The Center for Rural Health is a council within the Georgia Hospital Association that embodies the interests of Georgia's small rural hospitals, which we define as an acute care or critical access hospital that meets one of the following criteria: 

• an average daily (inpatient) census of 75 or fewer and located in a county with a population of 75,000 people or fewer
• or, designated critical access hospitals (CAH)

There are 71 hospital members of the Center for Rural Health.

The Center for Rural Health is governed by a board of trustees comprised of 11 small rural hospital CEOs, the president of GHA (ex-officio), and the executive director of The Center for Rural Health.  The executive director has dual reporting responsibilities to GHA executive leadership as well as the governing board of the Center.

The mission of the Center for Rural Health is to represent the needs of Georgia’s small and rural hospitals in a manner that promotes accessibility to high quality and cost-efficient health care and to act as a central agency for the study, discussion, resolution, and dissemination of ideas and information that addresses problems faced by small and rural hospitals.

We are excited to host the Center for Rural Health Annual Meeting Aug. 21-23 at the King and Prince on St. Simons Island. Attendees will hear national speakers and local experts present on topics pertinent to rural hospitals, such as maternal health, workforce safety, legal issues facing rural hospitals and tort reform.

We look forward to seeing you on beautiful St. Simons Island.

Registration

Registration Rates
•    Aug 15–Onsite: $520

Cancellation Policy*
•    After Aug. 1: only submissions allowed
*Cancellation fees apply to both member and guest registrations.

Schedule at a Glance
Wednesday, Aug. 21
8:30-9 a.m.        Continental Breakfast  

9-10:15 a.m.        The Future of Work is Human: Creating People-First Work Cultures  
Lisa Walden, Co-Founder, Good Company Consulting

10:30-11:30 a.m.        Demystifying AI - Automation in Rural Revenue Cycle  
Valerie Barckhoff, Principal, Healthcare Practice Leader, Windham Brannon

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.        Lunch and Networking  

1-1:45 p.m.           Rural Health Advocacy, Policy and Value-Based Care  
John Supplitt, American Hospital Association

1:45-2:45 p.m.      Tort 101
Keri Conley, Chief Health Policy Officer, Georgia Hospital Association

3-4 p.m.            Emerging Rural Legal Issues  
Michele Madison, Partner, Morris Manning Martin

5-6 p.m.         Reception  

Thursday, Aug. 22
7:30-8:30 a.m.        Hospital Leadership Training Program Refresher Course Breakfast (Optional Session)  

8-8:30 a.m.           Networking Breakfast  

8:45-9:45 a.m.         Department of Community Health Rural Initiatives  
Dr. Dean Burke, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Community Health
Joel Presley, Executive Director, State Office of Rural Health (SORH)

9:45-10:45 a.m.          Best Practices in Working with Rural Health Clinics  
Laura Gentry, CEO, Atrium Navicent Peach  
Barry Bloom, CEO, Jeff Davis Hospital  

11 a.m.-noon        Emerging Breakthroughs For Addressing The Rural Maternal Health Crisis In The Immediate Postpartum Period
Kelsey Mayo, Co-Founder, CEO, Armor Medical
Dr. Keisha Renee Callins, Liberty Regional

Noon               Installation of Center for Rural Health 2024-2025 Board  

Friday, Aug. 23
8-8:45 a.m.                Breakfast  

8:45-9:45 a.m.         Advancing Healthcare Solutions for Rural Georgians: A Focus on Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities 
Kevin Tanner, Commissioner, DBHDD

9:45-10:45 a.m.        Workplace Violence – A Risk Management Approach to Protecting the Workplace  
Hector Alvarez, President, Alvarez Associates

10:45 a.m.                 Adjourn

GHA and Georgia Southern University (GSU) have partnered to provide state-mandated educational training for hospital executives and board members.

• Georgia Heart Hospital Program - Employee Giving Guide
• Payroll Deduction Calculator (password protected)
• Department of Revenue Proposed Contribution Timeline
• Center for Rural Health Rural Hospital Tax Credit Program Eligibility - Keri Conley, Associate General Counsel & Carie Summers, VP Healthcare Financing, Georgia Hospital Association
• Eligibility Flow Chart for SB 258- Rural Hospital Tax Credit Program
• Grassroots Fundraising - Patti Lyons, Executive Partner, Pride Philanthropy
• Rural Hospital Tax Credit: Legal Considerations - Sarah F. Kuipers, Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
• Tax and Record Keeping for SB 258 - Jim Creamer, Partner & Bert Bennett, Partner, Draffin & Tucker
• Georgia Rural Hospital Tax Credit Program (SB 258) - Audio File - C. Bert Bennett, Partner, Draffin & Tucker

Established under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) are limited-service hospitals located in rural areas with no more than 25 acute-care beds. They receive cost-based payment for Medicare patients and are relieved from some Medicare regulations. There are 30 CAHs in Georgia.

• Archbold Brooks County Hospital
• Archbold Mitchell County Hospital
• Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center
• Atrium Health Navicent Peach
• Bacon County Hospital and Health System
• Bleckley Memorial Hospital
• Candler County Hospital
• Chatuge Regional Hospital, Inc.
• Clinch Memorial Hospital
• Early Medical Center
• Effingham Health System
• Elbert Memorial Hospital
• Higgins General Hospital
• Jasper Memorial Hospital
• Jeff Davis Hospital
• Jenkins County Medical Center
• Liberty Regional Medical Center
• Early Medical Center
• Miller County Hospital
• Monroe County Hospital, Atrium Health Navicent Partner
• Morgan Medical Center
• Mountain Lakes Medical Center
• Optim Medical Center - Screven
• Optim Medical Center - Tattnall
• Phoebe Worth Medical Center
• Putnam General Hospital
• South Georgia Medical Center Lanier Campus
• St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital
• Warm Springs Medical Center
• Wellstar Sylvan Grove Hospital, Inc.
• Wills Memorial Hospital