Bringing Healthcare to Children in Rural Communities
Primary Care of Southwest Georgia
Originally published in Quest Diagnostics' Quest for Health Equity 2021 In Revi…
For many underserved families, transportation is a barrier to getting their children to routine doctor appointments or to receiving critical medical treatment. With Q4HE’s support, Primary Care of Southwest Georgia (PCSG)—an FQHC providing healthcare services to families—will open its second school-based health center. There, it will deploy mobile COVID-19 testing as well as provide general healthcare services for students and their families.
In addition to wellness screenings, chronic disease screenings, and other routine health services, PCSG plans to expand COVID-19 testing, vaccine access, and educational efforts with a focus on public housing sites, church events, and underserved populations in the Early County area of southwest Georgia. Q4HE’s support will also fund the purchase of a van to ensure that a lack of transportation is never a barrier to families seeking care at one of PCSG’s clinics.
“The day we received the Q4HE grant was one of the most rewarding days I’ve had as CEO of PCSG. We’ve worked with Quest Diagnostics for more than 10 years, and our partnership has allowed our sliding-scale patients to receive critical lab work at a discounted rate. Now we’re able to open a site at a school that serves a predominantly low-income community, and we’re purchasing a van to transport students from across the area so they can get medical care without their parents having to take off a day of work. What a blessing for the community of Early County to expand our safety net of healthcare services.”
– Angie McVey
Primary Care of Southwest Georgia