Augusta University has announced a $2.2 million commitment from Peach State Health Plan, a subsidiary of Centene Corporation, and the Centene Foundation, the corporation’s philanthropic wing, to assist medical and dental students who pledge to practice in rural and underserved areas of the state.

The commitment will expand the university’s Medical College of Georgia Primary Care Pathway Program (MCG 3+ Program), launched in 2021 with a $5.2 million investment from Peach State Health Plan and the Centene Foundation, which has been critical in efforts to combat the rural physician shortage by placing doctors where they are needed most in Georgia. In addition, the commitment will establish a new loan forgiveness program at the university’s Dental College of Georgia (DCG) for students who agree to practice in rural, underserved Georgia counties after completing their dental training.

“Our collaborative efforts with Augusta University—and its MCG and DCG—are shining examples of how public-private partnerships provide long-term solutions to complex healthcare shortages in rural areas,” said Wade Rakes, Centene’s chief growth officer and plan president and the CEO of Peach State Health Plan. “We are proud of the progress being made by the MCG 3+ Primary Care Pathway Program, which graduated its first cohort of medical students in May 2023. Peach State Health Plan is confident that a similar program at the Dental College of Georgia will share the same success.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Vasyl Dolmatov)