APRIL 2026 ISSUE

FEATURE

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Pediatric Conference Equips Rural Providers With Practical, Patient-Focused Care Strategies

By Harvey Lee Moody, Community Resource and Assessment Specialist

The Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, through its Kids Alliance for Better Care initiative and ongoing continuing education offerings, hosted its fourth Rural Pediatric Continuing Education Conference on April 17 at Mercer University’s Macon campus.

Planned with the unique needs of rural Georgia in mind, the conference offered attendees direct access to subject matter experts on a range of pediatric topics. In many rural communities, pediatricians often manage conditions that would be referred to subspecialists in urban areas. Education opportunities are important because they give rural providers the additional tools needed to serve their patients.

This year’s topics were chosen from feedback from past conference attendees. Sessions included pediatric ADHD diagnosis and management, early recognition and interdisciplinary care for cerebral palsy in young children, pediatric dermatology, navigating vaccine hesitancy with families and practical guidance for managing common gastrointestinal concerns.

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Rural Pediatric Scholar Logan Dominque presented his research on “Optimizing Outcomes in Pediatric Dentistry for the Rural Medicaid Population." Exhibitors that provide pediatric services to rural Georgians and support rural health care practices were on site.

This annual conference provides attendees with peer-to-peer discussions that help bridge the gap in care in rural communities and expand excellent pediatric care close to home.

School of Medicine Celebrates 2026 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Rural Scholars

Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) recently announced the third cohort of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Rural Family Therapy Scholars and the fourth cohort of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Rural Pediatric Scholars for the 2026 academic year.

MUSM selected scholars based on their commitment to becoming pediatricians or family therapists, strong ties to rural Georgia, demonstrated character, leadership qualities, community involvement and a commitment to serving in rural underserved Georgia. They are also required to maintain good academic standing throughout their studies. The Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Rural Health Scholarship Programs were established as part of a joint initiative between MUSM and Children’s, which was announced in February 2023.

Fifth Annual Maternal Health Symposium to Address Disaster Preparedness for Mothers and Babies

The Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center at Mercer University School of Medicine will host its fifth annual Maternal Health Symposium on June 25 at Mercer University in Macon.

Topics will focus on disaster preparedness, which is critical for pregnant women and new mothers who face unique health challenges and risks. Emergencies can limit access to prenatal visits, safe delivery settings, medications and essential supplies for infants. Planning ahead helps ensure continuity of care and reduces stress during already vulnerable periods.

The event is open to physicians, behavioral health counselors, lactation specialists, students and anyone involved in the care of pregnant women and new mothers.

Symposium Speakers:

6.25 credits available for in-person attendance.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Medical Educational Council of Pensacola and Mercer University School of Medicine. MECOP is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Medical Educational Council of Pensacola designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Rural Hospital Emergency Department Collaborative

The KidsABC Rural Hospital Emergency Department Collaborative project continues to advance rural pediatric care across Georgia. In April, we hosted a pediatric triage course designed for emergency department nurses and respiratory therapists, focusing on pediatric history-taking, assessment skills, and critical thinking in emergency situations. The course covered triage of respiratory, cardiac, abdominal, neurological, orthopedic, and psychiatric conditions, among other key topics. Kenya Jones, BS, RRT, clinical educator at Mercer University School of Medicine, and Laura Quinn, MHA, RRT, RRT-NPS, RRT-ACCS, director of performance improvement, infection control, and education at Mountain Lakes Medical Center, hosted the second Rural Pediatric Respiratory Session at Mercer University in Macon. The training covered respiratory support strategies, such as oxygen delivery and medication management, tabletop discussions to recognize pediatric respiratory distress, and various respiratory support strategies. The education team also hosted the first Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) Initial Training on April 30. Hospitals involved in the program continue to make progress toward reaching project milestones, and providing quality care to the pediatric members of their community.

Rural Pediatric Support Collaborative

The KidsABC Rural Pediatric Telehealth Program continues to demonstrate strong growth in both utilization and referral volume. In April, we saw a steady increase in scheduled visits including six confirmed telehealth encounters and multiple new referrals from cohort three offices.

