FEATURE
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Faith in Rural Health Expands Reach in Rural Communities and Implements New Program
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In January of 2024, the Faith in Rural Health (FIRH) program partnered with leaders in Coffee and Evans counties to foster collaborations between faith, health, and community leaders. The program, led by the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center (GRHIC), at Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM), aimed to explore the connection between faith and health, and empower leaders in their communities to work together toward enhancing the overall well-being of the residents.
Makayla Paulk, a first-year MUSM student, spent three weeks in Evans County, making significant contributions to the local health care landscape. Working in Dr. Jesse Scott’s clinic and spending time with staff and patients at Good Health Ministries, Makayla immersed herself in the community. She participated in roundtable discussions, led by FIRH program director Paul Byrd, where community strengths, challenges, and collaborative strategies were explored. They also presented at a local Rotary Club meeting.
In Coffee County, first-year MUSM students Garrett Streat and Isait Alvarado worked in different medical contexts but shared insights about the holistic needs expressed by patients. The duo observed the powerful intersection of faith and health in the community, culminating in a dinner at Coffee Regional Medical Center.
A key element of Faith in Rural Health's approach involved roundtable discussions, bringing together faith leaders, physicians and health care providers, and community members. The FIRH program's success lies in the genuine collaboration between these community members and the involvement of interns. The seeds planted during these conversations will grow into collaborations that impact rural health in Georgia. The dedication of these students and the collaborative spirit of the communities involved showcase the promise of Faith in Rural Health as a catalyst for lasting change.
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Training for Volunteer Chaplains
The Clinical Pastoral Orientation program provides congregation-based clergy introductory training in skills for spiritual care within the clinical space. The meetings focus on understanding hospital culture and organization, exploring personal ministerial strengths and growing edges, developing clinical pastoral identity, and sharpening listening skills. The goal of the program is to equip volunteer chaplains with the skills needed to provide pastoral care more effectively to persons experiencing illness, death, and grief and to hospital staff who give care in emotionally and spiritually stressful contexts. A small group of ministers from several different rural hospitals meet by Zoom every two weeks with experienced clinical pastoral supervisors. In the short two months that they have been meeting, the group has already developed a trusting bond and has begun to sharpen one another’s skills at providing quality spiritual care within the clinical space, further advancing the Faith in Rural Health goal of “bringing faith leaders and health care providers together to collaboratively address the holistic health needs of rural communities.”
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Faith In Rural Health Summit
FIRH is excited to host a summit on Friday, October 4, 2024 on Mercer’s Macon campus. The summit aspires to ignite a transformative movement in rural Georgia, where faith leaders and health care providers join forces to drive positive change in health care access and outcomes. This day-long event will explore the theme “Improving Health in Rural Georgia Through Faith-Health Care Collaborations.” The summit will bring health care providers and faith leaders from throughout the state together to showcase the effective collaborations that these groups have initiated to address the pressing health care challenges faced by their rural communities. The summit participants will hear collaborative stories from noted rural physicians and ministers, consider research findings, hear stories from FIRH’s partners around the state, and engage in group dialogue around appropriately and holistically addressing spiritual needs in the clinical space and physical needs in the church. By fostering connections, sharing insights, and empowering communities, the Summit hopes to contribute to a healthier and more vibrant future for rural Georgia counties.
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An Open Letter: Isait Alvarado to Coffee County Residents
I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my time spent in Coffee County as part of the Faith in Rural Health Initiative. It has been an enriching experience that has left a lasting impression on me.
During my time here, I had the privilege of conducting interviews with a diverse range of individuals, including faith leaders, physicians, and patients. Our discussions revolved around the intersection of faith and health in rural communities. We delved into topics such as the role of faith in family life, its impact on health decisions, and whether there is a connection between physical and spiritual well-being.
What struck me most during these conversations was the unanimous belief in the potential benefits of integrating faith into the health care system. Many individuals expressed a desire to see more emphasis placed on spiritual well-being alongside physical health. Moreover, I was inspired by the willingness of people to actively contribute to initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between faith and health care.
Through these interactions, I gained invaluable insights into the unique challenges and opportunities facing rural communities like ours. I learned that there is a genuine hunger for programs and initiatives that address the holistic needs of individuals, encompassing both their physical and spiritual dimensions.
As I reflect on my time here, I am filled with hope for the future. I hope that the findings from this initiative will pave the way for meaningful programs that positively impact the Coffee County community. I aspire to see a health care system that not only heals bodies but also nurtures spirits, fostering a sense of wholeness and well-being for all.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this journey with me. Your contributions have been instrumental in shaping the direction of this initiative, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of it.
Isait Alvarado
MD Class of 2027, Mercer University School of Medicine
Faith in Rural Health Intern, Coffee County
Pictured: Dr. Chester Royals, of Douglas, and Isait Alvarado
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4-H'er Uses GRHIC's Farmers' Mental Well-Being Study for His Award-Winning Project | |
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Eighth grader Wilson Armstrong, of Sandersville, won first place in the Human Development category for his project titled "Stress Farming" at the recent 4-H District Project Achievement event.
To compete at the junior level, 4-H’ers choose an area of interest, complete work in that area during the year, research a specific topic, prepare a speech, and present their project to a judging panel. Rocky Tanner, County Extension agent, was familiar with the subject of farmer stress and mental health issues and recommended the topic to Armstrong for his project.
On some level, Armstrong — who also is a member of FFA — understood the stress farmers face due to challenges and financial hardships. Armstrong’s mother, Dianna, grew up in a farming family; her father was a fourth-generation farmer who dealt with the highs and devastating lows of running a farm operation. “When this topic came up, I had a connection with it. I knew exactly what they were talking about, because I lived it,” she said.
It was Dr. Jean Sumner, dean of the Mercer University School of Medicine and family friend, who encouraged Armstrong’s interest in this area when she informed him of the 2022 Farmers’ Mental Well-Being Study conducted by Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center researchers. The study revealed how the complexities of running a farm operation adversely affect farmers’ mental health. Factors like weather conditions, debt, labor shortages, and lack of mental health care contribute to their poor mental health.
The study not only confirmed what Armstrong’s mother already lived through with her family, but it also put the mental health struggles these farming families face into context for him. “I knew that farming was stressful. It took a toll on my family. After I looked into [the study], the dots started connecting for me. I understood it a lot more,” he said.
For Armstrong, the statistics revealed in the study were particularly alarming, especially the statistic that 42% of the 1,651 farmers, spouses, and other agricultural workers surveyed for the study thought about dying by suicide at least once in the previous 12-month period.
It was important for Armstrong to raise awareness on this topic through the 4-H platform, and he has an appreciation for what farmers go through. In a word, Armstrong’s hope for farmers is “resilience.” As a teen, he completed resiliency training classes geared toward young people. It taught coping mechanisms and how, while some things are beyond our control, our reactions and learning from difficult situations are key in maintaining good mental health. He said, “It changes a whole scenario, I believe. It can make a bad situation just a little bit more tolerable.”
Armstrong plans to expand on this topic and continue to advocate for farmers’ mental health and well-being at the senior level 4-H competitions during high school.
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Farmer Spotlight: Bryan Crager, Crager Hager Farm | |
The Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance was established in response to the prevalence of mental health challenges experienced by farm families and communities, which was revealed, in large part, through a joint study conducted by the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture and students in Mercer University School of Medicine’s Rural Health Sciences Ph.D. program. GAWA's focus is all of Georgia's farming communities. In this issue of For Rural, we spotlight Crager Hager Farm, a small, organic farming operation. | |
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March in Georgia brings market access for root vegetables like turnips and sweet onions. This month, For Rural spotlights a special farm that has for several decades produced root vegetables and fruits. Crager Hager Farm is a small, family-operated farm in northern Carroll County.
At age 8, Bryan Crager was taught how to grow beans and squash by his grandmother, which started his life-long love of gardening. Some 40 years later, Crager found his office job unfulfilling and started a family business and a new career with the birth of Crager Hager Farm. He and his wife, Wendy Hager, started operating on their land and leased land as a direct-to-consumer and direct-to-restaurant business with a deep commitment to sustainable growing practices.
The move from a family garden to a commercial operation was not without some substantial challenges. “Going from ten tomato plants to 1,000 tomato plants can make for a rough transition,” Crager recalled. Originally, the plan was to market produce direct to consumers through the local farmers’ market and through a grower’s cooperative to restaurants. Later, they started working with a wholesaler that provided a better system for marketing to restaurants. As with so many businesses forced to adapt to economic changes during the pandemic, Crager Hager Farm shifted to an e-commerce approach whereby consumers could order in-season produce and pick up their order at the farm, dubbed the “porch pick-up.”
Crager’s commitment to sustainable, organic production started with a sneeze. At 14, his grandmother asked him to apply malathion insecticide to plants in the garden. An ill-timed breeze blew some of it back into his face, causing him to violently sneeze and his eyes to water. “I realized this was some bad stuff at that point. It spurred me to read the work of authors like Rachel Carson about the health and ecological impacts of chemical pesticides. That began my interest in organic, sustainable methods.” Crager Hager Farm avoids chemical pesticides and uses cover crops and other natural amendments to introduce nutrients into the soil. Crager said he feeds his soil instead of using water-soluble fertilizers: “If the soil is healthy, it will feed your plants rather than you having to fertilize them directly.”
Crager and his wife are transitioning from a year-round production schedule to focusing exclusively on winter season vegetable crops. “As we’re getting older, we wanted more time to enjoy other activities and, let’s face it, working outside in the Georgia heat during June through August isn’t exactly the most pleasant experience,” laughed Crager. He said that they plan to continue to sell in-season winter crops at the Cotton Mill Farmer’s Market in Carrollton. “We just really enjoy the socialization aspect of that.”
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Recipe: Crager Hager Farm Simple Roasted Root Vegetables
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Wash, dry, and slice assorted root vegetables* into bite-sized chunks. Vegetables like beets will take longer to cook, so cut into smaller pieces.
Toss vegetable pieces with a low-flavor oil such as sunflower or safflower oil and layer in a baking dish. Season with coarse salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning to taste.
Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until the edges start to turn crispy and the middle of the vegetables soften.
*Choose your favorite root vegetables such as beets, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and parsnips.
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Community Health Reporter Openings
The Community Health Reporter program provides the Center with insights into the true state of medical care access in Georgia's rural counties. Our mission is to report medical services for all 120 rural counties, each represented by a dedicated community health reporter. Currently, 18 counties lack an active community member to report on health care resources such as physicians, pharmacies, and health care facilities. We aim to fill these gaps as soon as possible. Applicants should have reliable transportation and internet access, as reporting will be conducted online. For further details or questions about the Community Health Reporter program, please reach out to [email protected].
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Mercer University School of Medicine and GRHIC Host Rural Hospital Emergency Department Collaborative Meeting
The KidsABC Hospital Emergency Department Collaborative held its quarterly collaborative meeting on Mercer University’s Macon campus on March 7-8. The event was attended by 51 representatives from all 13 rural hospitals from Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 participating in the collaborative. The diverse group of professionals included nurses, respiratory therapists, administrators, and physicians who have worked together to enhance pediatric emergency care in rural Georgia.
Day one was tailored to the 2024 cohort, providing an orientation to the program and training on clinical competencies related to pediatric care. Day two involved all 13 hospitals participating in the program and included updates and education sessions about best practices for sharing success stories and communicating KidsABC efforts. The highlight of day 2 was an education session on staff debriefing following emotionally traumatic events, which was requested by participants at the first collaborative meeting in November 2023. The session was led by Paul Byrd, director of the Faith and Rural Health Program at GRHIC, and Scott Lee, staff support liaison for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Both brought their wealth of knowledge from their decades of experience as clinical chaplains at various children’s hospitals. In addition to education, the session included opportunities for group discussion that focused on practical steps each facility can take to better care for clinical staff. The collaborative meeting enabled participating hospitals to establish a community of practice and enhance their capabilities in advancing pediatric care in rural Georgia.
