Peach State Health Plan and the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Select 2022 Peach State Scholars

ATLANTA, Aug. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, leaders from Peach State Health Plan and the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University announced the official 2022 "Peach State Scholars" during a ceremony on Augusta University's campus. The seven students make up the second class of Peach State Scholars participating in the Medical College of Georgia's MCG3+ Primary Care Pathway Program.

The program, which launched in 2020, allows selected students to finish medical school in three years rather than four and go directly into a primary care residency in Georgia. In exchange for their commitment to serve in a rural or underserved area of the state, these students will receive a scholarship for tuition, which was made possible by a $5.2 million donation from Peach State Health Plan in 2021.

"We are excited to see the MCG3+ Primary Care Pathway Program expand into its second year with the 2022 Peach State Scholars," said Wade Rakes, Chief Executive Officer, Peach State Health Plan. "These medical students will soon be on the frontline of medical care in Georgia's underserved communities. As this innovative program continues, together we'll help develop more doctors throughout the state of Georgia."

Governor Brian Kemp matched Peach State Health Plan's initial donation to kickstart the program, adding another $5.2 million in funding. This year, Governor Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly added an additional $8.7 million to the program.

"I am always proud to see public and private organizations in Georgia come to together to create innovative solutions to health care problems in the state," said Governor Brian Kemp. "The state of Georgia is proud to support the work Peach State Health Plan and the Medical College of Georgia are doing to put more doctors in our rural and underserved areas."

"Our partnership with Peach State Health Plan has been critical to getting the MCG3+ Primary Care Pathway Program off the ground to address Georgia's doctor shortages," said Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel, PhD. "Georgia is losing doctors in many of its underserved areas for a variety of reasons, including retirement of aging doctors and the desire of young doctors to open practices in more populated areas. These Peach State Scholars will help address these shortages for years to come." 

The 2022 Peach State Scholars, their hometowns, and intended specialty are as follows:

Reginald D. Benson, Jr.
Douglasville, GA
Emergency Medicine

Sarah K. ChappellAlpharetta, GA
Pediatrics

M. Raine FoulkesMacon, GA
OB/GYN

Ganesh Maduraiveeran
Cumming, GA
Internal Medicine

Adir MohabanHahira, GA
Emergency Medicine

Edil NourLawrenceville, GA
Psychiatry

Bailey RodgersMarietta, GA
OB/GYN

The Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University is one of the nation's largest medical schools by class size, with 264 students per class. The educational experience is anchored by the main campus in Augusta, regional clinical campuses for third- and fourth-year students across the state and a second four-year campus in Athens in partnership with the University of Georgia. MCG's expanding partnerships with physicians and hospitals across Georgia currently provides about 350 sites where students can experience the full spectrum of medicine, from complex care hospitals to small-town solo practices. MCG and its teaching hospitals also provide postgraduate education to more than 500 residents and fellows in more than 50 different Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved programs.

Peach State Health Plan is a Care Management Organization that serves the needs of Georgians through a range of health insurance solutions. Peach State Health Plan serves the Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids® population in partnership with Georgia Families. The organization also focuses on under-insured and uninsured individuals through its federal insurance marketplace plan, Ambetter, and its Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan. Peach State Health Plan is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-line healthcare enterprise. For more information visit www.pshp.com.

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SOURCE Peach State Health Plan