Peach State Health Plan (PSHP) and the Centene Foundation have announced a $2.2 million commitment to Georgia Southern University to expand a workforce development program designed to support rural health care.

The program will provide education and training for healthcare professionals needed in underserved areas of rural Georgia and enhancing the university’s existing nursing, physicians’ assistants, and addiction recovery specialists’ programs. Through this public-private partnership, PSHP will work with Georgia Southern’s Institute for Health Logistics & Analytics to support data-driven, targeted programs at the university to help address critical shortages and improve the health and well-being of the community.

In addition, the university’s Waters College of Health Professions will expand recruitment, enrollment, retention, and graduation of bachelor’s in science nursing students, with a focus on students in rural Georgia. In the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, funding will be used to expand the addiction recovery program.

“Rural Georgia is facing a significant shortage of nurses, mental health specialists, and addiction counselors. To address this critical need, it is imperative that we streamline the educational pathways for students pursuing these fields,” said Georgia Southern University president Kyle Marrero. “This strategic partnership is poised to set us on a trajectory to make a meaningful impact on the healthcare landscape across rural Georgia.”

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