Advancing Health Podcast

Episode: Rebuilding Georgia’s Rural Pediatric Pipeline: Part Two

Date: February 25, 2026
Host: Elisa Adespakwachaga (American Hospital Association)
Guests:

• Dr. Jean Sumner, Dean, Mercer University School of Medicine
• Mark Welsh, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Overview

In the second part of this two-part series, the conversation delves deeper into a successful partnership between Mercer University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. The initiative aims to rebuild and sustain a pipeline of pediatric providers in rural Georgia, addressing critical shortages and ensuring pediatric care is accessible closer to home. The guests share key approaches to building a sustainable workforce, the importance of community-rooted providers, and practical guidance for organizations seeking to replicate this impact in their own regions.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Building & Sustaining the Pediatric Pipeline

• Strategic Focus on Rural Scholars

  • The program identifies and supports medical students from rural backgrounds, providing scholarships and mentorship to encourage their return as practicing pediatricians in underserved rural communities.
  • Mark Welsh (01:18):
    “We have in the pipeline right now 27 scholars. The first two will be in community this year... We started out with young people at all different years of their training. And that was a goal: to accelerate how quickly we could get folks into community.”

• Sustainable, Community-Based Solutions

  • The initiative avoids short-term fixes, instead building a foundation for long-term physician presence.
  • Mark Welsh (01:49):
    “It would have been easy for Children’s to swoop into a community ... but in the long run, that would not have created the change across the state that I think both myself and Dr. Sumner hoped to see.”
  • The focus is not only on numbers but also on building a network, ensuring pediatricians have relationships, resources, and ongoing support.

The Power of Scholarships & the “Right” Candidate

• Comprehensive Candidate Selection

  • Dr. Jean Sumner (03:09):
    “The scholarships are critically important, but I think it is even more important to pick the right student and then give the scholarship. You want a happy doctor. You want a doctor who feels called to that.”
  • Emphasizes careful selection, ongoing support, and building connections with specialists that endure beyond training.

• Direct Transformative Impact

  • Dr. Sumner (03:56):
    “The first one of the scholars this year, when he finishes, will go back to his home county that I believe never had a pediatrician and still doesn’t. He’ll be the first pediatrician.”
  • The approach is designed to be scalable: “As time goes on, there’s an army behind him that will come.”

Building Connections & Support Systems

• Expanding the Network
  • Children’s clinicians are energized by the program, both in professional satisfaction and in the opportunity to have a broader impact.
  • Mark Welsh (05:16):
    “For every one of our physicians ... that desire is purely to make an impact on the lives of kids ... to impact communities across our state who otherwise are not having those resources. It fills their cup and it makes them better physicians.”
  • The annual Scholars Luncheon is a highlight, strengthening bonds between urban and rural providers.

Lessons Learned and Advice for Other Organizations

• Understand the Real Problem & Community Needs

  • Dr. Sumner (07:08):
    “First and foremost, understand the problem you’re trying to solve ... And we say children aren’t little adults. Well, rural communities aren’t little cities. ... People would come and they would run a clinic for three months and it was great. And then they’d disappear.”
  • Trust-building is essential, especially in communities historically let down by transient programs.

• Commitment, Partnership, and Flexibility

  • Tailor solutions to each community, listen to their self-defined needs, and honor local preferences.
  • Dr. Sumner (09:18):
    “If they want something, we try to find it. Even if we can’t provide it ourselves, we get a partner who can provide it.”
  • The presence of rural physicians must be coupled with reliable, supportive networks—“having colleagues who answer the phone at 2 o’clock in the morning when you’ve got a child dying in your ER is equally important.”

• Community as Equal Partner

  • Dr. Sumner (09:52):
    “We value that third partner in this and that is the community and being true to our words ... Find out exactly what the problem is, understand it fully ... start there.”

• Humility, Trust, and Empowerment

  • Mark Welsh (10:05):
    “I would sum that up for us as humility. ... It is the willingness to see folks who are collaborating as equal partners ... and letting them guide you, letting them invite you in, and not assuming that you know better ... We have to trust our partners to carry out the work that is important to them and entrust these communities to know what is best for their community. That is vitally important.”
  • Avoid “city lens” solutions and empower local ownership for sustainable change.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mark Welsh (01:35):
  “This opportunity presented us this avenue for us to really build a sustainable workforce across the state. And these pediatricians will be exactly that.”

• Dr. Sumner (03:15):
  “There’s no better job in the world than being a small town doctor. I spent my life there.”

• Mark Welsh (05:38):
  “It has been a huge, huge win for us in respect to just morale amongst our physicians and employees to know that we are committed to making this impact.”

• Dr. Sumner (07:08):
  “Understand the complexity ... Children aren’t little adults. Well, rural communities aren’t little cities.”

• Dr. Sumner (09:52):
  “We value that third partner in this and that is the community and being true to our words.”

• Mark Welsh (10:05):
  “I would sum that up for us as humility.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:18 — Introduction to the partnership and framing of the conversation
• 01:18 — Mark Welsh explains the scholar pipeline and first cohort impact
• 03:09 — Dr. Sumner on selection, scholarships, and returning home
• 05:16 — Mark Welsh describes provider support and morale at Children's
• 07:08 — Dr. Sumner’s advice: understanding the unique needs of rural communities
• 10:05 — Mark Welsh’s advice: humility and empowering communities

Conclusion

This episode illustrates the powerful impact of intentional partnerships, community engagement, and the importance of humility in rebuilding healthcare pipelines for rural areas. Listeners are left with a clear roadmap: deeply understand local challenges, partner with authenticity, and empower rural communities to shape their own solutions. The enthusiasm and hope shared by Dr. Sumner and Mark Welsh highlight a blueprint for systemic, sustainable change in rural pediatric care.