VSU and SGMC Partner with MCG for Health Summit

VALDOSTA - Valdosta State University and South Georgia Medical Center will partner with the Medical College of Georgia to sponsor a Regional Healthcare Summit from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday, April 23, at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center in Valdosta.

The event will bring together healthcare providers, educators and institutions to collaborate on a vision for the future workforce needs in our region. From this vision will evolve directions for programming that address how educational institutions can assist in preparing students to meet those needs. As the state of Georgia’s population grows, educational systems are faced with the daunting task of supplying enough well-trained healthcare professionals to meet the growing demands. The Regional Healthcare Summit will address these topics and prepare a vision for the future.

The day will open with an overview of current data regarding regional healthcare needs, followed by small group discussions on a variety of field-specific topics. The five breakout discussion topics include nursing, pharmacy, oral health, allied health technologies and allied health therapies. All will be held concurrently, twice during the summit, allowing participants to join two discussions.

Action-oriented and participation focused, the Regional Healthcare Summit will focus on three key issues. First, it will examine how post secondary institutions can work in cooperation with hospitals to define future healthcare needs in South Georgia. Second, it will identify partnerships within the University System of Georgia (USG), the Department of Technical and Adult Education and area hospitals in order to develop academic programs that will utilize current and potential resources and facilities to properly educate healthcare professionals. Finally, it will identify action steps that will attract qualified students and provide educational opportunities in order to produce healthcare professionals who will ultimately remain in South Georgia.

The USG has been in existence for 75 years and directed resources, capital improvements, research and talented faculty to the goal of graduating highly skilled healthcare professionals. As the nation’s healthcare system continues to evolve, the USG is dedicated to preparing Georgia’s future generation of medical and technical professionals.