Augusta University, State Partner To Improve Rural Health Patterns

Augusta University and the Georgia Department of Public Health East Central Health District 6 are teaming up to study health patterns across 13 rural counties. Since January 2025, students from AU's School of Public Health have started tracking local trends.

"We learned the value of key county-level data, but it's not always as widely available or accessible as state-level data," said Jasmine Jones, second-year MPH student, according to Jagwire.

The study spans Burke to Wilkes County, with stops in Columbia, Emanuel, and nine other areas. Students track vital signs like baby death rates, smoking habits, weight issues, and food access.

Drawing from County Health Rankings, the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, and CDC files, the team built clear pictures of each area's health status. Their work shows how local numbers stack up against state figures.

"A lot of our counties are very small, and some key indicators data we wanted to assess is lacking or incomplete," said Hannah Copp to Jagwire, a fourth-year medical student. To fix missing pieces, they cross-checked multiple data sources.

Under Christine O'Meara's watch, this work will support new funding requests. The data points to areas most in need of health support and resources.

Next steps include finding local businesses to back rural health projects. New interns will scout potential donors for building upgrades and public teaching efforts.