Healthie Georgia Corporation

HealtHIE Georgia, a nonprofit agency working to support rural healthcare provider clinical integration and network infrastructure, is leading a Consortium dedicated to improving access to and quality of SUD and other behavioral health care services in rural Georgia. Together, HealtHIE Georgia Corporation, MedLink (Madison County GA), Mountain Lakes Medical Center (Rabun County), Northeast Counties: Hart, Habersham, Stephens, Towns & Franklin Counties have a history of collaboration to improve healthcare services across six rural and underserved counties that are Healthcare Professional Shortage Areas and Medically Underserved Areas. To expand the reach and capacity of this Consortium in regard to Medication Assisted Treatment Access, the law enforcement entities of Madison County, Hart County, Rabun County, Stephens County, Franklin County and Towns County will be added as new members. Together, this Consortium will improve health care in rural areas by establishing new MAT access points and increasing the capacity for sustainable MAT service provision across rural North East Georgia Counties. Providers recognize MAT as the use of (FDA)-approved medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a"whole-person" approach to the treatment of substance use disorders, including opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder.