Luring doctors to rural Georgia still a major problem

ATLANTA - Poor inner-city and rural areas in Georgia still have trouble luring primary-care doctors, even after an audit three years ago criticized the state agency in charge of increasing access to health care. <br> <br> Despite a major reorganization of state agencies and several initiatives, the number of doctors serving rural areas has actually decreased in some parts of the state. <br> <br> A follow-up report last month from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts said the number of primary-care doctors increased between 1998 and 2000 in 20 rural counties. But 10 others saw a decrease, and nine saw no change. <br> <br> ``The state has multiple programs designed to encourage the location of physicians in rural, underserved areas,&#39;&#39; the report stated. ``Because of a lack of uniformity ... however, they tend to have a greater impact on the overall supply of physicians than on the placement of physicians.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Gov. Roy Barnes hoped to increase access to health care when his created a separate state health department in 1999 a restructuring that put the state Health Benefit Plan and the Board of Physician Workforce under one roof. <br> <br> In October 2000, the Office of Rural Health Services moved from Atlanta to Cordele to be closer to the people it serves. <br> <br> Within six months, the relocated office had launched major initiatives aimed at improving health care access in rural communities. But finding primary-care physicians to staff those efforts remains a problem. <br> <br> Medical schools are full, but most new doctors choose to go to wealthier urban areas. Others specialize in fields that require technology that is too expensive for rural hospitals. <br> <br> To combat those trends, the state offers to repay medical-school loans or to provide scholarships to students willing to practice in an underserved community when they graduate.