HR 488: Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center; commend

House Resolution 488

By: Representatives Greene of the 154th, Taylor of the 173rd, Yearta of the 152nd, Campbell of the 171st, Williams of the 148th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Commending the Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center (SOWEGA-AHEC) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase access to healthcare by improving the number and equitable distribution of healthcare providers across 38 counties in southwest Georgia; and

WHEREAS, the vision of SOWEGA-AHEC is to cultivate a healthcare workforce that closely reflects the state's population in diversity, ensuring communities have an adequate number of practitioners in key disciplines, particularly primary care, to improve access to healthcare; and

WHEREAS, under the leadership of Chairman Dr. Winston Price, Executive Director Laura Calhoun, Administrator Zina Whittaker, and Board Member and Co-Founder Dr. James Hotz, SOWEGA-AHEC has exceeded its goals year after year; and

WHEREAS, Zina Whittaker dedicated 25 years of service to SOWEGA-AHEC before her retirement, Dr. James Hotz served for 34 years before transitioning to Emeritus status, and Dr. Winston Price served for nine years before moving to Emeritus status; and

WHEREAS, despite the challenges of a global pandemic, major structural damage to its headquarters necessitating temporary relocation of operations, and a statewide shortage of available housing for students on rotation, the number of students successfully placed on clinical clerkships continued to grow; and

WHEREAS, in 2024, SOWEGA-AHEC engaged more than 5,800 participants, recruited 3,898 students, and facilitated the retention of 1,266 healthcare providers in southwest Georgia communities; and

WHEREAS, SOWEGA-AHEC conducted more than 2,000 classroom presentations through its AHEC Scholars IPE program, Pathway to Med School, high school camps, and health professional facility shadowing experiences in 2024; and

WHEREAS, since 2022, SOWEGA-AHEC has coordinated a highly successful Community Paramedicine Program in Clinch Memorial Hospital, Coffee Regional Medical Center, Colquitt Regional Medical Center, Irwin County Hospital, and Southwell, enhancing community wellness, reducing hospital readmissions, and minimizing patient use of emergency departments for chronic and non-emergent cases; and

WHEREAS, the SOWEGA-AHEC RN Reentry Program, which has been active since 2007, has played a critical role in strengthening the healthcare workforce over the past nine years, ensuring that the state could meet the demands of first responders during the global pandemic and beyond.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commend the Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center for its outstanding contributions to healthcare workforce development and its continued efforts to improve access to healthcare across southwest Georgia as well as extend best wishes for continued success.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center.