FEATURE
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Research Spotlight: Delivering Hope — Using Drones to Improve Medication Access in Rural Georgia
by Taliyah Henderson, MSIT, Center Research Assistant and PhD Student in Rural Health Sciences at Mercer University
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Taliyah Henderson, pictured with her drone, is a research assistant at the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center and a PhD student in the Rural Health Sciences Program at Mercer University School of Medicine. Her dissertation focuses on the feasibility and effectiveness of using drone technology to deliver medications to patients in rural areas.
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Imagine living in a rural area, far from the nearest pharmacy, with limited access to vital medications. For many elderly individuals or people with disabilities, this scenario is all too familiar. Even though pharmacies are essential for maintaining health, many rural areas face a significant issue: they simply do not have easy access. This is often referred to as a "pharmacy desert," where people are left struggling to get the prescriptions they need. My dissertation focuses on a potential solution to this challenge, using drone technology to deliver medications to those who need them most.
The Problem: Rural Pharmacy Deserts
Access to health care and medications is already difficult for many people, but it becomes especially complicated in rural areas. Elderly individuals and those with disabilities face even greater challenges. With limited transportation options, physical challenges, and the long distances between rural homes and pharmacies, getting prescriptions on time can be a logistical nightmare. This situation is compounded when pharmacies are scarce or unavailable in remote locations. Even though online pharmacies have emerged as a potential solution, many rural areas still lack reliable mail or delivery services. The concept of using drone technology to deliver medications is a promising option, but before it can be implemented on a large scale, it is important to test and understand its feasibility and effectiveness.
The Drone Delivery Pilot Program
My dissertation examines the feasibility and effectiveness of using drone technology to deliver simulated medications to elderly patients and people with disabilities living in rural "pharmacy deserts." By conducting a drone delivery pilot program, I aimed to address transportation challenges and help decrease the rate of independent pharmacy closures, ultimately improving access to medications for these underserved communities. In this pilot program, I used a drone to simulate real-world medication deliveries to participants living in rural Georgia. The focus was on elderly individuals and people with disabilities who often face the most significant challenges when it comes to transportation and health care access. The drone delivered simulated medications directly to their homes, bypassing the need for them to travel long distances to their pharmacy.
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Life Care Specialists Expand to Stephens and Coffee Counties | |
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Life Care Specialists Alyssa Womack (Stephens County Hospital); Brandi Merritt and Nikkiya Paulk (Coffee Regional Medical Center)
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Opioid misuse is not only an urban issue but also is prevalent in rural areas. The Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center (GRHIC), Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM), and the CWC Alliance formed a partnership to combat the opioid epidemic affecting Georgia’s rural communities through the rural Life Care Specialist (LCS) program.
Following the installment of the first-ever LCS in a rural hospital — Mandy Kuntz at Mountain Lakes Medical Center in Rabun County — the program expanded to Stephens County Hospital in Toccoa and Coffee Regional Medical Center in Douglas in late 2024. SGMC Health will add LCS positions in 2025.
A Passion for Helping Others in Rural Health Care
“I heard about it at the nail salon,” said Alyssa Womack. In a serendipitous moment, the Stephens County Hospital’s HR director overheard Womack’s conversation with a nail tech about her background and how she planned to use her psychology degree. Her career took a turn when the HR director told Womack about the LCS position.
“At the time, I was working at a pet store trying to figure out my next step,” said Womack. “She said, ‘Actually, we have a position that we are posting next week. It sounds like what you’re looking for and you should apply.’”
Womack landed the job and knew she found what she was meant to do. “I did some more research into CWC and learned more about this program, and just the more I read about it, the more I fell in love with it.”
Cammie Wolf Rice’s son Christopher Wolf suffered from decades-long chronic pain and succumbed to opioid dependency. Rice, the founder of CWC, has made it her mission to combat opioid misuse through prevention, and one way to achieve that mission is through the LCS program.
