Our Commitment to Rural Health
Georgia House Rural Development Council Meeting
November 16, 2023
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Children’s at a Glance
2
Recognition
• U.S. News &
World Report:
“Best Children’s
Hospitals”
• Atlanta Business
Chronicle:
“Healthiest
Employers in
Atlanta”
2022-23 Rankings
• Aflac Cancer and Blood
Disorders Center–No. 7
• Gastroenterology–No. 7
• Nephrology–No. 9
• Urology–No. 10
• Orthopedics–No. 11
• Neurology–No. 11
• Pulmonology–No. 16
• Cardiology and Heart
Center–No. 18
Research & Teaching
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
October 2023
3
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Rural Health
4
1
Rural Hospital Support
Assist rural hospitals with meeting the needs of pediatric patients
2
Rural Pediatrician Support
Partner with rural pediatricians to offer telehealth services and training
3
Behavioral & Mental Health Support
Reach rural communities with behavioral and mental health services
4
Rural Pediatrician Pipeline Support
Provide scholarships for Mercer medical students committed to rural health
Children’s announced an affiliation with Mercer University School of Medicine
aimed at providing rural children timely, quality care close to home. These
initiatives have been identified and will be implemented by Mercer, and
Children’s will provide pediatric expertise to support these initiatives.
RURAL PEDIATRIC
HEALTH INITIATIVE
Provide rural children timely,
quality care close to home
Appropriate referrals
to regional facilities
Network of rural
pediatricians
These initiatives have been identified and are implemented
by the Mercer School of Medicine,
working with the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will provide pediatric
expertise to support these initiatives
Rural
Emergency
Department
Support
Rural
Pediatricia
n Support
Rural
Behavioral &
Mental Health
Support
Children’s
Healthcare of
Atlanta Rural
Scholars
Program
Rural Emergency Department Support
• Create rural pediatric emergency department network
equipped for pediatric emergencies
• Enhance ER staff skills in managing pediatric emergencies
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures and
best practices
• Develop and implement a manageable pharmaceutical
formulary for rural hospitals
• Implement on-demand telehealth consult program
• Implement robust transfer protocols and agreements
Hospital Emergency Departments
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Wall Street Journal
Train all ER staff in Pediatric skills
Institute Protocols
Commit to Pediatric Readiness
Stock Child Appropriate Supplies
Children's Initiative Emergency Department Plan
Training ER Nurse and Staff
Institute Established Best Practice Protocols
Hospital-wide Commitment to Pediatric Readiness
Full assessment and Provision of Needed Supplies
Rural Pediatrician Support
• Telehealth specialist support in conjunction with rural pediatric
offices
• Monthly lunch webinars for pediatric clinicians to include: topics
of interest for rural pediatricians, case studies by rural
practitioners, and research/CME available
• Summer experience with Children’s Scholars to include:
speaker series, Children’s days, practitioner shadowing, and
research presentations
• Monthly Pediatric Newsletter to include: articles from Children’s
experts, alliance info, Children’s offerings
Physician Office Hubs for
Specialty Care and Training
Rural Behavioral & Mental Health Support
• Assist, Promote and facilitate psychiatric services in rural
communities.
• Pilot Wellness Screening for every school aged child (K-12) in
two rural communities
• Provide Suicide Awareness and Prevention training
• Identify and develop potential school sites with the greatest
needs and lack of resources to develop emergency plans,
educate emergency services, and provide telehealth equipment
with user support
Mental Health and Wellness
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Rural Pediatric Scholar Program
• Committed to pediatrics
• Strong roots in rural
Georgia
• Strong commitment to live
and practice in rural,
underserved Georgia
• Maintain good academic
standing
• Scholars participate in
Pediatric Alliance
2023 Rural Scholars’
Home Counties
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Rural Family Therapy Scholar Program
• Committed to family therapy with focus on children
• Strong roots in rural Georgia
• Strong commitment to live and work in a rural,
underserved Georgia
• Committed to working with rural pediatric or rural
family medicine practices full time
• Certificate in autism care management
• Maintain good academic standing
• Scholars participate in Pediatric Alliance
