The Teledermatology Serving Georgia program recently conducted a training session at the East Georgia Healthcare Center (EGHC) in Swainsboro to enhance dermatological care in rural primary care settings. This initiative is a collaboration between the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University and the Department of Dermatology at the Medical College of Georgia, supported by funding from Unite in the Fight Against Cancer and the Georgia Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery.
Georgia currently has a lower rate of dermatologists compared to the national average, with just 3.1 dermatologists per 100,000 people, while the national figure stands at 3.8. In Swainsboro, where EGHC is based, this number drops further to 0.45 per 100,000 people. The shortage leads to longer wait times for appointments and forces many rural residents to travel significant distances for both routine and specialized skin care.
Brenda Santellano, MD, research associate and program manager for Teledermatology Serving Georgia, said: “Although skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States, it is also one of the most preventable, given the right resources, and it is highly treatable when detected early. Given the significant role of early-life sun exposure in the development of melanoma, implementing long-term prevention interventions — like daily sunscreen use and sun safety education — could greatly enhance skin health and reduce the risk for all Georgians.”
Melanoma accounts for most skin cancer-related deaths nationally. It causes around 9,000 deaths each year in the U.S., and projections indicate that by 2040 its incidence may surpass that of colorectal and lung cancers to become second only to breast cancer among diagnosed cases.
During their visit to Swainsboro, Elizabeth V. Seiverling, MD—a dermatologist specializing in dermoscopy and electronic consults (e-Consults) from Tufts University School of Medicine—met with about ten primary care providers at EGHC’s main location. She was joined by Santellano and Hana Nazir, MD, a third-year resident at MCG’s Department of Dermatology. Together they provided hands-on training on dermoscopy techniques, e-Consult procedures, skin biopsies, cryotherapy methods, as well as evaluation skills for both benign and malignant lesions.
“Patients in rural communities face many barriers when trying to access specialty care. The scarcity of dermatologists in rural counties results in diagnostic delays and poor outcomes for melanoma patients,” Seiverling said. “The Teledermatology Serving Georgia program breaks down the geographic barriers by equipping primary care practitioners with the skills they need to diagnose and treat patients with skin concerns in the primary care setting. The recent hands-on dermatology skills training for EGHC providers added meaningfully to the already robust TeleECHO and e-Consult program at MCG. EGHC providers can tap into the dermatology team at MCG for management advice and implement the recommendations, including skin biopsies, at their local clinic.”
Martin Sheldon, MD—chief medical officer at EGHC—coordinated this visit and encouraged staff members to make active use of Augusta University’s teledermatology services due to observed improvements in access to specialist care across eastern Georgia.
After training sessions concluded at several sites—including those located in Vidalia, Wadley, Statesboro, Baxley, Millen,and Metter—these clinics were designated as teledermatology “SuperUser” e-Consult sites within EGHC’s network.
The clinical component involves residents from MCG’s Family and Community Medicine department; distance learning opportunities are open via monthly TeleECHO TeleDerm sessions using Project ECHO technology. Kendall Buchanan serves as principal investigator on this project while Rhea-Beth Markowitz coordinates scientific efforts.
“This opportunity to expand medical care and educate the next wave of primary care providers is critical to the health of our state,” said Jorge E. Cortes, MD,director of Georgia Cancer Center.“By partnering with local physicians through initiatives like our Teledermatology program,we are empowering frontline doctors with toolsand specialist expertise they needto identify suspicious lesions early,right intheir own clinics.”
Ultimately,the project aims toimprove accessfor patients statewide andreduce travel requirementsfor dermatological consultations—including screeningfor potential skincancers suchas melanoma—which could enable more timely interventionand better outcomesfor underserved populations.
