The Mercer University School of Medicine was awarded grant funds from the state of Georgia and formally established the new Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center on its Macon campus. The Mercer University School of Medicine boasts a long-standing commitment to serving rural Georgia’s health needs, with a mission to educate physicians dedicated to tackling the health challenges in rural Georgia.

Legislators identified and established numerous charges for the Center, to include the development of research programs, analyzing significant health system problems, and proposing solutions. With that mandate, the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center partners with rural counties to improve health outcomes in their communities. Informed by the data and community stakeholders, our diverse team develops targeted improvement projects, evaluates rural health care delivery systems and their fiscal stability, conducts Rapid Action Assessments based on health risk status of the County, and maintains our rural physician and health care access point locator.