GA lawmakers discuss medical access in underserved areas

STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - In Statesboro, state lawmakers are looking at ways to provide greater medical access in underserved parts of Georgia.

State data shows over 42% of Georgia is considered rural.

However, only 8% of physicians in the state live in those rural areas.

Different health care organizations presented ways to raise that percentage with free medical assistance.

Some of them include building more Federally Qualified Heath Centers and School Based- Health Centers in those rural communities.

Another suggestion made was that active recruitment and training of new healthcare workers should be more of a standard priority.

Jennie Denmark with East Georgia Healthcare Center, says that is exactly what they doing at their facility in Swainsboro.

“We did 186 weeks of training last year. That is only going to grow because the more you train, the more you can recruit,” said Denmark.

Healthcare representatives also said they are trying to recruit native Georgians in local medical programs to encourage growing the workforce in this state.