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A ccess to health care is something many of us can take for granted. An annual trip to see your doctor or an emergency visit may be a short drive for some, but not for most people in Georgia. Out of the 159 counties in the state, 120 of those are considered to be rural. Rural areas face numerous health disparities compared to urban areas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rural Americans are at greater risk for death than urban Americans from five leading causes including heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke. Our neighbors to Central Georgia are living this reality. However, there are local groups and organizations that have made it their mission to bring healthcare access to everyone. There are many factors that contribute to why rural Georgians are dealing with these health disparities. The biggest factor is general access to health care. Because a basic clinic is sometimes hours away, some people either choose not to drive that far or just simply can't. "If you look at the Coronavirus disease, it shines a bright light on those disparities. The people who died in many of those rural areas from Coronavirus did not have access to basic and quality care that would help them control chronic disease," said Dean of Mercer University School of Medicine Dr. Jean Sumner. Dr. Sumner is leading the next generation of physicians who are already making a difference in rural Georgia. About 70 percent of the School of Medicine class is from outside of metro Atlanta and about 50 percent of the students are from completely rural areas. The School of Medicine makes it a mission to only accept Georgians, with a preference for those from rural and underserved populations. "For years we were accepting outstanding academic students based on academic performance pretty much alone," said Dr. Sumner. "Now, on top of academics, we look at where they are from and how committed they are to our mission." One of those is third-year medical student Maggie Bridges Kearney, a 29-year-old mother and wife from Brinson. In 2019, Brinson's population was recorded at 177. Kearney is also a Nathan Deal Scholar and will get a majority of her tuition paid for as she has strong ties to rural Georgia and plans to go back to her hometown to practice medicine upon graduating from residency. "I've seen first-hand the combination of people's ability to get to the right providers as well as people just not having access. People being uninsured and underinsured," said Kearney. "I love the ability to be an advocate for my community one day and to understand its health needs. I want people to feel comfortable coming to me for their health care needs. I'm one of their own." Kearney grew up on a farm. Her dad is a farmer who grows everything from watermelons to blueberries. Her mother worked as a public health nurse, so she had more of an advantage to healthcare, but she knew many people in her town and surrounding towns were not as fortunate. Before entering medical school, Kearney shadowed local pediatricians and saw firsthand how patients would not come until they were really sick and had not had wellness checks or vaccinations before. With the elderly 44 maconmagazine.com | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022