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.