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Rural Pediatrician Support Collaborative
The Rural Pediatrician Support team is in the process of onboarding new 2024 pediatric and family medicine offices, with an official announcement of the new locations coming soon. The next PASS seminar will be held on April 10 and will be a case study on pediatric cancer. The team is ramping up training and education around hospital and pediatric telehealth carts to prepare to make our first local and regional connections.
Rural Pediatric Mental Health Collaborative
The KidsABC Rural Mental Health Collaborative team provided mental health and wellness screenings to students at Washington County Schools and the Brentwood School in Sandersville and in Jefferson County schools. The Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) includes 25 questions about attributes which are divided between 5 scales: emotional attributes/symptoms, conduct attributes/problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationships, and prosocial behaviors. Members of the team supervised the middle school and high school students’ self-administration of the age-appropriate SDQ tool. Elementary students’ parents completed the SDQ tool for their children. A team of professors, educators, and practitioners who are experts in education, pediatrics, adolescents, child development, mental health and wellness will review the results of all the screenings. These results and findings will be the basis of the development of programs of prevention and intervention. These will be offered and implemented in the schools to increase the overall mental health and wellness of the children and youth.
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ED-to-Physician Telehealth Simulations
Local and regional providers are one of the most valuable and accessible resources available to the KidsABC rural pediatrics telehealth initiative. From the telehealth carts in the emergency departments, ED staff are able to connect with a health care provider at their home or office for a telehealth consult. Simulations were conducted at some of the KidsABC sites to demonstrate the process and setup of this platform.
At Washington County Regional Medical Center, a telehealth cart was used to connect to Dr. Jennifer Tarbutton, of Children’s Healthcare Center of Sandersville. The team successfully simulated an exam using the Horus Scope, which has multiple attachments that allow providers in another setting to complete patient exams, such as of the eye or throat. An otoscope attachment can be used to see inside the ear and the magnifying dermatology attachment shows enhanced images of skin areas. During the simulation, an auscultation platform and telemedicine stethoscope were used to send real-time heart and lung sounds. Additional simulations were conducted at Dodge County Hospital with Dr. Brittany Lord of Eastman Pediatrics and at Coffee Regional Medical Center with Dr. Jennifer Stroud of CRH Pediatrics. The development of this process will allow pediatricians quick and instant access to children while in the emergency room, ensuring quality care more efficiently.
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Portfolio Projects
The portfolio website is up and running for the Mercer School of Medicine. Two projects are available to sign up for already: 1) Improving depression screener rates in teens during Well Child Visits, and 2) Increasing provision of asthma action plans for asthmatic people ages 2-18. These projects have predetermined aims and measures, and were both approved by the American Board of Pediatrics.
A crash course on quality improvement (QI) has been designed and is currently being reviewed for ease of comprehension. This crash course is designed to be taught to anyone interested in quality improvement in function of the American Board of Pediatrics’ Maintenance of Certification. The course contains a brief history of QI, what QI means in healthcare and why it is important, what the role is of the American Board of Pediatrics in QI, what the Model For Improvement entails, and it explains key concepts, such as PDSA cycles, Kaizen, etc. It also covers different ways to design, analyze, and visualize QI studies, such as root cause analysis, fishbone diagram, pareto analysis, failure mode and effects analysis, etc.
Anyone considering joining or starting a new or existing project, can reach out to Anne Montgomery, PhD, at [email protected] for more information.
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Training and News for Rural Pediatric Health Care Providers
Rural Pediatric News is published bimonthly and highlights training and continuing medical education options, recommended reading, physician spotlights, seasonal health and wellness information to share with patients, and more.
