Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) announced a recent $1,008,333 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to Mercer University (located in Macon, GA) through the Healthy Start program. The Mercer University School of Medicine runs South Georgia Healthy Start (SGHS) which helps educate mothers and expecting families about maternal health, parenting, infant safety, and more. SGHS also distributes baby-care related items and helps expecting families coordinate maternal healthcare. In 2023 alone, SGHS served 960 individuals in rural Georgia.

“Infant mortality rates are 1.5 times the national average or higher in rural communities, so it is essential that Congress is providing resources to help tackle this challenge and partner with community organizations, like Mercer University, to develop services that are tailored to local needs and address this disparity,” said Congressman Bishop. “When we are able to provide better care for all our expecting and new mothers, we are giving children a stronger start to their lives that will help them thrive as they grow.”

“Mercer University School of Medicine is committed to improving health care and access in Georgia’s underserved rural communities,” saidJean R. Sumner, MD, FACP, Dean of Mercer University School of Medicine. “We are honored to receive this continuation of the South Georgia Healthy Start grant. Dr. Jennifer Barkin and her team have done outstanding work and are improving the health and access to care of mothers, babies, and fathers in rural Georgia.” 

Established in 1991, Healthy Start is a program that was authorized through the Children’s Health Act and by HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration.

Last summer, Congressman Bishop co-lead the bipartisan and bicameral Healthy Moms and Babies Act which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives along with fellow Georgian, Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01). The bill would improve maternal and child health by increasing services, supports, and access to high-quality coordinated care as well as supporting women and babies with 21st-century technology, such as telehealth. It also would help reduce the maternal mortality rate by promoting “whole person” care, stillbirth prevention, and improving the medical field’s understanding of social determinants of health in pregnant and postpartum women.