Macon Magazine

December 2024/January 2025| maconmagazine.com 57 report delivered to the legislature by 2026. From the Gold Dome in Atlanta down to the North Central Health District here in Central Georgia, government and elected officials are working collaboratively with medical professionals and nonprofits on delivering solutions to Georgians. B E H I N D T H E N U M B E R S But what building blocks have caused this multidimensional problem? While the maternal healthcare crisis has hit Georgia particularly hard, it is not entirely unique. One factor impacting Georgians is the closure of hospitals and labor and delivery wards, a nationwide trend creating what Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health calls "maternity care deserts." "All moms deserve the right care at the right time," said Callins. "Simply put, distance and time can be a matter of life and death, or significantly impact quality of life for mother and infant with both short term and long-term consequences." Many maternity care deserts are in rural areas, which lack healthcare options in general – the federal government estimated 65% of rural areas faced a shortage of primary care doctors, for example. This exacerbates issues in maternal care. If a patient hasn't been seeing a primary care doctor or gynecologist for regular screenings before pregnancy, for example, she may be unaware of underlying health issues that could cause complications. Kedrick Williams, who acts as the senior rural health project manager for the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center (GRHIC), explained there can be misunderstandings on both the patient and provider side: "What resources are available for them? What is there that they can access? What do they deserve just as human beings, regardless of their zip code?" Williams believes not all understand what rural life is like, where a barrier like transportation means some prenatal appointments are skipped by underserved patients. This example is part of another puzzle piece in maternal outcomes, a package of factors called social determinants of health. These include societal factors that put strain on one's body, everything from access to food, to living in a safe neighborhood, to experiencing discrimination, to poor job opportunities. Katherine Sylvester, a physical therapist who founded maternal support their holistic care and well-being beyond the baby announcements. H A N D I N H A N D : M E D I C I N E A N D P O L I CY People are what drives that hope for improved maternal outcomes. "Along with many other dedicated, mission-minded maternal champions, IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE to solve the maternal health care crisis in Georgia," exclaimed passionate provider Keisha Callins, emphasis original. "In fact, I think getting a rocket to the moon is harder and that has already been done." Providers like Dr. Callins are at the front lines of their communities advocating for safer pregnancies. Callins is an OB/GYN with Community Health Care Systems, Inc. and professor at Mercer University School of Medicine's Department of Community Medicine. Even after being actively involved in patient care in rural Georgia, often in Jones and Twiggs Counties, she finds time for community organizations like Rotary Club and Junior League and provides volunteer gynecological services to Macon Volunteer Clinic (see page 72) and Brookdale Resource Center. She's also a fierce voice for rural health and increasing access for underserved patients. Among a steady stream of committees, boards, and fellowships, Callins was most recently named by the state legislature and governor to serve on the Georgia Maternal and Infant Health Advisory Commission. Created through House Bill 1046, this committee brings together medical experts like Callins and a neonatologist, a certified nurse- midwife, maternal-fetal medicine doctor, and more directly with state lawmakers to create evidence- based policy recommendations. Callins offers gratitude to the governor for her appointment. She said they have a big job to accomplish: "Together, we have been tasked to examine the current practice of perinatal facilities, healthcare providers and related professions; review the current recommendations of medical and scientific organizations; explore current perinatal programs; and incorporate this information along with our collective expertise to establish indices for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of perinatal care." The two-year process will culminate in a "Women should understand and know that their mental health and wellness is important during pregnancy and after delivery." LEFT Dr. Keisha Callins serves patients at a clinic for Community Health Care Systems, Inc.

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