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Senate Study Committee on Rural Medical Personnel Recruitment to Hold Second Meeting

ATLANTA (October 20, 2023) | On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, the Senate Study Committee on Rural Medical Personnel Recruitment, chaired by Senator Bo Hatchett (R – Cornelia), will be holding its second meeting at 12:00 p.m. at Augusta University. The Senate Study Committee was created pursuant to Senate Resolution 371, which was sponsored by Sen. Hatchett during the 2023 Georgia Legislative Session. The agenda for this meeting can be found here.

WHO:              

Sen. Bo Hatchett, Chairman of the Senate Study Committee on Rural Medical Personnel Recruitment

Sen. Kim Jackson (D – Stone Mountain)

Sen. Nan Orrock (D – Atlanta)

Sen. Larry Walker III (R – Perry)

Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick (R – Marietta)

WHAT:             

Second meeting of the Senate Study Committee on Rural Medical Personnel Recruitment

WHEN:            

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

12:00 p.m. 

WHERE:            

Augusta University

987 St. Sebastain Way

Room 5300

Augusta, GA 30912

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Sen. Bo Hatchett serves as a Governor’s Administration Floor Leader. He represents the 50th Senate District which includes Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens and Towns County and portions of Hall, Jackson, and White counties. He can be reached by phone at 404.463.5257 or by email at bo.hatchett@senate.ga.gov.

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Senate Study Committee on Rural Medical Personnel Recruitment Holds First Meeting

ATLANTA (September 7, 2023) | This week, the inaugural meeting of the 2023 Senate Study Committee on Rural Medical Personnel Recruitment took place at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center located in Demorest, Georgia. This five-member Senate Study Committee was established through the passage of Senate Resolution 371, which was sponsored by Senator Bo Hatchett (R – Cornelia) during the 2023 Georgia Legislative Session. Sen. Hatchett serves as the chair of this committee along with Senators Kim Jackson (D – Stone Mountain), Nan Orrock (D – Atlanta), Larry Walker III (R – Perry), and Kay Kirkpatrick (R – Marietta) who were also appointed as members of this committee.

“I am extremely honored to be chairing this study committee,” said Sen. Hatchett. “Growing up the son of a doctor in rural Georgia, I am fully aware of the staffing and recruitment challenges that rural communities face. Our mission is to find legislative solutions for rural healthcare communities and patients. One of our areas of focus will be the delivery of anesthesia. This is a critical component of our healthcare system that is underserved in rural Georgia. I appreciate the efforts of all the senators and look forward to the input of the broader healthcare community.”

“I want to thank Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones for appointing me to serve on the study committee, as well as Chairman Hatchett for his leadership on healthcare issues,” said Sen. Jackson. “Georgia is facing a growing population with a shortage of doctors and healthcare professionals in many communities. Delaying critical surgeries and medical procedures in over 120 rural counties in Georgia does not serve the needs of our patients. I look forward to working with the committee to come up with solid legislative recommendations to meet the medical needs of all Georgians.”

Currently, rural hospitals face a multitude of challenges when delivering services to their patients primarily due to economic factors and a lack of available health care professionals. This Study Committee aims to raise awareness of the obstacles faced by rural hospitals to recruit an adequate work force and retain their surgical personnel.

More information on the 2023 Senate Study Committees can be found here.

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Sen. Bo Hatchett serves as a Governor’s Administration Floor Leader. He represents the 50th Senate District which includes Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens and Towns County and portions of Hall, Jackson, and White counties. He can be reached by phone at 404.463.5257 or by email at bo.hatchett@senate.ga.gov.

Sen. Kim Jackson represents the 41st Senate District which includes portions of DeKalb and a small portion of Gwinnett County. She may be reached at her office at 404.656.6882 or by email at kim.jackson@senate.ga.gov.

