Local pediatric practice is part of Mercer initiative
Pierce County has become part of the Kids Alliance for Better Care (KidsABC), a cooperative effort between Mercer University School of Medicine, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and rural healthcare providers.
Pierce joined the second year wave of the new program last week, along with Baldwin, Crisp, Elbert, Harris, Terrell and Wayne Counties as what is called Cohort 2.
KidsABC’s plan is to partner smaller rural pediatrics practices with providers in larger nearby communities. The goal is to strengthen and expand pediatric care while also keeping care for kids close to home.
Dr. Stanley Jones, a participant in Cohort 2 who serves young patients alongside Drs. Caitlyn Smith and Eddie Thomas at both Neighborhood Pediatrics in Blackshear and The Pediatric Center in Jesup, outlined a scenario to illustrate the program.
“You go to Blackshear. Dr. Coleman is there and a child is diagnosed with a condition that requires a consult with a doctor at, say, Emory,” Dr. Jones said. “Instead of the family driving to Emory, teleheath helps us have a direct doctor-to-doctor link to consult.”
Telehealth, a word for video calls that also share vital real time diagnostic info, including heartbeat, respiration, X-rays and more, will help minimize travel time and the associated food, fuel and lodging expenses for rural families that would otherwise travel to medical specialists in larger cities further away.
“Even if the worst happened and a child needed heart surgery for example, this can save them multiple trips, so they can just go up for the surgery,” Jones said. “People can be at home where they are comfortable until they need to go elsewhere.”
Jones also said that with more people moving into the area, Pierce and Wayne could both see greater pressure put on their medical systems, which telehealth can help alleviate.
“One of the most underserved specialties in rural areas is pediatrics. Of Georgia’s 120 rural counties, 63 do not have a pediatrician. Some even have no doctor,” said Jean Sumner, M.D., Fellow of the American College of Physicians and Dean of Mercer University School of Medicine.
Statistics like those led Georgia lawmakers to allocate special funds in 2018 for the creation of a Rural Health Innovation Center tasked with addressing the health care challenges and wellness disparities in rural communities.
In 2019, Mercer University School of Medicine was awarded the grant funds to formally establish the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center on its Macon campus. KidsABC is an outgrowth of that search for innovation. Interest generated from $200 million in a sustainable trust pays for a 10 year commitment to the KidsABC program and training, support, readiness assessments and equipment to rural healthcare providers and hospitals.
Sumner stresses that telehealth is merely one component of a comprehensive plan.
“Bringing the counties together is the alliance,” Sumner said. “Watching nurses and staff from each county becoming colleagues, consulting and learning from each other.”
Sumner says, this partnership between Mercer, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the participants of Cohorts 1 and 2 is “probably the most transformative initiative ever in rural health.”
While the ultimate goal is to help share resources in the areas of pediatric and family care, which will also include a mental health component, but Sumner says “the committment from the communities to take part in this is the most important thing.”
Now part of KidsABC, Neighborhood Pediatrics is located at 125 Hobbs St, Blackshear. For information or to schedule an appointment, please call 912-530-7337.
