The Washington County Regional Medical Center (WCRMC) Emergency Department was recognized for its commitment to strengthening pediatric emergency care in Washington County during a May 2 recognition ceremony. WCRMC was celebrated for reaching key milestones as a participating hospital in the Kids Alliance for Better Care (KidsABC). The Alliance, established in 2023, is a collaboration between Mercer University School of Medicine(MUSM), its Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center (GRHIC) and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Children’s). Georgia rural hospitals face unique challenges in their ability to treat and keep pediatric patients in their communities, and KidsABC is focused on improving access to quality pediatric care.
“Prior to our participation in KidsABC, many of our local pediatric patients were sent to larger facilities, bypassing our hospital. Oftentimes this was due to the perception that we weren’t equipped to handle pediatric emergencies,” said CEO at Washington County Regional Medical Center Pam Stewart, MBA, RN, LNHA. “While our team has always been committed to caring for whoever comes through our doors, KidsABC has supported us by providing training and pediatric equipment to help boost the confidence of our staff and prepare them for pediatric emergencies.”
KidsABC helps participating hospitals, like WCRMC, acquire child-friendly equipment, complete pediatric-specific emergency care staff training and implement the latest protocols and policies for treating children with critical conditions, such as asthma and diabetic ketoacidosis.
“We truly believe that the extensive training and education that our staff has received through KidsABC is a direct benefit to our community,” said Stewart. “It is our responsibility as a rural hospital to ensure that patients of all ages have access to quality care, close to home. We are here to be a place of comfort and stabilization during a parent and child’s most stressful moment. Even if transfer to a larger facility is still necessary, our team can take the first steps to give you the best outcomes possible.”
Washington County Regional Medical Center commemorated its KidsABC participation and completion of milestones with a celebration attended by hospital, Children’s, Mercer School of Medicine, and GRHIC representatives.
“Today marks a very important moment for children in rural Georgia and in Washington County,” said Mercer University School of Medicine Dean Jean R. Sumner, M.D., MACP. “We are honored to recognize the ED staff for their dedication to pediatric emergency care training and refining their skills to provide the best care for kids. Children are not just tiny adults when it comes to the practice of emergency medicine. They require special care and appropriate equipment and tools to help keep their care here at home. Washington County Regional Medical Center has been a strong, committed KidsABC participant and has set the bar very high for pediatric care. We commend the efforts of the staff and leadership. They are making a difference in children’s lives and will continue to do so for years to come.”
“Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta congratulates Washington County Regional Medical Center on achieving this milestone,” said Marc Welsh, Children’s V.P. of community impact. “The objectives of KidsABC align with Children’s vision to ‘Do Everything Possible to Make Anything Possible for Kids.’ We want to ensure all the children of Georgia have access to quality healthcare and, by participating in KidsABC, hospitals like Washington County Regional Medical Center are building capacity to serve even more kids in their own communities.”
KidsABC brings together a network of rural hospital emergency departments, pediatric offices,regional and state pediatric tertiary care hospitals and school systems to address the challenge of healthcare access, which many rural families face. KidsABC participants are equipped with the necessary tools, protocols, training and education, so families have access to subspecialty care, mental healthcare and emergency medical care in their hometowns.
Programs within KidsABC address the challenges of distance to specialty care and limited resources. KidsABC emphasizes the importance of early intervention in achieving positive outcomes. Children’s provided specialized pediatric clinical guidance to launch and sustain these programs.
For More Information:
KidsABC Initiatives: https://den.mercer.edu/school-of-medicine-announces-community-partners-in-rural-pediatric-health-care-initiative/
KidsABC Rural Hospital Emergency Department Collaborative Expansion: https://den.mercer.edu/musm-and-grhic-expand-major-rural-pediatric-health-care-initiative-to-newly-selected-hospitals/
About Mercer University School of Medicine (Macon, Savannah, Columbus and Valdosta)
Mercer University’s School of Medicine was established in 1982 to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and healthcare needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. Today, more than 60% of graduates currently practice in the state of Georgia, and of those, more than 80% are practicing in rural or medically underserved areas of Georgia. Mercer medical students benefit from a problem-based medical education program that provides early patient care experiences. Such an academic environment fosters the early development of clinical problem-solving and instills in each student an awareness of the place of the basic medical sciences in medical practice. The School opened additional four-year M.D. campuses in Savannah in 2008 and in Columbus in 2021, and a clinical campus in Valdosta in 2024. Following their second year, students participate in core clinical clerkships at the School’s primary teaching hospitals: Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center and Piedmont Macon Medical Center in Macon; Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah; Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital and St. Francis Hospital in Columbus; and SGMC Health in Valdosta. The School also offers master’s degrees in preclinical sciences and family therapy and Ph.D.s in biomedical sciences and rural health sciences.
About Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center
In 2018, Georgia lawmakers dedicated special funds to establish a new Rural Health Innovation Center tasked with confronting the complex healthcare challenges and wellness disparities facing rural communities. Mercer University School of Medicine was awarded the grant funds in 2019 and formally established the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center on its Macon campus. MUSM boasts a longstanding commitment to serving rural Georgia’s health needs, with a mission to educate physicians dedicated to tackling the health challenges in rural Georgia. The Rural Health Innovation Center serves as a critical resource to rural communities to improve access and effectiveness of healthcare by offering research, collaboration, and training opportunities.
About Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
As the only freestanding pediatric healthcare system in Georgia, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is the trusted leader in caring for kids. The not-for-profit organization’s mission is to make kids better today and healthier tomorrow through more than 60 pediatric specialties and programs, top healthcare professionals, and leading research and technology. Children’s is one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country, managing more than one million patient visits annually at three hospitals (Arthur M. Blank, Hughes Spalding and Scottish Rite), Marcus Autism Center, the Center for Advanced Pediatrics, the Zalik Behavioral and Mental Health Center, urgent care centers and neighborhood locations. Consistently ranked among the top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has impacted the lives of kids in Georgia, across the United States and around the world for more than 100 years thanks to generous support from the community.
About Washington County Regional Medical Center
Washington County Regional Medical Center is a 56-bed general acute care hospital with a 60-bed extended care facility. WCRMC provides a wide array of services from 24-hour emergency care, inpatient and outpatient surgery, orthopedic surgery, imaging services, rehabilitation and therapy services, wound care,swing bed, and primary care, pediatric, and specialty care clinics. WCRMC proudly serves Washington County and the surrounding communities with compassionate, convenient, and comprehensive care. Washington County Regional Medical Center is managed by Aletheia Health Partners, a community-focused management company. Aletheia helps rural hospitals become solid and strong so they can focus on what matters most: patient care.
(from left) Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Rural Pediatric Scholars Lillian Coppage and Tre Steel;
WCRMC ER Nurse Melissa Soles, LPN; WCRMC ER Nurse Manager Shelly Lanier, RN; WCRMC ER Nurse Katelynn Elliott, RN; WCRMC ER Nurse Sherthea Mack, RN; WCRMC CEO Pam Stewart, MBA, RN, LNHA; Mercer University School of Medicine Dean Jean R. Sumner, M.D., MACP; Children’s Affiliations Operations Director Pamela Mason, BSN, RN; Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center Lead Community Resource and Assessment Specialist Samantha Johnson, MPH; WCRMC Director of Nursing Cheryl Wright, RN; WCRMC Respiratory Therapist Christin Smith, RT; Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center Executive Director Glenda Grant, MBA; Mercer School of Medicine Director of Rural Pediatrics Projects Michael Dykes, MBA, BSN, RN