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Sen. Bo Hatchett Praises Governor Kemp for Public Safety Grant Awards to Stephens County

ATLANTA (June 9, 2023) | This week, Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that he has made preliminary grant awards totaling more than $83.5 million for 118 qualified projects that improve community-level public safety measures and address law enforcement staffing challenges that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program funds will be allotted to supplement local law enforcement staffing, support violent crime reduction or community violence intervention programming, and invest in technology and equipment to address and respond to the rise in community violence across the state.

“I’d like to thank the Governor for directing this funding to the first responders of Stephens County,” said Sen. Bo Hatchett (R – Cornelia). “State leadership will continue to support our Law Enforcement, and I look forward to seeing these funds utilized for the safety of families in the 50th State Senate District. These direct resources to our officers help ensure they have the tools and personnel to continue to serve and protect.”

Funds awarded to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office include $1,185,156.50 to provide more deputies on the streets and more jailers with hopes of reducing the strain currently on staff.

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Sen. Bo Hatchett serves as a Governor’s Administration Floor Leader. He represents the 50th Senate District which includes Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens and Towns County and portions of Hall, Jackson, and White counties. He can be reached by phone at 404.463.5257 or by email at bo.hatchett@senate.ga.gov.

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Sen. Bo Hatchett Praises Governor Kemp for Public Safety Grant Awards to Commerce Police Department

ATLANTA (June 9, 2023) | This week, Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that he has made preliminary grant awards totaling more than $83.5 million for 118 qualified projects that improve community-level public safety measures and address law enforcement staffing challenges that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program funds will be allotted to supplement local law enforcement staffing, support violent crime reduction or community violence intervention programming, and invest in technology and equipment to address and respond to the rise in community violence across the state.

“I appreciate Governor Kemp and his staff for awarding Commerce’s first responders with this grant funding,” said Sen. Bo Hatchett (R – Cornelia). “The Commerce Police Department is extremely deserving of this grant and I look forward to seeing these key initiatives implemented in the coming months.”

Funds awarded to the Commerce Police Department include $79,310 to implement 21st century intelligence-led policing strategies for crime reduction and enhance quality of life in the community of Commerce.

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Sen. Bo Hatchett serves as a Governor’s Administration Floor Leader. He represents the 50th Senate District which includes Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens and Towns County and portions of Hall, Jackson, and White counties. He can be reached by phone at 404.463.5257 or by email at bo.hatchett@senate.ga.gov.

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Sen. Bo Hatchett Appointed to Chair Senate Study Committee on Rural Medical Personnel Recruitment

ATLANTA (June 1, 2023) | This week, Senator Bo Hatchett (R – Cornelia) was appointed by Lt. Governor Burt Jones to serve as  Chairman of the Senate Study Committee on Rural Medical Personnel Recruitment.

“Healthcare facilities across Georgia face numerous challenges when it comes to healthcare professional recruitment, especially in rural areas. A shortage of properly trained medical staff is dangerous for rural communities that are often hours away from large hospitals,” said Sen. Hatchett. “As a Senator from rural Georgia, I have seen firsthand the negative impacts that a lack of healthcare personnel can have on the health and wellness of families located outside of metro areas in our state. I appreciate Lt. Governor Jones for his diligence in creating this study committee and look forward to working with my Senate colleagues as we find creative solutions for the rural healthcare sector in the coming months.”

This five-member Senate Study Committee was established through the passage of Senate Resolution 371, which was sponsored by Sen. Hatchett during the 2023 Georgia Legislative Session. Currently, rural hospitals face a multitude of challenges when delivering services to their patients primarily due to economic factors and a lack of available health care professionals. This Study Committee will aim to raise awareness of the obstacles faced by rural hospitals to recruit an adequate work force and retain their surgical personnel.

The committees will be tasked with holding meetings across the state, with dates and locations to be announced at a later time.

More information on the 2023 Senate Study Committees can be found here.

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Sen. Bo Hatchett serves as a Governor’s Administration Floor Leader. He represents the 50th Senate District which includes Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens and Towns County and portions of Hall, Jackson, and White counties. He can be reached by phone at 404.463.5257 or by email at bo.hatchett@senate.ga.gov.