Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center Mercer University School of Medicine

11/17/2025

Earlier this week, GRHIC and the State Office of Rural Health hosted a recruitment fair on Mercer University School of Medicine's Macon campus. The event brought together medical students and residents interested in working with hospitals and medical practices in Georgia’s rural communities.

11/17/2025

Join Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance Director John McElveen, EdD, and Community Resiliency Model GA, Inc. CEO Linda Grabbe, PhD, on Thursday, Nov. 20, for a free online seminar. The session will cover simple, proven tools for managing stress and getting back “in the zone” for those facing the pressures of farm life or rural living, including strategies to stay focused, calm and resilient.

🔗 Bookmark this link and join us on Zoom: garuralhealth.link/GAWA-CRM

11/16/2025

We congratulate our own Dr. Jean Sumner for receiving the Commitment to Rural Care Award from the American College of Physicians Georgia Chapter. Well deserved!

Join us in celebrating the outstanding achievements of these exceptional physicians, residents, and students! Their dedication and contributions elevate the medical field and make a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of our community.

11/14/2025

🚨 LISTEN UP: Catch each episode of Rural Georgia Voices season one every week, starting today!

This Episode: 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.

🎙Website: https://garuralhealth.link/RuralGeorgiaVoices
🎙Spotify: https://garuralhealth.link/podcast-spotify
🎙Amazon Music: https://garuralhealth.link/podcast-amazon
🎙Apple Podcast: https://garuralhealth.link/podcast-apple

11/14/2025

Earlier this week, GRHIC hosted its annual Telehealth Champion Luncheon for staff members from pediatric and family medicine offices that participate in KidsABC who coordinate telehealth visits. The interactive meeting provided an opportunity to discuss KidsABC program updates, highlight current telehealth offerings and patient success stories, and more.

11/12/2025

Last week, Kedrick Williams, DHA, MPH, GRHIC senior rural health project manager, presented at the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia’s ninth annual session. The convention supported 26 pastors and their congregations across rural and metropolitan counties. His seminar, a stand-alone health and wellness component, offered interactive engagement and education on mental health. Topics included defining mental health, understanding its impact, recognizing stigma, learning the ALGEE technique to assist those facing mental health challenges, and encouraging participants to seek and share mental health resources.

11/11/2025

Today is Veterans Day. We honor and thank all who have served in the armed forces.

11/11/2025

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes is a serious chronic disease that affects the body’s ability to produce insulin. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, 12.4% of Georgians have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Watch our webinar on the diagnosis and treatment of prediabetes and diabetes in kids, presented by Shruthi Arora, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist: garuralhealth.link/paws-diabetes

11/07/2025

For more than 40 years, Calhoun Produce, Inc. has grown into a destination spot for fresh produce, family fun, and agricultural education. Co-owner Sheila Rice works with her brother and other relatives to carry on the operation their father started in 1981.

This fall, we're spotlighting rural farms and farmers markets in rural Georgia communities to emphasize that access to fresh, healthy food is just as vital as access to quality health care.

🔗 Read More: garuralhealth.link/calhoun-produce

11/07/2025

Mercer University School of Medicine marked a major milestone today with the groundbreaking of our new med school building in Macon!​

​This transformative project will advance medical education, fuel research, and help train more physicians for communities across Georgia—especially in rural areas that need them most.​🧡​

​👉 Read more about this exciting project: https://loom.ly/JJGU2gs

11/06/2025

Earlier this week, GRHIC distributed Calm Down Kits to preschool through second-grade teachers and school counselors in the Ben Hill County School District. Each received a kit for their classroom to help students manage emotions in healthy ways. They provide quick access to calming strategies that promote self-regulation, provide safe breaks, and encourage independent calming.

Thank you to the Ben Hill School System for inviting us and supporting student mental health.

11/04/2025

Macon-Bibb County, which sold the land to Mercer, says the new medical school campus could be "transformative," paving the way for more downtown development.