"The numbers don’t lie: opioid-related deaths are 31% higher in rural areas, and that gap won’t shrink unless we provide these communities with hands-on solutions that work,” said Rice. “For me, this mission is deeply personal – losing my son to opioid dependency showed me just how critical early intervention and compassionate support are. The Life Care Specialist program is about making sure patients, like Christopher, in rural communities don’t fall through the cracks, and that they have someone in their corner, advocating for them and connecting them to the resources they need."
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Celebrating Black History Month: Physician Spotlights
by Kayla Stroud, Communications and Events Specialist
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Keisha Callins, MD, MPH, is an OB-GYN physician who practices in Jeffersonville, Hinesville, and Gray, Ga. She has worked at Community Health Care Systems, Inc. for seven years.
As an 8-year-old, Dr. Callins had an incident that led to her calling into health care. “I ended up with an emergency surgery, and I decided that nobody should be treated like that. A nurse refused to take care of me because I threw up on myself. I remember everything," she said.
Dr. Callins finds great fulfillment in her work in obstetrics and gynecology, especially in supporting her patients through their most challenging moments. “I can do something to help make their health better, which helps improve their life. That's what I enjoy the most.”
She also finds health equity to be a rewarding aspect of her job. She said, “I see a lot of patients who are uninsured or don't have regular access to care, and that's the benefit of being in a federally qualified health center. I offer the same level of care. Whether you live down the street or in a tent, it doesn't matter.”
Because she understands she is with a patient at their most vulnerable, Dr. Callins said that a strong sense of trust has to be built between patient and doctor. “You cannot be judgmental. You have to be empathetic and connect, be respectful.”
Dr. Callins believes that providing quality health care requires a collaborative team effort. “I don't feel like I have to solve all the problems myself. I have a reliable network. If I don't know something, and the person I call doesn’t know as well, they will help me find the person to help the patient.”
When it comes to rural medicine, she said, “We need more people to teach. We need people to go to rural communities and stay there."
Dr. Callins believes in the power of community because she feels that getting where she is today took work and love being poured into her from those close to her. “Always recognize where your help comes from and never forget that opportunity to acknowledge the people who have sacrificed for you.”
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Dr. Callins serves as a mentor and preceptor to the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center's Maternal Health Observership Program students.
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Grace Davis, MD, FAAP, a rural pediatrician in Sylvester, believes going to her hometown hospital in Kingston, Jamaica helped shape her decision to become a pediatrician. “Seeing those children, especially the ones who were admitted, I still think of some of those images to this day.”
While at Washington University, Dr. Davis worked with many influential physicians, one of them being Helen Nash, MD. “At the time, in the ‘80s and ’90s, I didn’t realize who she was. But I recently went to The National Museum of African-American History in Washington, D.C., I'm looking at pictures of her there and I’m like, ‘Whoa, she trained me!’”
Her mentor, Dr. Nash, was the first African-American pediatrician to join the staff at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “I did not realize how significant she was to our American history. And, 30-something years later, it dawned on me how fortunate I was to have worked with people like her.”
In 1997, Dr. Davis opened her practice Sylvester Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine in Worth County. She said building relationships and connections with her patients is one of the many rewarding aspects of being a pediatrician.
“When the community is in distress, when things are uneasy, you realize how much stability you provide,” said Dr. Davis.
Dr. Davis noted how her practice never closed during the pandemic. “We saw kids of former patients who came from other states and from Atlanta. They wanted to come home.”
Dr. Davis said she receives fulfillment in her practicing medicine in a rural community. “In rural medicine, you develop relationships with families and watch children grow over time, and you learn so much from people about life.”
“My primary thing is not the dollar. It's the quality of care that the children receive, and that every child and every family feels valued, that they're getting good quality care,” she said.
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Dr. Davis is a participating pediatrician in the Kids Alliance for Better Care (KidsABC) initiative and serves as a member of its Rural Pediatrician Support Collaborative committee.
