Primary Care Office (PCO)

The Georgia State Office of Rural Health’s Primary Care Office Program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration. The purpose of this funding is to support the Primary Care Office in undertaking the following overarching efforts.

• Statewide Primary Care Needs Assessment
• Technical Assistance and Collaboration
• Shortage Designation Coordination

 The funding facilities the coordination of activities that access the need for primary care services and providers, promote the recruitment and retention of health care providers to help meet identified needs, and help reduce shortage of health care providers.

The Primary Care Office is committed to assist in improving access to primary care by tracking, planning, and coordinating the recruitment and retention of physicians and other allied health professionals in medically underserved areas and the designation of professional shortage areas.

The Primary Care Office efforts are achieved through the following initiatives.

• The Georgia Conrad 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program
• Technical Assistance provided to sites interested in becoming National Health Service Corps approved sites, and approved National Health Service Corps sites during the recertification process
• The Georgia State Office of Rural Health’s State Loan Repayment Program
• Designating and updating Health Professional Shortage Areas for Primary Care, Dental Health, and Mental Health
• Designating and updating Medically Unserved Areas/Populations
• State administrator for 3RNET-National Rural Recruitment & Retention Network

The Primary Care Office also provides oversight to state and legislatively directed grants aimed at promoting access to Georgia’s underserved communities, and in the recruitment and retention of health care providers across the state.