A shortage of physicians in rural areas—it’s what brought PCOM South Georgia to Moultrie in 2019.
Although statistics indicate that nearly 41 percent of Georgia’s population lives in rural areas, only 8% of the state’s physicians practice in rural Georgia as noted by the Rural Health Information Hub. And according to the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce, there are about half as many physicians per capita in Georgia’s non-metropolitan areas as compared to its cities. In addition, 17% of physicians in rural Georgia are nearing retirement age based on a study published by Statista.
There are two primary factors contributing to the lack of physicians in rural Georgia: educational loan payback burden and the qualities of rural living, according to Stacie Fairley, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at PCOM South Georgia. READ MORE
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Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Sailfish Boats will invest more than $1 million and increase their workforce by more than 30% as they expand their manufacturing headquarters in Grady County. This investment at Sailfish Boats and in Grady County will create 70 jobs in southwest Georgia and results from a sharp increase in customer demand for fishing and recreational boats.
“Boating and water sports are big business in Georgia, creating opportunities in two of our critical industries – manufacturing and tourism,” said Governor Kemp. “It’s a pleasure to see a Georgia-based manufacturer like Sailfish Boats continue to grow and create solid jobs for the hardworking Georgians of Grady County and throughout southwest Georgia.”
Established in 1986, Sailfish Boats produces dual and center console boats built for offshore and inshore fishing. The company is headquartered in Cairo, Georgia, and currently employs more than 130 Georgians. Once this expansion is complete, the company will employ close to 200 people in southwest Georgia.
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South Georgia Medical Center recently completed a $6 million upgrade of its two linear accelerators. Located in the Pearlman Cancer Center, the versatile linear accelerators deliver customized external beam radiation treatments to cancer patients. These units are an essential part of cancer treatment with two-thirds of Pearlman’s patients receiving radiation therapy at some point during their care.
Dr. John Devine, Medical Director for Radiation Oncology, said, “The Elekta Versa HD linear accelerators provide additional capabilities, such as stereotactic radiosurgery, volume modulated arc therapy, and surface guided radiation therapy including deep inspiration breath hold.”
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) ensures high definition dynamic treatment of complex or challenging cancers with submillimeter accuracy. Volume modulated arc therapy (VMAT) speeds up the treatment delivery time.
The new accelerators use Vision RT Surface Guided Radiation Therapy (SGRT), a technique that includes a three-dimensional camera system to project a laser map on the patient’s skin surface to detect any position changes during treatment. When movement is detected, the accelerator automatically pauses the radiation treatment.
“The goal is to treat the tumor with a high dose of radiation while protecting the surrounding vital organs and tissues,” Devine said. READ MORE
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Lowndes County has appointed Meghan Barwick, an experienced marketing and public relations professional, as the county’s new Public Information Officer (PIO).
As the PIO, Barwick will be responsible for managing, planning, organizing and directing the county’s information and communications programs. To ensure a positive public image of the county and the timely provision of information to citizens, Barwick will also serve as a liaison between the county and the media.
Barwick comes to the county after serving in marketing, media and public relations roles at the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority and South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC).
With over a decade of experience, Barwick understands the value of keeping the community informed.
“We are excited to have Meghan join our fantastic team here at Lowndes County,” said County Manager Paige Dukes. “She will make a great addition within the county with her knowledge of marketing and public relations principles and practices. Making sure the community is informed and engaged is very important to us here at Lowndes County.” READ MORE
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Curt and Deane Boughner, owners of Grumps Pepper Jelly |
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The retirement life represents the chance to put your feet up, travel, visit grandchildren, and enjoy days with no schedules to keep. That’s generally the plan; however, today’s retirees also represent the second largest population of small business and franchise owners.
When Curt and Deane Boughner moved from Longwood, Florida to Moultrie, Georgia, in 2014, the idea of starting a pepper jelly business wasn’t part of the plan.
Over the years, Deane has tweaked her pepper jelly recipe, which uses Scotch Bonnet peppers to create the perfect mix of sweet and spicy—all with a bit of “attitude.” With her pepper jelly a favorite among her family and friends, Deane decided to make a few dozen jars to sell at a local arts and crafts event.
Setting up a table at the Calico Arts and Craft Show—an event that attracts thousands of people to the Moultrie area—the Boughners weren’t sure of the response they would receive.
“We just set up a table and handed out samples of the pepper jelly on cream cheese and crackers,” Curt says. “We were surprised at how much people liked it. That first year we sold about seven dozen jars.”
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She might not consider herself a pioneer, but Teresa McElroy is blazing the trails for women-owned businesses in South Georgia.
In 2008, after working several years at hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and outpatient centers, McElroy gave up the security of a 9-to-5 job to open The Therapy Tree.
Her entrepreneurial journey started in a small trailer with one patient. More than 12 years later, The Therapy Tree has five clinics—Douglas, Fitzgerald, Hazlehurst, Baxley, and Vidalia—each clinic provides various services including occupational and speech therapy for birth to 21 years of age and applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for children diagnosed with autism.
McElroy readily admits that starting a business has its challenges, especially the first few years when she got by on a “hope and a prayer.”
“There were a lot of lean years,” says McElroy, who received a Master’s in Speech Pathology from Valdosta State University. “I did a lot of research to find out how to get my credentials so that I could start accepting Medicaid and Medicare.”
Her determination was recently recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) when she received the 2020 Rural Small Business Person of the Year (SBA Region IV). READ MORE
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