More than 3,000 miles into a statewide effort to strengthen rural health care, Amerigroup Community Care of Georgia has visited 61 provider locations across 54 communities, bringing resources directly to rural practices and gaining a firsthand view of the barriers affecting their patients and their ability to deliver care.
The milestone comes midway through the Amerigroup Rural Health Program, launched this summer with a goal of reaching more than 100 provider locations across Georgia. By meeting directly with rural providers, Amerigroup is learning where patients and practices face challenges while connecting providers with resources that can help address some of those needs. Providers point to transportation, health literacy, digital access and Medicaid eligibility disruptions as barriers for patients. They also cite missed appointments, limited access to pediatric specialists, high patient volumes and claims issues as challenges that can take time away from patient care.
“Rural providers are closest to the challenges facing the patients and communities they serve, so we need to hear directly from them about what is working and what is getting in the way,” said Dr. Tich Changamire, president of Amerigroup Georgia. “These visits also give us an opportunity to connect providers with resources that can address some of the needs they are raising, while bringing their feedback back to Amerigroup so we can identify where additional support is needed.”
Among the resources Amerigroup is bringing directly to practices is a new secure digital Provider Toolkit that uses member data to help providers identify patients with outstanding health needs and care gaps. The toolkit also provides access to Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures, patient education materials, rural community resources, personalized digital health messaging and forms designed to make claims submission easier.
The visits are also shedding light on care gaps that rural practices are working to address, including childhood and adolescent immunizations, diabetes, hypertension, prenatal and postpartum care, and well-child visits. Providers say having HEDIS measures readily available saves time identifying those gaps, while patient education materials help support conversations with patients about their health and care.
Kiana Ayers, the clinician leading the Rural Health tour, said providers are using the visits to raise day-to-day issues affecting their practices and patients. “Providers are telling us what gets in the way of caring for their patients, but they are also telling us what would make their jobs easier,” Ayers said. “Sometimes we have a resource we can share right away. Other times, we bring that feedback back to Amerigroup and look at what we can do differently. That is why these conversations matter.”
Amerigroup has also taken the conversation beyond individual practices, bringing providers, rural health leaders and community organizations together in Savannah in August to discuss what the tour is uncovering and opportunities to strengthen rural health care.
With more than half of its planned visits completed, Amerigroup will continue across rural Georgia toward its goal of reaching more than 100 provider locations, using what it has learned from the first half of the tour to strengthen support for rural practices and the patients who rely on them.
For more information and updates on the Amerigroup Rural Health Program, visit amerigroupruralhealth.com.
About Amerigroup Community Care of Georgia
Amerigroup Community Care of Georgia helps improve healthcare access and quality for thousands of Georgians by developing innovative care management programs and services. Members are assured care that is not only accessible but also accountable, comprehensive, integrated, and patient centered. Amerigroup Georgia provides ongoing community relations and outreach to encourage members to become active participants in their health care. Through health education programs, members are empowered to choose and sustain a healthy lifestyle. For more information about Amerigroup Community Care of Georgia, visit www.myamerigroup.com/ga.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260922084238/en/
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