the care they need. Having proper legislation to require a certain amount of ambulances per county will greatly help out these areas.
These points are recommendations from Georgia’s Rural Center during the House Rural Development Committee’s (HRDC) 2024 end-of-year meeting. Click this text to see the full document and recommendations.
How Closures Harm Communities:
Image Credit: Georgia Public Broadcasting
Read the full Captial B News article here