Each episode of Rural Georgia Voices will feature insightful conversations with experts and leaders from various sectors of rural health care. The interconnectedness of community members, physicians and health care providers, educators, and policymakers who collaborate to address the unique challenges of rural Georgia will be explored.
Host: Glenda Grant, MBA, Executive Director, Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center at Mercer University School of Medicine
Producer: Evey Wilson Wetherbee
Season 1 out now
Available on:
Podcast Episodes
Debut Episode | December 19, 2024
Perspectives from a Rural Georgia Physician
Guest: Jean R. Sumner, MD, MACP, Mercer University School of Medicine Dean
Join Glenda Grant, MBA, executive director of the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, as she speaks with Dr. Jean Sumner, dean of Mercer University School of Medicine, about her journey from a rural upbringing to leading efforts to improve health care in rural Georgia. They discuss the School of Medicine’s mission to train physicians for rural Georgia, the transformative Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Initiative, and the resilience of rural communities. Hear inspiring stories, challenges in rural health care, and the impact of building trust and collaboration to create healthier futures.
Season 1 Episode 1 | November 13, 2025
What’s Really Behind the Cost of Your Prescriptions
Guest: Danny Toth, RPh, President of Veracity Benefits
Join Glenda Grant, GRHIC executive director, and Danny Toth, RPh, as they discuss prescription drug pricing. Toth is regarded as an expert in pharmacy benefit management and has been highly influential in legislation to make drug pricing and benefit management transparent for all Georgians. If you’ve ever wondered why prescription drugs are so expensive — and what you can do about it — you won’t want to miss this episode. Toth is a pharmacist, president of Veracity Benefits, former owner of a rural pharmacy, past president of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, and an alumnus of Mercer University College of Pharmacy.
Season 1 Episode 2 | November 21, 2025
Caring for Rural Kids: The Work, The Wins and The Realities
Guests: Dr. Grace Davis (Worth County), Dr. Brittany Lord (Dodge and Telfair Counties), Dr. Jennifer Tarbutton (Washington County)
In this episode, we’re focusing on the heart of our rural communities — our kids. GRHIC Executive Director Glenda Grant sits down with rural pediatricians Dr. Grace Davis, Dr. Brittany Lord and Dr. Jennifer Tarbutton to talk about what’s working, what’s challenging and what keeps them inspired. They also share vaccine facts and myths to help families stay informed with trusted, evidence-based information.
Season 1 Episode 3 | November 26, 2025
Community, Resilience and Hope: The Impact of Rural Hospitals
Guests: Clinch Memorial CEO Angela Handley, MBA, BSN, Emmanuel Medical Center CEO Damien Scott, PT, MBA, MS, FACHE, and Aletheia Health Partners Chief Administrative Officer Kerry Trapnell
GRHIC Executive Director Glenda Grant, MBA, sits down with three rural hospital CEOs for an honest conversation about what it takes to lead in small communities. They share the wins that keep them motivated, the hard realities of managing rural hospitals, and the deep sense of purpose they draw from the people they serve. Their stories highlight both the challenges and the heart of rural health care —and why their communities remain the reason they show up every day.
Season 1 Episode 4 | December 3, 2025
Elder Care in Rural Georgia
Guest: Dr. Nick Morrow
Rural Georgia’s older adults are one of our fastest-growing and most treasured communities — and this week, we’re talking about their care with GRHIC Executive Director Glenda Grant and Nick Morrow, MD, CMD. Dr. Morrow, a native Georgian, rural physician and Mercer University School of Medicine alum, shares why serving older adults in rural areas is his life’s work.
Season 1 Episode 5 | December 10, 2025
Boots and Scrubs: Hometown Deliveries
Guest: Dr. Justin Peterson (Coffee County)
In this episode, we’re focusing on women’s health in a rural community. GRHIC Executive Director Glenda Grant, MBA, is joined by Justin Peterson, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist and an alum of Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Peterson always knew he was called to serve in his hometown of Douglas, Georgia. In this episode, he reflects on his rural upbringing, the mentors who shaped his path into women’s health, and the deep sense of ministry he feels in serving women and families in the community that raised him.
Season 1 Episode 6 | December 17, 2025
Partnerships That Save Lives: Stroke Response in Rural Georgia
Guest: Dr. Jean R. Sumner and Dr. Sourabh Lahoti
In our final episode of this season, we explore how rural and urban health care teams work together to save stroke patients when every minute counts. GRHIC Executive Director Glenda Grant, MBA, talks with Mercer University School of Medicine Dean Jean Sumner, MD, MACP, and neurointerventional surgeon Sourabh Lahoti, MD, about how early recognition, rapid transfer, and strong partnerships can transform stroke care across Georgia.