Rural Areas in Georgia Still Face Difficulty Recruiting Doctors, Three Years After an Audit Indicated Problems

Rural and poor urban areas of Georgia continue to have difficulty recruiting primary care physicians, three years after a state audit "criticized" the state Office of Rural Health Services, the agency charged with "increasing access to health care in underserved areas," according to a report released last month by the state Department of Audits and Accounts. The Florida Times-Union reports that the follow-up review found that the number of primary care doctors rose between 1998 and 2000 in 20 rural counties "targeted by the state," while 10 counties saw a decline and the number of doctors in nine counties did not change. The review did find "some improvement" in access to primary care in counties with "high-risk" health indicators, such as high infant mortality and cancer death rates. According to the report, "The state has multiple programs designed to encourage the location of physicians in rural, underserved areas. Because of a lack of uniformity ... however, they tend to have a greater impact on the overall supply of physicians than on placement of physicians." Tracy Byrd, director of primary care recruitment and retention at the rural health services office, part of the state's Department of Community Health, said that many doctors are hesitant to "start or relocate their practices in rural communities because they think they can make more money in urban areas or that small towns won't give them the chance to work with the most up-to-date technology." To increase recruitment, the state has launched a series of programs, including some that repay medical school loans or provide scholarships to students "willing to practice in an underserved community at the start of their career" (Williams, Florida Times-Union, 6/21).