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Addressing Stress and Mental Health Among Georgia Women in Agriculture
by John McElveen, EdD, Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance Director
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Each month, the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance (GAWA) hosts the Georgia Healthy Farmer Mindset monthly Zoom meeting, which focuses on topics related to stress and mental health in the agricultural community. This month, Anne Montgomery, PhD, of the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center at Mercer University School of Medicine, and Anna Scheyett, PhD, LCSW, of the University of Georgia’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, presented their latest research on stress and mental health in women in agriculture who are producers and/or farm spouses.
Dr. Montgomery is a lead author of the 2022 Farmer’s Mental Health Well-Being Project conducted by the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center and the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture. This statewide project surveyed farmers and farm spouses. She used study data from 450 female survey participants to discuss results about stress and suicidal ideation among women in agriculture.
Dr. Montgomery explained that the study examined differences in negative feelings, stress levels, and stressors between female and male farmers, as well as similarities and differences in coping strategies. Additionally, the study examined variations in suicidal ideation between men and women in agriculture.
Overall, when considering gender alone, women in agriculture were more likely than men to experience depression in the previous 12 months (36% vs. 26%) and to have suicidal thoughts. However, no significant gender-based differences were found in measured stress scores, concerns about losing their livelihood, farm, or substantial income. Both men and women reported similar feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, and major stressors such as weather, savings, and work-life balance. When researchers accounted for factors like age, farm role, and whether participants were first-generation or multi-generational farmers — a characteristic previously shown to impact the level of suicidal ideation among farmers — most gender-based differences disappeared. It was determined that gender-based differences in critical areas like suicidal ideation and depression are more likely the result of various roles on the farm and whether the participant was a first-generation farmer or not. Overall, the study confirms the much higher level of stress and suicidal ideation in farmers, regardless of gender.
Dr. Scheyett presented on her research with female farm spouses through a series of six focus groups conducted with farm spouses from the southwest region of Georgia. A total of 29 women took part in the study, which explored their experiences as spouses of farmers, how their various roles on the farm and in their family may contribute to their stress, the coping strategies they use, and implications for supporting farm spouses. Aspects examined included multiple responsibilities including conflicts between home and farm responsibilities, demands of childcare in rural areas, financial stress, and demands for work outside the home.
Dr. Scheyett and her research team identified several stressors faced by farm spouses, including their efforts to alleviate stress for their farmer partners by taking on non-farming responsibilities. These tasks included managing the household, handling housework and yardwork, and caring for children and grandparents, allowing the farmer to focus solely on farming. Additionally, some participants shared that they also worked outside the home and farm to provide essential benefits, such as health insurance for their families.
Several participants reported taking on additional responsibilities by assisting with farm activities when needed. Many also managed financial tasks, including bookkeeping, bank account management, bill payments, and other administrative duties—responsibilities that were often perceived as a significant burden.
Another key theme that emerged from the study was the female spouse's perceived responsibility for maintaining the family's emotional stability. Many acted as a go-between among family members and viewed keeping their loved ones “uplifted” as a crucial responsibility. The study highlighted significant and widespread stress resulting from "role overload." Additional stress stemmed from the inherent isolation caused by their extensive responsibilities, limited time for other activities, and the geographic isolation of rural life.
Participants relied on key coping strategies such as faith and emphasizing the positive aspects of rural and farm life. Many also tended to minimize the effect of their responsibilities. To better support farm spouses, Dr. Scheyett emphasized the need for greater awareness of role-related stressors, enhanced social support system for women on the farm, and equipping counselors to better understand and address the unique stressors faced by farm spouses.
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Next Month: Georgia Healthy Farmer Mindset
On March 14 at 10 a.m., the Georgia Healthy Farmer Mindset meeting will focus on a debrief of the Georgia Farm Stress Summit, which will take place on March 13 in Statesboro, Ga.
This Zoom meeting is held on the second Friday of each month at 10 a.m.
