Mercer Medical School up for new rural health funding

Mercer University will receive millions of dollars to help fulfill its medical school's mission to put physicians in underserved and rural areas.

Mercer and Atlanta's Morehouse School of Medicine will share $70 million that the state is receiving from a settlement regarding overpayments to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Gov. Nathan Deal announced Wednesday.

"It is only fitting that we ... invest this money in health care education programs, particularly those that prioritize placing primary care physician graduates in high-demand areas throughout the state," Deal said in a statement.

Mercer and Morehouse, both private schools, receive regular state funding to help pay for medical school programs that train and graduate students prepared to work in rural and urban areas where residents most need them.

The new money will help get Mercer's medical school enrollment to 480 students this fall, Mercer President Bill Underwood said, achieving a years-long quest to double enrollment.

The point of doubling enrollment is part of a "larger strategy," he said.

"What this latest grant will enable us to do is significantly reduce the cost of a medical education for those students who are committed to providing primary care to people in rural and underserved areas of the state," he said.

The cash will be used to bankroll school loans that will be forgiven if a new doctor practices in a rural area.

Many rural Georgia communities struggle to attract doctors. According to the last survey by the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce using numbers from 2011, six counties had no family medicine physician and 79 counties had no OB/GYN.

Underwood said the weight of college debt discourages new doctors from settling in rural communities, where pay is lower than in cities.

The Mercer University School of Medicine's annual state appropriation varies a bit each year, but the governor is asking for $24 million for the fiscal year that begins in July.

The governor's office did not specify how the new money will be split between the two schools.

To contact reporter Maggie Lee, e-mail mlee@macon.com

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 6:14 PM with the headline "Mercer Medical School up for new rural health funding ."