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 2010 estimated population of 9,687,653 people – with 1,839,995 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, 59.7% of the state’s population is white, 30.5% is Black/African-American, and 8.8% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2010).
There are 144 hospitals in Georgia, 67 of which are located in rural counties (SORH, 2012). The state has 34 hospitals identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (Sept. 2010). There are 88 Rural Health Clinics in Georgia (Kaiser, 2011), and 28 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 121 sites (SORH, 2012). 19.0% of Georgia residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2008-2009).
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Georgia residents in 2009 was $34,129, although rural per-capita income lagged at $27,136. Estimates from 2010 indicate a poverty rate of 23.5% exists in rural Georgia, compared to 16.7% in urban areas of the state. 2010 ACS data reports that 24.0% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 14.7% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural Georgia is 11.6%, while in urban Georgia it is 9.9% (USDA-ERS, 2010).
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; Georgia Office of Rural Health (SORH); Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)
Federal government
Supports economic and social development in all of West Virginia and parts of twelve other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
State government
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 (DCA)
State government
Created in 1977 to serve as an advocate for local governments.
Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS)
State government
Works to improve the health and social services for all Georgia residents.
Georgia Department of Human Services: Division of Child Support Services (DCSS)
State government
Assists with locating non-custodial parents, confirming paternity, establishing and enforcing child support and medical support orders, and collecting and distributing payments. Provides the Georgia Fatherhood Services Network and the Access and Visitation Program.
Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH)
State government
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 (GHPC)
State/regional organization
Works to improve the health status of all Georgians through research, policy development, and program design and evaluation.
Georgia HITREC (GA-HITREC)
State/regional organization
Georgia State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
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 Pacific Foundation
Nonprofit/Foundation
Supports programs in education, environment, community enrichment, and entrepreneurship that enhance the quality of life where their employees live and work.
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 State Office of Rural Health (SORH)
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 Statewide Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network
State/regional organization
Responds to the problems of health professionals supply and distribution in rural and underserved areas of the state through educational support to health professionals in the field, both as students and as practitioners. Their website provides information on and contact details for each of the 6 regional AHECs in the state.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Georgia (CDBG)
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.
Rural Health Research Institute (RHRI)
Academic/Research
Based at Georgia Southern University in Bulloch county, this newly-formed Institute focuses on research initiatives to reduce health disparities among rural populations. It also engages community partners in collaborative research and outreach efforts, and fosters mentoring relationships among its faculty and students for rural health research purposes.
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.
Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC)
State/regional organization
One of four regional rural development centers in the nation. Works to strengthen the region's 29 land-grant institutions in addressing rural development issues. Serves a 14 state area in the Southern region which includes TX, LA, AR, OK, AL, MS, GA, FL, KY, SC, NC, VA, and TN.
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. Provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Volunteers of America Southeast (VOASE)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Serves 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.
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.
Gannett Foundation Community Action Grants
Community action grant priorities include education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation and cultural enrichment.
Healthcare Georgia Foundation Addressing Health Disparities Grants
Grants to focus on creating the necessary conditions to address the commonly agreed causes of health disparities.
Healthcare Georgia Foundation Expanding Access to Primary Healthcare Grants
Through strategic grantmaking, Healthcare Georgia Foundation can improve access to primary healthcare services by Georgia’s uninsured and underinsured population.
Healthcare Georgia Foundation Strengthening Nonprofit Health Organizations Grants
Grant funds for organizational improvement.
Humana Foundation Community Grants
The Humana Foundation supports charitable activities that promote healthy lives and communities.
Promise of Nursing (PON) Regional Faculty Fellowship Program
Scholarships to prepare registered nurses for the nurse educator role by achieving their degrees.
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
Critical Access Hospital Financial Analyses - 2009
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State Office of Rural Health
Provides detailed financial reports of and comparisons between all Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) in Georgia for 2009.
Date: 06 / 2010
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
Making it Work: Combating Rural Homelessness
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
This entire issue of Rural Voices is dedicated to the topic of rural homelessness. Highlights some of the innovative ways rural homeless providers are accessing and using
resources in Michigan, Minnesota, California, Georgia, and Kentucky.
Date: 2007
Rural Dropout Problem: An Invisible Achievement Gap
Author(s): Jerry Johnson, Marty Strange, Karen Madden
Sponsoring organization: Rural School and Community Trust
Reviews high school dropout rates and related factors in rural high schools throughout 15 Southern and Southwestern states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.
Date: 2010
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: 02 / 2011
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.
Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 2007 Issue Fall Pages: 11 - 14
Date: 2007
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
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.
Lowndes County Partnership for Health
The Lowndes County Partnership for Health is currently involved in helping local businesses and churches implement worksite wellness programs.
Meadows Regional Medical Center Rural Health Outreach Project
The consortium provided a wide range of primary health care services, including general health, blood pressure, and blood glucose screenings to uninsured and underinsured families living in the service area.
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