Notably, during the first quarter alone, the program has matched the total number of pediatric telehealth patients seen throughout all of 2025, highlighting significant acceleration in adoption. Engagement and enthusiasm for telehealth services across rural pediatric and family practice settings continue to expand as we actively recruit participants for the 2026 cohort. Additionally, the recent rural pediatrics education conference provided an important platform to increase program visibility, enabling clinicians to learn more about the telehealth initiative and explore opportunities to participate as future sites.

Rural Pediatric Mental Health Collaborative

The KidsABC Rural Pediatric School-Based Mental Health and Wellness Program continues to advance partnerships and expand access to universal behavioral health screenings across rural school districts. Putnam has engaged with GRHIC to partner for care navigation of available services for their tested students.

Outreach efforts continue to build momentum in additional districts. During the Jefferson County milestones fair, the team engaged with key stakeholders, including school and district leadership and behavioral health staff, to discuss participation in universal screening for the upcoming academic year. Follow-up coordination is under way to support scheduling and implementation.

Looking ahead the team will initiate a targeted outreach campaign to seventeen rural school districts which include — Appling, Ben Hill, Berrien, Clinch, Crisp, Dade, Dublin, Fannin, Harris, Laurens, Putnam, Randolph-Clay, Taylor, Union, Upson, Washington and Wayne. This effort will include formal correspondence and a program one-pager outlining the benefits and implementation process for universal screening. Over the summer, formal face-to-face meetings will be set up to discuss opportunities for collaboration.

KidsABC Training Events

Georgia Healthy Farmer Mindset

Monthly Meeting | Virtual

Each month, the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance hosts the Georgia Healthy Farmer Mindset Zoom meeting, which focuses on topics related to stress and mental health in the agricultural community. 

Rural Autism ECHO

May | Virtual

The Rural Autism ECHO: Strategies for Improving Health Care for Autistic Patients in Rural Georgia was launched in collaboration with the Autism ToolKit of Georgia. The series was created because rural families and communities often have limited access to information about autism, making it difficult to recognize early signs and respond to a child’s unusual behavior. By offering a virtual, peer-driven learning environment, the Rural Autism ECHO empowers rural physicians and other health care professionals to diagnose and treat autism more effectively without requiring families to travel long distances.

Georgia Mobile Integrated Health and Community Paramedicine ECHO

May–October | Virtual

The Georgia Mobile Integrated Health and Community Paramedicine Conversations & Voices ECHO provides continued learning opportunities to mobile integrated health and community paramedicine professionals around the state. This ECHO is tailored to increase mobile integrated health professionals' and community paramedics’ understanding of specifics they may encounter in the field such as motivational interviewing, resilience training, and patient-centered communication. Mobile integrated health professionals and community paramedics are encouraged to attend to increase their networks of support with peers and subject matter experts.

Premature Ovarian Insufficiency in Underserved and Rural Areas

Mercer University School of Medicine researchers received IRB approval for their project, “Premature Ovarian Insufficiency in Underserved and Rural Areas.”



The study will establish focus groups of women who have lost ovarian function due to prophylactic surgery related to a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, as well as those whose ovarian function was affected by cancer treatments. Insights from these groups will inform the development of medical education programs for rural physicians and patients, helping address existing gaps in care.



Ultimately, the team aims to establish an interdisciplinary clinic dedicated to the medical, mental health, wellness, and peer-support needs of cancer survivors and women who have undergone bilateral oophorectomy.

Researchers: Chefetz Menaker, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology; Kristina Hawkins, MD, associate professor of OB-GYN; Candi Nobles-James, MD, senior associate dean of the Mercer School of Medicine Macon Campus; Betsy Smith, DrPH, MPH, associate professor of internal medicine; Anna Krampl, associate professor of library and information science; and Sorita Carter, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science.

ABOUT THE CENTER

Mercer University School of Medicine’s Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center was established to address the complex health care challenges and disparities faced by rural communities throughout the state. The School of Medicine 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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