AUGUSTA, Ga. — Life-saving healthcare is set to become more accessible to rural communities in Georgia, thanks to an innovative telehealth initiative. Wellstar Health System and the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University have teamed up to expand telehealth services to hospitals in several rural counties, providing critical support to pregnant mothers and babies.

The new program aims to bridge the gap in healthcare access, particularly in emergencies where travel time can make all the difference between life and death. Hospitals in counties like Burke, Jefferson, and Jenkins, among others, will receive essential telemedicine equipment and training to enhance their ability to care for expectant mothers in labor.

For many rural hospitals, the lack of specialized equipment and trained personnel has been a constant challenge. At Jefferson Hospital, Nurse Manager Emily Hiebert explained the difficulties these facilities face in emergency situations. “It would be delivering blindly. Basically, there is no way to monitor mom or baby currently here at this facility,” Hiebert said.

With only limited resources, rural hospitals are often hours away from larger medical centers with labor and delivery units. This situation can leave doctors and nurses in these smaller hospitals struggling to provide adequate care during emergencies, particularly when complications arise during pregnancy.

“We’re an hour away from a labor and delivery unit, and so a lot of the times the patients in labor come here, and unfortunately, we don’t have very much equipment for that,” Hiebert added.

The partnership between Wellstar and Augusta University is set to change this reality. Through the new telehealth program, 17 additional hospitals across Georgia will be equipped with advanced technology, allowing local healthcare providers to connect with specialists remotely. The telemedicine services will provide real-time support, enabling remote doctors to monitor the health of both mother and baby, and guide on-the-ground medical staff through critical care procedures.

Matt Lyon, director of the MCG Center for Telehealth, emphasized the importance of the new initiative. “By bringing the equipment there and then using telemedicine to be able to read and understand how the baby’s doing, we’re able to expand the capabilities of those rural hospitals for taking care of pregnant moms,” Lyon said.

This program is a vital step toward improving maternal health outcomes in Georgia. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, 89% of pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable. With access to expert care and resources through telehealth, rural hospitals will be better equipped to handle high-risk pregnancies and potentially life-threatening situations.

For healthcare professionals like Hiebert, the new resources are expected to be a game-changer. “This is going to save lives. Having this equipment, you know, we can bring the providers from AU on, remotely in the room. We have the capability to do that, and if we have an emergency, they can literally walk us through,” Hiebert explained.

The telehealth equipment and training are set to roll out in the coming weeks, with the hope that this initiative will mark a significant step toward improving maternal healthcare in Georgia’s rural areas. As the program expands, it could serve as a model for addressing healthcare disparities in other parts of the country.

By increasing access to specialized care, Wellstar and Augusta University are working to ensure that more mothers and babies have the chance for healthier, safer pregnancies.