The Pediatric Advanced Speakers Series is a free monthly training series for providers to earn CME credits, offered by Mercer University School of Medicine, through one-hour virtual training sessions with subject matter experts in a variety of topics. PASS includes peer-led rural pediatric patient case studies and an in-person continuing education conference.
If you are a rural pediatric provider, please click to register for trainings and subscribe to Rural Pediatric News.
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Register Now: Rural Pediatric Continuing Education Conference on May 17
This free professional development event will take place on May 17, 2024 at Mercer University, Macon Campus. The theme of this year's conference is "Fostering Innovation in Rural Pediatric Care." We have carefully curated a program that encompasses a wide array of topics, ranging from telehealth to pediatric endocrinology. Our goal is to provide a platform for health care professionals to engage in meaningful discussions, share valuable insights, and foster collaborative opportunities while continuing their education. This conference offers a unique opportunity to earn a maximum of five Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits and six Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credits.
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2024 Ongoing Center Initiatives | |
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Maternal Health Improvement
All Rural Counties
Kedrick Williams
Maternal Health Observership
All Rural Counties
Kedrick Williams
Maternal Health Symposium
All Rural Counties
Joan Anderson
Community Health Reporter
All Rural Counties
Kedrick Williams, Harvey Moody
Clinical Ethics ECHO
All Rural Counties
Chris Scoggins
Opioid Misuse Prevention Project
Rural Hospitals
Joan Anderson, Chris Scoggins
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ASIST Suicide Training
All Rural Counties
Travis Crafter
Community Resiliency
Model (CRM)
All Rural Counties
Joan Anderson, Travis Crafter
Mental Health First Aid
All Rural Counties
Kedrick Williams,
Glenda Grant
Pediatric Mental Health Initiative
Ben Hill, Jefferson, Washington
Joan Anderson
Barber/Beauty Shop Project
Randolph County
Harvey Moody
Rural Medicine Pathways Events
All Rural Counties
Glenda Grant
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QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention
All Rural Counties
Joan Anderson
Faith in Rural Health
Berrien, Putnam, Toombs/Montgomery
Paul Byrd
Health Fairs
Rural Partners
Amanda Livingston
Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance
All Counties
John McElveen
Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Nursing Education Training
Harvey Moody
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ECHO is a collaborative learning community model used throughout health care to build skills and communities of practice. The Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center is hosting the Rural Health Care Ethics Echo Series October 2023 through April 2024.
Coming Up:
Organ Donation ECHO:
April 3, 2024; April 17, 2024
Facilitators:
Caroline Anglim, Ph.D. HEC-C, Assistant Professor of Bioethics and Professionalism, Mercer University School of Medicine; Donald E. Carter, MBA, M.Div., DBe, Assistant Professor of Bioethics and Professionalism, Mercer University School of Medicine; Brian Childs, M.Div. Ph.D. HEC-C, Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities, Mercer University School of Medicine
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Sessions are noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom. Credits: 1 CME credit per hour provided by Mercer University School of Medicine. Registrants will receive Zoom event information for each session.
REGISTER
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The Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center works with rural partners to enhance health education through health fairs.
We encourage these community members to join us:
Washington County | April 27 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Co-Hosts: Representative Mack Jackson, Washington County Regional Medical Center, Washington EMC
Harris County | July 13 | 9 a.m.–Noon
Co-Host: Harris County School District
Are you a vendor wanting to participate in a health fair?
Submit the application below.
BECOME A VENDOR
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ABOUT THE CENTER
In 2018, Georgia lawmakers dedicated special funds to establish a new Rural Health Innovation Center tasked with confronting the complex health care challenges and wellness disparities facing rural communities. Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) was awarded the grant funds in 2019 and formally established the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center on its Macon campus. MUSM boasts a longstanding commitment to serving rural Georgia’s health needs, with a mission to educate physicians dedicated to tackling the health challenges in rural Georgia. The Rural Health Innovation Center serves as a critical resource to rural communities to improve access and effectiveness of health care by offering research, collaboration, and training opportunities.
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