PCOM South Georgia is bringing an expanded and interactive experience to this year’s Sunbelt Ag Expo. From October 20–22, attendees can visit the College’s Rural Health Initiative Building, located inside Building AB-4, and experience a variety of activities, including interactive learning zones and a “community health heat map” exhibit, visit the Kids Zone and teddy bear clinic, and get a first look at MedROVer, the College’s new mobile health unit. 

What To Expect Inside

Visitors will receive an “Agriculture & Health Passport” to guide them through the building and the educational  zones, including:

• Built for the Long Haul: Explore injury prevention, strength-focused activities and health screenings designed to support the people who keep agriculture moving
• Fuel, Heat & Environment: Learn about proper hydration, heat safety and environmental health, including a hydration station led by PCOM’s Culinary Medicine faculty
• From Soil to Cells: Discover the connection between agriculture, locally grown foods, nutrition and overall health
• Focus, Recovery & Endurance: Activities focused on stress management, sleep and overall mental health and wellness
• Farm Families & the Future: Look at ways families and communities can work together to promote health and safety across generations.

Nearly 30 community health partners and nonprofit organizations will be represented across the zones, providing health education resources and free health screenings, including blood pressure checks and A1C testing, as well as mental health resources.

What’s New This Year

Debuting at this year’s Ag Expo is the new MedROVer mobile health unit, which allows student doctors to provide health checks, education and wellness resources to Expo attendees.

“The MedROVer enables us to travel throughout the region, serving as a valuable community health resource through screenings, education and wellness initiatives,” said Dillon Presley, MBA, assistant director of campus operations.

What’s more, a new Kids Zone will give younger attendees their own space to explore health and wellness, with a teddy bear clinic giving kids the chance to learn about physical exams and become more comfortable with doctor visits.

How To Get Involved

PCOM South Georgia is dedicated to producing community-focused physicians, and with that in mind, the new Agriculture & Health Heat Map exhibit will allow visitors to learn and identify the health challenges affecting rural families. Using color-coded dots and personal reflections, participants can highlight issues they have seen or personally experienced.

“The voluntary information gathered through the Heat Map will help guide future programming, outreach and research efforts,” said Jennifer Jenkins, EdD, director of the Office of Campus and Community Partnerships at PCOM South Georgia. “We plan to share our findings and advocate for rural residents through community forums and educational sessions.”

Just like last year, PCOM South Georgia faculty and students will be an integral part of the Experience Hub. Students will be wearing “Ask Me About Rural Health” buttons to encourage conversations with community members and to learn firsthand about the health challenges facing rural populations.

“This is an important part of our students’ medical education because it gives them the opportunity to learn directly from the communities they will ultimately serve,” Jenkins said. “Being at the Expo allows them to experience the realities, strengths, and challenges of rural populations while building meaningful connections with the people who call these communities home.”

Faculty members and various health partners will be conducting “Health Talks” on health topics most relevant for farmers and agricultural workers, ranging from stress and rural suicide rates to heart health and recognizing the symptoms of heat-related illnesses.

For more information on PCOM South Georgia’s offerings at the 2026 Sunbelt Ag Expo and logistical information about Sunbelt Ag Expo itself, view the official show program.