State House approves funding for planning phase of SGHS residency program
Mar. 9—Included in appropriations approved last week by the Georgia House of Representatives was $180,000 for the planning work on a doctor residency program at Southeast Georgia Health System.
"Rural hospitals in Georgia are experiencing major doctor shortages, especially primary care physicians," said SGHS President and CEO Michael Scherneck. "Our health system has been actively recruiting physicians for more than 15 years, and we believe a residency program is a natural next step to begin to 'grow our own' physicians for the community, furthering our ongoing recruitment efforts."
During residency, which is required to practice medicine, doctors are trained in their chosen specialty under supervision and serve as part of a care team, according to the health system. Research finds physicians usually go on to work within the state or community in which they complete their residency.
"We anticipate that any residency program offered would be three years in length and focused on primary care, which includes both family medicine and internal medicine," Scherneck said.
More than 22 percent of Georgia's family medicine and internal medicine physicians are nearing retirement age, according to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, and rural communities often face significantly higher shortages of physicians than urban areas.
The region's physician practice group, Southeast Georgia Physician Associates, includes 140 doctors in Glynn, Camden, McIntosh, Brantley and Charlton counties and positions the SGHS well to educate the next generation of practitioners.
"We already host undergraduate medical education rotations, and we know the academic enterprise improves the quality and reach of our services and our skills," Scherneck said.
State legislators from Glynn and Camden counties spearheaded the effort to get the funding in the House budget.
"We know family medicine and internal medicine physicians are in short supply in our community," noted Rep. Don Hogan, R-St. Simons Island. "This funding is a first step to help alleviate that issue."
Rep. Buddy DeLoach, R-Townsend, concurred.
"Having a pipeline of primary care physicians in our community is so important," DeLoach said. "I am honored to support funding for the health system to complete a feasibility study and analysis of adding a primary care residency program to our community."
Sen. Sheila McNeill, R-Brunswick, said she looked forward to pushing for the funding in the other chamber of the General Assembly.
"I cannot thank our local delegation and the Georgia House of Representatives enough for supporting this funding," Scherneck said. "We look forward to working with the Senate and the governor's office to have the funding finalized."
