SR 652 - Health Care for Rural & Under- served Georgians Day - recognize

First Reader Summary

A resolution recognizing "Health Care for Rural and Underserved Georgians Day".

Page Numbers - 1/ 2

SR 652                                              LC 8 3276 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                             A RESOLUTION 
 
  1- 1  Recognizing "Health Care for Rural and Underserved Georgians 
  1- 2  Day"; and for other purposes. 
 
  1- 3  WHEREAS, Georgia has 118 rural counties, and some 2.2 
  1- 4  million people, approximately one-third of the state's 
  1- 5  population, reside in those rural counties; and 
 
  1- 6  WHEREAS, nearly 45 percent of Georgians who reside in 
  1- 7  households with income below the federal poverty level 
  1- 8  reside in rural Georgia areas, and these areas have lower 
  1- 9  educational attainment levels and higher dropout rates than 
  1-10  the metropolitan areas of the state, factors which have an 
  1-11  adverse affect on the health status of these Georgians; and 
 
  1-12  WHEREAS, infant mortality, child abuse, and teen pregnancy 
  1-13  rates are higher in rural areas, and these regions are 
  1-14  disproportionately impacted by the state's growing uninsured 
  1-15  population and a rapidly increasing rural elderly population 
  1-16  who often suffer from multiple chronic diseases; and 
 
  1-17  WHEREAS, rural Georgia areas have only one-half as many 
  1-18  physicians per capita as urban Georgia areas while nearly 60 
  1-19  percent of the state's hospitals, of which 40 percent are 
  1-20  experiencing financial difficulties, are located in rural 
  1-21  counties; and 
 
  1-22  WHEREAS, rural Georgia's health care needs far exceed its 
  1-23  current provider and resource capacity, and, therefore, 
  1-24  rural Georgia areas have much in common with metropolitan 
  1-25  inner-city areas of the state; and 
 
  1-26  WHEREAS, Georgia has 120 designated Health Professional 
  1-27  Shortage Areas, almost all of which are located in rural or 
  1-28  inner-city areas of the state; and 
 
  1-29  WHEREAS, lack of adequate health care resources and lack of 
  1-30  health care workers are deterrents to industry recruitment, 
  1-31  since health problems undermine worker and community 
  1-32  productivity; and 
 
  1-33  WHEREAS, the many dedicated public and private providers, 
  1-34  community leaders, and advocates who work diligently to meet 
  1-35  the tremendous needs of rural and inner-city areas of 
 
 
 
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  2- 1  Georgia richly deserve recognition for and assistance in 
  2- 2  their efforts to maintain and improve the health status and 
  2- 3  economic viability of these areas; and 
 
  2- 4  WHEREAS, Georgia's federally funded community health 
  2- 5  centers, which are locally governed, provide comprehensive 
  2- 6  primary care medical services, including outreach, patient 
  2- 7  education, transportation, physician services, and other 
  2- 8  supportive services, for over 169,000 users in rural and 
  2- 9  underserved areas throughout Georgia; and 
 
  2-10  WHEREAS, rural providers and community health centers must 
  2-11  meet a range of health and human service needs for special 
  2-12  populations, such as migrant or homeless individuals, and 
  2-13  these services constantly operate with overwhelming capacity 
  2-14  and resource limitations; and 
 
  2-15  WHEREAS, the State Advisory Council on Rural Health, the 
  2-16  Georgia Rural Health Association, and the Georgia 
  2-17  Association for Primary Health Care are advocacy 
  2-18  organizations which seek to bring attention to the plight of 
  2-19  rural, inner-city, and other at-risk health care consumers 
  2-20  and those who provide their care; and 
 
  2-21  WHEREAS, these groups and many others recognize that rural 
  2-22  and inner-city areas need special attention and 
  2-23  consideration in any decisions affecting the health care 
  2-24  system and that state and federal officials must seek to 
  2-25  have a greater understanding of the problems and needs of 
  2-26  rural and inner-city Georgians. 
 
  2-27  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the 
  2-28  members of this body recognize the foregoing by designating 
  2-29  March 3, 1998, as "Health Care for Rural and Underserved 
  2-30  Georgians Day" and pledge commitment to policies and 
  2-31  programs which will support quality, affordable health care 
  2-32  for rural, inner-city, and other underserved Georgians. 
 
  2-33  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is 
  2-34  authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of 
  2-35  this resolution to the State Advisory Council on Rural 
  2-36  Health, the Georgia Rural Health Association, and the 
  2-37  Georgia Association for Primary Health Care. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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