Mercer’s School of Medicine receives grant to expand in rural areas

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/ WMGT) – Two faculty members at Mercer’s School of Medicine are receiving almost $1-million in federal funding so the school can expand into rural areas.

The ‘National Institutes of Health’ is issuing $700,000 to the school, making it one of only two rural health-focused NIH Centers of Excellence in the nation.

The school will use the money to try and eliminate health disparities in rural areas, primarily conditions like diabetes and hyper tension in rural Georgia.

“They’re the two most commonly diagnosed chronic conditions in rural parts of the state. It’s about a 1/3 or half of the patients who present at federally qualified healthcare systems, which is the types of things we work with have one of those two conditions.

This brings the total amount granted to Mercer’s School of Medicine under this award to more than $2.1 million.