For more information, please contact GAWA Director John McElveen, EdD, at mcelveen_j@georgiaruralhealth.org.
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Rural Hospital Emergency Department Collaborative
The KidsABC Rural Hospital Emergency Department Collaborative has finalized the selection and onboarding of Cohort 3 hospitals. Planning is ongoing for the March orientation and collaborative meeting, set for the 6th and 7th. We are looking forward to hosting a Marcus Crisis Prevention Training in March to help teach de-escalation skills in addition to a Certified Emergency Nurse exam review course in April. Our team is continuing to plan additional education offerings we can provide for participating hospitals.
Rural Pediatrician Support Collaborative
Since the beginning of the new year, telehealth appointments have been ongoing and are meeting the specialized pediatric needs of patients across rural Georgia. Additional planning meetings have been held to enhance the telehealth experience for patients and subspecialty providers. The Pediatric Alliance Webinar Series (PAWS) has provided two virtual sessions to physicians, health care providers, and community members. The January 8 session on sickle cell disease featured a pediatric hematologist/oncologist from the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The February 12 session on hypertension and heart disease featured a pair of pediatric cardiologists from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology (formerly the Sibley Heart Center). The next PAWS session on March 12 will feature a Child Wellness Manager from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta who will present on nutrition and healthy eating. Monthly newsletter resources have continued to provide families with key information on addressing pediatric patient needs. Planning for the annual Rural Pediatric Continuing Education Conference in May and the new Rural Autism Conference in July is underway and more details are soon to come as speakers are confirmed. Additionally, visits to offices of Cohorts 1 and 2 have been completed through lunch-and-learn sessions to engage with rural pediatric providers, telehealth champions, and office staff and answer questions regarding the telehealth offerings of the KidsABC program.
Rural Pediatric Mental Health Collaborative
The Center is working with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University to perform universal mental health and wellness screening with school aged children grades 3-12 in rural school systems. As may be indicated based on the results of the screenings, students’ parents/guardians will be offered behavioral health services for their students from Emory University, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Centers’ Pediatric Mental Health Initiative or local community resources. Also involved with the implementation of the universal mental health and wellness screening is the Rural Behavioral Health Institute (RBHI). It is a 501(c)(3) public charity with experience in implementing universal mental health screening and care connection services in rural school systems. This multi-talented team has developed specific screening tools from other screening tools and resources. The screenings are not diagnostic and there will be no diagnosis given to any participants. This program is only to provide mental health and wellness training to students who may need additional skills.
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Anyone considering joining or starting a new or existing project, can reach out to Anne Montgomery, PhD, at Montgomery_a@mercer.edu 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.
PAWS: Pediatric Alliance Webinar Series
The Pediatric Alliance Webinar Series (PAWS) is a free monthly training program offering one-hour virtual sessions led by subject matter experts, allowing providers to earn CME and CNE credits. Topics covered include hypertension, arthritis, epilepsy and more. PAWS complements this with peer-led rural pediatric case studies and in-person continuing education conferences.
If you are a rural pediatric provider, please click to register for trainings and subscribe to Rural Pediatric News.
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2025 Ongoing Center Initiatives | |
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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
Samantha Johnson
Opioid Misuse Prevention Project
Rural Hospitals
Glenda Grant, Samantha Johnson
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Community Resiliency
Model (CRM)
All Rural Counties
Joan Anderson
Mental Health First Aid
All Rural Counties
Kedrick Williams,
Glenda Grant
Pediatric Mental Health Initiative
Ben Hill, Jefferson, Washington
Joan Anderson
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
Health Fairs
Rural Partners
Amanda Livingston
Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance
All Counties
John McElveen
Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Nursing Education Training
Harvey Lee Moody
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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
March 8 | 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Co-Host: Representative Mack Jackson
Twiggs County
March 8 | 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Host: Faulks Chapel Baptist Church
Harris County
July 19 | 9–11 a.m.
Co-Host: Harris County School District
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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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