HomeTown Health hits the road with its 2022 Policy Maker Tour of Rural Healthcare in Georgia
MACON, Ga., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- HomeTown Health resumed its 'in-person' Policy Maker Tours August 16-17, 2022. HomeTown Health has conducted "Policy Maker Tours" since 2010 with a focus on bringing legislators and others from the Atlanta Capitol building onsite in rural hospitals to see the facilities, learn about their challenges, learn about their successes, and get a real-life view of the rural communities served by rural hospitals throughout Georgia. From their experiences on the tour, legislators gain a more robust understanding of the impacts on rural healthcare within the state as well as through the healthcare industry structure at large. Policy Makers get to meet the leaders of rural facilities, put faces with names and facilities and towns, that connect with legislative decisions from the Capitol that impact rural healthcare in Georgia.
Throughout the two days, HomeTown Health took two Chairman Terry England, House Appropriations Committee and Christine Murdock, Deputy Director, House Office of Planning and Budget to rural hospitals. This was Chairman England's tenth and final tour in his current position and Christine Murdock's first tour. The driving tour has policy makers together for discussions with each other, the HomeTown team and the rural hospital leaders at each hosting location.
Healthcare facilities participating in the policymaker tour were:
- Calhoun Nursing Home, part of the Hospital Authority of Miller County, Edison, Georgia
- Miller County Hospital, part of the Hospital Authority of Miller County, Colquitt, Georgia
- Memorial Hospital & Manor, Bainbridge, Georgia
- Colquitt Regional Medical Center, Moultrie, Georgia
- Crisp Regional Hospital, Cordele Georgia
Along the various hospital stops, policymakers were joined by local hospital leaders, board members, authority members and community leaders to listen in and learn more about the challenges and successes of their local facilities.
"It is our goal to provide policy makers a meaningful experience in rural healthcare while also giving our rural healthcare facilities an opportunity to more meaningfully connect with their policymakers," says HomeTown Health CEO Jimmy Lewis, who serves as the chauffeur for the policy maker tour each year.
In addition to the hospital site visits, this year's policy maker tour included a stop at Georgia Premium Meats in Colquitt, Georgia – a protein processing center that is looking to expand food service of proteins to hospitals at an affordable price as an alternative to traditional out of state food sourcing companies that are sometimes impacted by market demand and item shortages.
"We are grateful to each policy maker who has ever joined us for a policy maker tour – including Rep. England who has made several of these tours throughout his tenure," says HomeTown Health CEO Jimmy Lewis. "Rep. England is poised to leave the Capitol this year with his retirement, and we will certainly miss his support and engagement, however, we continue to look forward to bringing additional policy makers each opportunity we have to expose as many policymakers as possible to the faces and communities served through rural healthcare throughout this great state."
HomeTown Health, LLC, continues to serve rural hospitals throughout the United States after over 20 years. HomeTown Health, LLC offers advocacy, education, business partner services and support, healthcare industry conferences, and strategic support to its member hospitals as well as expansive grant-based resources through key partnerships with the Department of Public Health and Department of Community Health in many states. HomeTown Health, LLC is a network of rural hospitals, healthcare providers, and best practice business partners who collectively pursue ways to help its membership survive in the environment of constant change in reimbursement, operations, and technology. HomeTown Health, LLC is committed to providing legislative representation, best practice solutions, and continuing education and training through research and the continuous improvement of processes for healthcare providers. HomeTown Health's vision is to support rural healthcare organizations in providing high quality, accessible, and competitive care through a heavily regulated and increasingly technology-dependent environment. HomeTown Health University (HTH's education department) has a more specific vision to provide continuing education in various live and online formats that is high quality, current, effective, and applicable for its intended audience. Learn more at http://www.hometownhealthonline.com and more about its online education at http://www.hthu.net.
Media Contact
Meghan Williams, HomeTown Health, LLC, 4706556950, [email protected]
SOURCE HomeTown Health, LLC
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