The famous Margaret Mitchell novel, “Gone with the Wind” was written in Georgia and Atlanta served host to the 1996 Summer Olympics. Georgia covers 57,906 square miles, with a 2006 estimated population of 9,363,941 people – with 1,767,688 people living in rural Georgia (USDA-ERS). Atlanta is the state capital. The state’s largest cities are Atlanta, Augusta, and Columbus. According to the 2005 Census, 66.1% of the state’s population is white, 29.8% is Black/African-American, and 7.1% is of Hispanic/Latino origin.
There are 144 hospitals in Georgia, 67 of which are
located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and
Policy Analysis Center, 2007). The state has 35 hospitals
currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access
Hospitals. There are 95 Rural Health Clinics in Georgia, and 23
Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 101 sites
in the state (Kaiser, 2005). Eighteen percent of Georgia residents lack
any health insurance (Kaiser, 2004-2005).
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Georgia residents in 2005 was $30,914, although rural per-capita income lagged at $23,426. Estimates from 2004 indicate a poverty rate of 17.6% exists in rural Georgia, compared to 12.8% in urban areas of the state. Data from 2000 finds that 31.3% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 18.9% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Georgia is 5.5%, while in urban Georgia it is 4.6% (USDA-ERS, 2006).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau:
State & County QuickFacts
USDA
Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
North
Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser
Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex
Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
State government
A state agency responsible for overseeing child care and educational services for Georgia's children ages birth through four and their families and for administering nutrition program for children and adults.
Georgia Association for Primary Health Care (GAPHC)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to comprehensive primary health care services for all medically underserved Georgians and to support the continued development and expansion of community-based health center practice systems throughout the state.
Georgia Board for Physician Workforce (GBPW)
State government
Responsible for advising the Governor and the General Assembly on physician workforce and medical education policy and issues.
Georgia Community Action Association (GCAA)
State/regional organization
Serves as the professional organization for the development and implementation of strategies to provide GCAA members the tools to be effective community action agencies in solving the
problems of poverty within the State of Georgia.
Georgia Department of Community Affairs
State government
Was created in 1977 to serve as an advocate for local governments.
Georgia Department of Human Resources
State government
Works to improve the health and social services for all Georgia residents.
Georgia Division of Public Health
State government
Is the lead agency entrusted by the people of the State of Georgia with the ultimate responsibility for the health of communities and the entire population.
Georgia Health Policy Center
State/regional organization
Works to improve the health status of all Georgians through research, policy development, and program design and evaluation.
Georgia Hospital Association (GHA)
State/regional organization
Works to promote the health and welfare of the public through the development of better hospital care for all of Georgia's citizens.
Georgia Office of Child Support Services
State government
Helps children by enforcing parental responsibility to pay financial support.
Georgia Office of Rural Health
State government
Works to improve access to health care in rural areas and reduce health status disparities. A division of the Georgia Department of Community Health.
Georgia Pacific Foundation
Nonprofit/Foundation
The Georgia-Pacific Foundation, created in 1958, is the cornerstone of the community investment program.
Georgia Rural Health Association (GRHA)
State/regional organization
The oldest state rural health association in the country which is committed to the improvement of health and healthcare services of rural Georgians.
Georgia Statewide AHEC Centers
State/regional organization
The Georgia Statewide AHEC Network is a complex, multi-disciplinary effort which responds to the problems of health professionals supply and distribution in rural and underserved areas of the state.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Georgia
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Southeastern/Atlantic Region (NN/LM-SE/A)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health care providers, librarians and the public in Alabama, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia and West Virginia.
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (Southeast RCAP)
State/regional organization
Helps rural communities in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida to improve community infrastructure, including water and wastewater treatment.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Georgia
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development Georgia State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Volunteers of America Southeast (VOASE)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides programs and opportunities for individual and community involvement, including a faith-based and community resource center. Works to serve people along the Alabama-Mississippi Gulf Coast who are hungry, homeless, and fighting for survival since Hurricane Katrina. Offers programs for children, chronic mental illness, hard of hearing, community enhancement, elderly, housing, and substance abuse.
Tools
ERS State Fact Sheet: Georgia
Web site
Statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Georgia QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Georgia Community Level Information on Kids (CLIKS)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Georgia Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Georgia Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Georgia State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
Georgia State Medicaid Profile
Web site
Provides data on Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for the state.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Georgia
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
State Profiles- Georgia: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
BJ’s Charitable Foundation
Funding for safety, security and well-being of children and families, education and health programs, community service opportunities, and hunger and disaster relief.
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Loan Fund Program
Provides low-interest loans to low-income rural communities for predevelopment costs, system upgrades and new construction of water and wastewater services and facilities.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Children’s Oral Health in Georgia: Progress and Opportunities
Author(s): Glenn M. Landers, Linda Koskela, Thomas E. Duval
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
Addresses children's oral health outcomes in Georgia and gives rural and urban data.
Date: 05 / 2007
Demographic and Economic Profile: Georgia
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, income, and more. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 07 / 2006
Georgia Youth Fitness Assessment
Author(s): Mary Ann Phillips, Kenneth Powell, Alice Roberts, James Ross
Provides results of a study of Georgia’s 5th and 7th grade students who participated in fitness testing or a physical activity survey. Compares rural versus urban statistics.
Date: 09 / 2007
Services and Support for Georgia Families of Children with Special Needs: Findings from a Community Outreach Effort
Author(s): Amanda Phillips Martínez, Beverly Tyler, Angela Snyder, Mei Zhou
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
Details the results of a community outreach effort for families of children with special needs in Georgia. Addresses rural experiences and disparities in access to care.
Date: 06 / 2007
Small Business Profile: Georgia
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 2006
State Profiles - Georgia: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
Understanding and Reducing the Number of Uninsured Georgians
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
Describes the impact of Georgians who lack health insurance and how it impacts the quality of life for all Georgians.
Date: 03 / 2006
Using Family to Fight Homelessness: The Millennium Center in Southwest Georgia
Author(s): Dean Nelson
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Describes how through creative partnerships, the Southwest Georgia Housing Development Corporation has been able to create a comprehensive shelter and service program that addresses the needs of entire families.
Date: 2007
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Journals
Georgia - GRHA Newsletter
Published twice per year. Provides articles on education and advocating for rural Georgia.
Success Stories
Addressing Diabetes in Irwin and Ben Hill Counties
This project aims to reduce diabetes-related hospitalizations and to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes in these two counties through awareness of prevention strategies.
Best Babies
Best Babies will offer a comprehensive, integrated approach to perinatal care for women in these counties who are at high risk for adverse birth outcomes including maternal or infant mortality, low birth weight, very low birth weight, or other medical or developmental problems.
East Central Georgia Regional Teen Wellness Initiative
The proposed East Central Georgia Regional Teen Wellness Initiative will increase awareness and access to health promotion services by providing ongoing leadership training regarding healthy lifestyles for local youth; encouraging these youth to take a leadership role in planning, implementing, and monitoring local health promotion/education projects; and supporting these youth as they plan and coordinate an ongoing local health lifestyles education outreach campaign for youth in the proposed service area.
Floyd County Dental Clinic
The new Floyd County Dental Clinic will operate as a regional clinic, serving residents of a five-county area in rural northwest Georgia. The goal of the clinic is to increase access to oral health care for residents in the region.
Healing Center Helps Children
Dedicated to enriching the lives of children with disabilities in middle Georgia, The Healing Center provides financial assistance in physical, occupational, music, massage, speech, hippo, aquatic and mental therapies.
Health for a Lifetime
This project was designed to combat cardiovascular disease by addressing the modifiable risk factors, as described by the American Heart Association, in three populations: hourly wage workers, the African American faith community, and middle school children.
Injury Prevention and Safety Project
The Injury Prevention Project was designed to reduce the rate of home injuries for the elderly living in 12 rural counties of Georgia.
Long County Rural Health Primary Care Center
A new clinic was opened in this rural community that offers a broad range of primary care services, including well-child exams, immunizations, pneumonia vaccines, sexually transmitted disease testing, hypertension screenings, health checks, pregnancy testing, family planning, breast exams, and other services.
Lowndes County Partnership for Health
The Lowndes County Partnership for Health is currently involved in helping local businesses and churches implement worksite wellness programs.
Mobile Medical Unit Project
Community Care Program to provide medical, dental, and preventive care to the medically underserved in Georgia's Carroll and Heard counties.
Rural School Based Health District Consortium / School Health Outreach Program
In addition to a lack of primary care providers, families in this impoverished rural area faced many obstacles to health care, including long distances to care, lack of transportation, costs, cultural isolation, and lack of awareness.
Rx for the Uninsured- Georgia
Rx for the Uninsured finds physicians, procures prescription medications, and provides care management for uninsured Central Georgians ages 19-64, who have incomes within 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and who suffer from diabetes, heart disease, hypertension or depression.
Screven County Hospital Rural Health Outreach Program
Developed to bring health care to rural communities in Screven County, this project was designed to identify people at risk for cardiac, cerebral vascular and diabetic health problems through the use of outreach health screenings.
South Georgia Regional Dental Outreach Initiative
The goals of the South Georgia Regional Dental Outreach Initiative are to increase the number of individuals who receive preventive dental screening, the number of individuals who have access to dental clinic services, and residents' awareness of the importance of dental hygiene and preventive dental care.
St. George Clinic Rural Health Outreach Program
In response to the recognized health care need and a survey of citizens indicating that 76 percent would use a health clinic if available, partners in the county built a small building to provide health and social services to one-third of county residents living in the southern region.
Warrior Wellness Center
To address the serious issue of teen pregnancy in Jefferson County, a network was formed to establish an effective mechanism for proactive pregnancy prevention and health promotion outreach for the county's rural adolescents.
Washington County Community Wellness Consortium
The Washington County Community Wellness Consortium, a collaborative of agencies and health providers, has developed a small, multidisciplinary weight loss and fitness model program, the cornerstone of which is martial art taekwondo.
Well Adolescents Retaining Respect, Improving Outcomes, and Reaching For Success (WARRIORS)
The focus of this project was the direct delivery of health care services in the county high school with targeted areas being teen pregnancy prevention through case management, mental health counseling, and a Resource Moms support group.
Wellness On Wheels, Georgia
The Gordon Hospital Wellness on Wheels (WOW) mobile health van served rural Gordon County residents, providing screenings, blood pressure and cholesterol checks, immunizations, primary care services, physicals, health education, and a range of other services.
West Georgia Chronic Disease Initiative
The West Georgia Chronic Disease Initiative (WGCDI) is a community-based treatment, management, and prevention program targeting citizens in Carroll, Haralson, and Heard counties in rural West Georgia.
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