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 2008 estimated population of 9,685,744 people – with 1,800,395 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 U.S. Census Bureau, 65.6% of the state’s population is white, 30.0% is Black/African-American, and 7.8% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2007).
There are 144 hospitals in Georgia, 66 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 34 hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (April, 2009). There are 82 Rural Health Clinics in Georgia (CMS, 2009), and 28 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 114 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2007). 17.7% of Georgia residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2006-2007).
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Georgia residents in 2007 was $33,499, although rural per-capita income lagged at $24,827. Estimates from 2007 indicate a poverty rate of 19.8% exists in rural Georgia, compared to 13.1% 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 7.1%, while in urban Georgia it is 6.1% (USDA-ERS, 2008).
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-Georgia Gulf Coast who are hungry, homeless, and otherwise in need of assistance. 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
Lists 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 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 KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
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.
MedlinePlus Go Local
Web site
Offers information about health services in local geographic areas, including hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, support groups, health screening providers and many others.
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
Critical Access Hospital Financial Analyses - 2008
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Office of Rural Health
Provides detailed financial reports of and comparisons between all Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) in Georgia for 2008.
Date: 08 / 2008
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: 01 / 2009
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: 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: 2008
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
Trauma Care in Georgia: Building a Better System
Author(s): Holly Avey
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
Examines how Georgia compares in its response to traumatic injury care and outlines possible improvements. Discusses rural and urban areas in the state.
Date: 06 / 2008
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
Treutlen County School Health Initiative
The Consortium members launched an onsite school
clinic; conducted onsite assessments and screenings for vision,
hearing, blood pressure, and mental health and provided various other services to Treutlen County students and staff.
Rx for the Uninsured
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.
Around the Country: Clinic Serving Low-Income Children Inspires Rural Dental Practice
Describes how a small dental clinic has met the needs of children living in rural, underserved Georgia counties.
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