Medical College of Georgia Dean David C. Hess, MD, honored several advocates for rural health care in Georgia during his annual State of the College Address on Feb. 20.
The recognition highlights the ongoing efforts to expand medical education and improve health care access in underserved areas across the state.
Georgia State Representative Darlene Taylor received this year’s MCG Advocate Award. “State Rep. Taylor has been instrumental in the development of our MCG Thomasville campus,” Hess said. “She also attended our Jekyll Island Faculty Development Conference, where she was incredibly engaged with faculty and staff.” Taylor, who has served as a legislator since 2011 and chairs the Health Appropriations Subcommittee, is also CEO of Taylor Benefit Resource. She recently supported a new fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at MCG and helped develop residency programs with St. Joseph’s/Candler hospital system in Savannah.
Raul Santos, MD, chairman of the Archbold Memorial Hospital Credentialing Committee in Thomasville, received the Community Advocate Award. The first group of students began their clinical years at MCG’s new regional campus in Thomasville this January. “He’s been a stalwart in getting us down there and setting up our Thomasville campus,” Hess said. “He has also been a key player in developing Archbold’s internal medicine residency program [a partnership with MCG].” Santos has held various leadership roles at Archbold Memorial Hospital since arriving in Thomasville in 1996.
Ashley Saucier, MD, associate professor and assistant dean for Evaluation, Accreditation and CQI at MCG, was recognized with the Professionalism Award for her work supporting Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) statewide. “She is a passionate supporter of the Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) across the state,” Hess said. “Thanks to her hard work, we have affiliation agreements with 60% of the FQHCs in the state.”
David Ringer, MD, CEO for nonprofit Oconee Valley Healthcare and Chief of Staff at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital, also received a Community Advocate Award for his longstanding support of MCG and dedication to patient care across multiple settings.
The awards reflect Medical College of Georgia’s commitment to strengthening partnerships that advance rural health care education and delivery throughout Georgia.
