Mercer University’s new president emphasizes training healthcare workers for underserved areas

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Dr. Penny Elkins has been selected as the 19th president in Mercer University’s history.

Elkins is also a Mercer graduate and a “Double Bear” who has earned two degrees from the university.

Mercer operates seven campuses across the state, including its School of Medicine in Savannah. Elkins said the medical school’s mission centers on addressing Georgia’s healthcare needs in underserved areas.

“The reason we began the medical school at Mercer University is because the state came to us and said, ‘We are in dire need of providing high quality doctors for rural and underserved areas of Georgia,’” Elkins said. “So that is our mission. We only accept Georgians into our School of Medicine at Mercer.”

Mercer University admits students by zip code, a strategy designed to recruit future healthcare professionals from rural communities who can then return home and serve the areas that need them most.

Presidential priorities

Elkins outlined three top priorities as president. The first includes increased opportunities for students through internships, career placement and residency programs.

The second involves expanding Mercer’s academic enterprise beyond its 12 colleges at seven campuses across the state.

The third focuses on highlighting work the university, its students and faculty do.

“We expect that students are going to give back to their communities and their world in small and big ways - more than they ever imagined that they could,” Elkins said. “We have this phrase at Mercer that says ‘At Mercer, everyone majors in changing the world.’ Tat really does, in a very simple way, tell you what our expectation is for our students.”

Watch the extended conversation with Dr. Elkins from WTOC+ below: