Public-private partnership designed to bring
more healthcare professionals to rural Georgia through accelerated impact of
workforce development program
ATLANTA, Dec. 11,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Peach State Health Plan (PSHP) a
care management organization that serves the needs of Georgians
through a range of health insurance solutions and a wholly owned
subsidiary of Centene Corporation Centene
Corporation (NYSE: CNC), announced a new partnership with
Georgia Southern University (GS) to
provide education and training for healthcare professionals needed
in underserved areas of rural Georgia.
Centene Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Centene
Corporation, and PSHP will invest $2.2
million to fund the expansion of a workforce development
program designed to support rural healthcare through enhancement to
GS' existing nursing, physicians' assistants and addiction recovery
specialists programs.
"PSHP is committed to increasing access to high quality health
professionals for all Georgians. We have a history of developing
public-private partnerships that bridge the gaps in healthcare
access and coverage throughout Georgia," said Centene's Chief Growth Officer
and Plan President and Chief Executive Officer of PSHP,
Wade Rakes. "GS has the experience
and capacity to provide residents in rural and underserved areas of
the state with the trained medical professionals that help keep
Georgia healthy. With this
funding, Georgians will soon see increased access to maternal,
behavioral and chronic care professionals. We are excited for
the potential of this partnership and believe that, together,
we can have a meaningful impact in our rural communities."
According to the Georgia Department of Community Health, 88% of
Georgia counties qualify as
Medically Underserved Areas (MUA) and 94% qualify as Mental Health
Professional Shortage Areas (MHPSA). These communities
disproportionately face barriers that include poverty, education,
transportation and access to affordable, quality healthcare. In
MUAs and MHPSAs, shortages of trained medical and mental health
professionals prevent many Georgians from getting the care they
need. Through this new public-private partnership, PSHP will work
with GS's Institute for Health Logistics & Analytics (IHLA) to
support data-driven, targeted programs at the university to address
these critical shortages and improve the health and well-being of
the community.
"GS is delighted to partner with PSHP on a project aimed at
enhancing our capacity to bring a greater number of high-quality
healthcare professionals to the rural regions of Georgia," stated Kyle
Marrero, President of GS. "Rural Georgia is facing a
significant shortage of nurses, mental health specialists, and
addiction counselors. To address this critical need, it is
imperative that we streamline the educational pathways for students
pursuing these fields. This strategic partnership is poised to set
us on a trajectory to make a meaningful impact on the healthcare
landscape across rural Georgia."
In the Waters College of Health Professions, GS will expand
recruitment, enrollment, retention and graduation of Bachelors in
Science Nursing (BSN) students, with a focus on students in rural
Georgia. Funding will be used to
develop and implement a Certified Nursing Assistant Program (CNA)
that will serve as an early pipeline for the BSN program that will
primarily focus on nursing student recruitment and
retention.
In the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, funding will
be used to expand the addiction recovery program. This expanded
program will allow GS to provide more staff and supervised
post-graduate training opportunities in rural Georgia to increase the overall number of
Certified Level II Addiction Counselors in Georgia.
"This new partnership with PSHP marks a significant step forward
in the capabilities of Waters College of Health Professionals to
build a robust health care workforce in rural Georgia," said Dean of the Waters College of
Health Professions, Whitney Nash,
Ph.D." The imperative to deploy dedicated healthcare professionals
in our underserved areas that specialize in nursing, counseling and
abuse intervention cannot be overstated. This partnership will be a
critical inflection point for growing the number of these health
specialists."
"As a student hoping to enter the healthcare workforce, I am
thrilled to see Georgia Southern
partnering with PSHP to create more and better opportunities to
advance my education," said Suzanna
Forehand, a junior pre-med student at GS. "These expanded
programs and student support network will equip us with the skills,
knowledge and support network needed to finish school and make a
positive impact in rural healthcare."
About Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie
Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers approximately 140
different degree programs serving more than 25,500 students
through 10 colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in
higher education in southeast Georgia with expert faculty, the University is
focused on public impact research and engaging learning
opportunities through knowledge and know-how that prepare our
students to take ownership of their lives, careers and communities.
Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.
About Peach State Health Plan
Peach State Health
Plan is a Care Management Organization that serves the needs of
Georgians through a range of health insurance solutions. Peach
State Health Plan serves the Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids®
population in partnership with Georgia Families. The organization
also focuses on under-insured and uninsured individuals through its
federal insurance marketplace plan, Ambetter, and its Medicare
Advantage Special Needs Plan. Peach State Health Plan is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare
enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives. For
more information visit www.pshpgeorgia.com.
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SOURCE Peach State Health Plan