Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program - Southern Healthcare Collaboration, Inc. (SHC) is a nonprofit agency working to support rural healthcare provider clinical integration and network infrastructure, enabling the currently sparse and overtaxed system to expand strategically. SHC is on a mission to coordinate care, expand outreach, and increase access to care in rural communities through careful consideration of relevant social determinants of health. Serving rural southeast Georgia since 2020, SHC, leads a Consortium that includes service providers across Primary Care, Women’s Health, Behavioral Health, Pediatric, Pharmacy, and Healthcare Workforce Development sectors in underserved and underfunded regions to create comprehensive and sustainable service expansion. The targeted rural service area includes Appling, Bacon, and Ware Counties, eligible as defined by the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer. Healthy Futures will leverage evidence-based Coordination of Care and Preventative Screenings to improve health outcomes for underserved populations, including youth, individuals with disabilities, migrant farm workers, and mothers. Importantly, the entire region is rural – a subpopulation that encompasses all residents and is historically underserved. The following activities will be undertaken: • Southern Healthcare Collaboration, Surrency: Currently offering healthcare services one day per week, funding will bring a full-time Project Director, Dr. Lori Henderson, to the SHC Surrency location, to be supported by a grant-funded 0.25 FTE Nurse Practitioner, a 0.50 FTE At-Risk Clinical Care Services Nurse, and a 0.50 FTE Community Health Worker. Together, these healthcare professionals will enable the SHC Surrency location to offer healthcare services five days per week. • Henderson Family Practice, Waycross: Dr. Lori Henderson’s home practice, Henderson Family Practice will lead Coordination of Care across Ware, Bacon, and Appling counties. Grant-funded 0.50 FTE At-Risk Clinical Care Services Nurse, and 0.50 FTE Community Health Worker will enhance services at this location one day each week. • Cox Family Practice, Alma: Currently offering Primary Care Family Practice services and OBGYN services, the grant-funded 0.25 FTE Nurse Practitioner will expand services at this location from four days per week to five days per week. • Southern Pharmacare, Baxley: Will coordinate medication access for clients across all locations, utilizing a sliding scale to support all clients regardless of income level. Importantly, all Consortium service sites will accept future Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners in preceptorships from Valdosta University throughout the initiative, strengthening the workforce and healthcare pipeline. Grant-funded staff represent fully sustainable positions. Fiscal sustainability will be sought through an increased client caseload, strategic efforts to increase health insurance enrollment, and ongoing medical coding trainings to optimize reimbursement for services across insurance types for all healthcare and pharmacy providers. Grant funds will supplement new provider expenses during the first four years of rural service provision, allowing Project Director Dr. Lori Henderson, Dr. Cox, the 0.50 FTE Community Health Worker, the 0.50 At-Risk Clinical Care Services Nurse, and the 0.25 FTE Nurse Practitioner to establish a clientele that will remain profitable beyond the initial grant funding period. This will support the Consortium’s continued efforts to expand access to appropriate healthcare services across rural Georgia and promote service sustainability. SHC is an experienced HRSA and SAMHSA grantee, coordinating multi-sector Consortia to maximize the reach of limited funds in rural southeast Georgia. Healthy Futures qualifies for Funding Preference 1: HPSA, Funding Preference 2: MUA, and Funding Preference 3: Primary Care, as detailed in Attachment 11. SHC is applying under the Regular Track.
