Mom and daughter share snacks

Our Commitment to Rural Health

Children’s is actively supporting statewide partners to address the current and future needs for families in Georgia’s 120 rural counties.

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Children’s is the only healthcare system in Georgia solely dedicated to kids.

  • Children’s cares for patients from all 159 counties in Georgia, including all 120 rural counties.
  • We provided $31.5 million in unreimbursed Medicaid and charity care to patients from rural Georgia in 2023, addressing the majority of the rural patients we served.
  • Our Medicaid payor mix of 56% is one of the largest of any hospital system in the state. In rural Georgia, our Medicaid payor mix is 59%.

Learn More About Our Impact in Rural Georgia

Children's rural pediatric scholars

Meet the Children's Rural Pediatric Scholars

Meet the Rural Pediatric Scholars, who have been awarded full tuition scholarships for their commitment to practicing in rural communities after residency.
Fiona with farm animals

Meet Fiona from Pickens County

Diagnosed with a rare condition that carries high risk for childhood cancer, Fiona is a patient in our Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

Children's is supporting Mercer University School of Medicine and the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center as they continue to establish programs with rural hospitals and pediatricians with the aim of improving access to pediatric care closer to home.

Our Work in Rural Communities

We are actively working to address the current and future needs for families in rural Georgia.

rural health report

Children’s is supporting Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) and the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center (GRHIC) as they establish programs with rural hospitals and pediatricians with the aim of improving access to pediatric care closer to home.

The Kids Alliance for Better Care (KidsABC) is a joint initiative between Children’s, MUSM and the GRHIC. KidsABC provides avenues of support for Georgia’s rural hospitals, pediatricians and rural family practitioners to keep care for kids close to home.

  • Noey Bravely Battles Leukemia and Helps Other Kids

    The 7-year-old tackled her fears and is in the final stages of treatment, thanks to the support of her Children’s care team.

Children’s has been dedicated to providing the best possible care to sick and injured children and to helping kids stay healthy through our prevention and advocacy programs across Georgia.

Our clinical reach in rural Georgia

Rural patients sought care at Children’s for emergencies, surgeries, cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, hematology/oncology and a variety of other treatments.

Our prevention reach in rural Georgia

Our prevention programs impact kids across Georgia, offering a variety of services, trainings and resources to support children in our state.

  • Children’s serves as a resource for school health services across Georgia, and our regional school nurse coordinator serves as a contact for school health professionals.
  • Children’s is the lead agency for Safe Kids Georgia.
  • Through Strong4Life, the prevention arm of Children’s, we provide training and resources to families, local schools, early care centers and community organizations. This includes programs for early care and education centers, for providers, and school nutrition programs.
  • Marcus Autism Center provides consultations, trainings, and professional development for school systems to effectively serve students with educational needs and behavioral challenges, especially those diagnosed with autism and other behavioral health disorders.
  • Project S.A.V.E. hosts professional CPR/AED trainings across Georgia.