Four health entities in Georgia were among more than 60 in the U.S. to receive federal grants to improve access to health care in rural areas.

Of the nearly $60 million in grants to be awarded from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Georgia agencies are being awarded more than $3.3 million.

South Georgia’s John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital in Thomasville is expected to receive $750,000 to establish a new Rural Residency Planning and Development Program to train resident physicians in rural clinical settings.

Hospital representatives did not respond to CNHI’s request for comment on detailed plans for using the funds.

Only 2% of residency training occurs in rural areas, according to HHS, which asserts that training physicians in rural areas increases the likelihood of practicing in a rural community.

Corporation of Mercer University in Macon was also one of 13 entities in the U.S. to receive such grant.

Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center in Albany will receive approximately $1.3 million to create a Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Program to expand public health clinical and operational capacity through workforce development.

Georgia State University Research Foundation Inc. was selected to receive nearly $500,000 to create a Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Technical Assistance Program to help strengthen the ability for these networks to develop formal training and certification programs.

According to HHS, health disparities between rural and urban areas tripled between 1999 and 2019, with rural residents experiencing higher rates of heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer, stroke, unintentional injury, and suicide; and higher risk of maternal morbidity and mortality.

Access to quality health care is at the heart of these issues, HHS stated.