Medical college’s goal is to improve rural health care in the region

MOULTRIE — When describing the yoga rooms and private lactation space for nursing mothers, not to mention an $80,000 robotic child-patient simulator, at a new medical college in the region, one question has been often heard: “Where’s this?”

“Moultrie.”

“Moultrie?”

Yes, Moultrie.

To the city’s population of about 14,100, there is being added 55 incoming students, and the faculty and staff, for their first year of medical education at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia.

The purpose of the college, which represents an investment of about $30 million, is to train physicians who will study, work and, it is hoped, remain in rural areas to improve access to quality health care.

More than 3,000 students applied to be in the college’s inaugural class, said Dr. Michael Sampson, chief academic officer and senior assistant dean for clinical education at the facility located on Tallokas Road.

“I think we have a great story in each student – just their coming here,” Sampson said Thursday after leading students on a tour of the 75,000-square-foot facility. “They’re coming to a rural medical school. We asked them: ‘Why do you want to be in south Georgia?’”

Describing himself as a “city guy,” Sampson said he realizes how family-oriented people in such areas are and has learned that “Southern hospitality is a real thing.”

“My biggest thing is we are south Georgia’s hometown medical school,” he said. “We’re here in south Georgia so that we can build a physician work force. We’re growing our physicians to stay in the area and take care of our own.”

Andres Tortolero, a Venezuelan native who attended high school in Jacksonville, Fla., said he plans to stay in south Georgia or north Florida after completing his studies. Tortolero, 26, now a U.S. citizen, said he likes PCOM South Georgia because of its proximity to his family and he could start on an even keel with everyone else by being in the inaugural class.

“My primary objective is to stay in the Southeast,” he said. “That’s where I plan to stay. I’m happy to make my mark where I am.

“Being an immigrant, part of my objective will be to serve underserved Hispanic communities. My objective will be to serve the whole population, but especially them.”

In their third and fourth years, the students will serve rotations in medical facilities at five partner hospitals: Archbold Memorial Hospital in Thomasville, Colquitt Regional Medical Center in Moultrei, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Tift Regional Medical Center in Tifton and South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta.

When informed by a reporter that there is a large Hispanic population in Colquitt and Tift counties, Tortolero said, “I’m happy to be here to help them.”

The incoming students, who include locals from Doerun, Leesburg and Moultrie as well as from states including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina, begin orientation at the 31.7-acre campus on August 5. A ribbon-cutting ceremony that will include remarks by Gov. Brian Kemp will be held on Aug 6.

As for why the parent PCOM institution, which also has a Suwanee, Ga., campus, chose Moultrie for a new college, the answer is simple: Coquitt Regional Medical Center CEO Jim Matney pushed for it, Sampson said.

The goal was to train doctors who will serve rural populations, he said, and doctors who train in residency programs in a rural area are more likely to stay within 100 miles of that location.

“Jim Matney was courageous enough to say let’s have a medical college here, and now there is one,” Sampson said.

Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin
AlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin
AlanMauldin[email protected]