GREAT Health Advisory Council

As Georgia continues to implement the GREAT Health Program, collaboration with experts across the state will strengthen the program’s execution and impact. The Department of Community Health (DCH) is the lead entity for this grant opportunity for Georgia, and the executive director of the Medical Assistance Plans Division is the principal investigator for the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). To develop, evolve, and improve the components of the GREAT Health Program, DCH is creating the GREAT Health Advisory Council.

The GREAT Health Advisory Council is an essential part of Georgia's response to meaningfully transform rural health care across the state. DCH is seeking interested individuals and organizations committed to transparency who understand the unique challenges of rural communities and who appreciate the people who make rural Georgia great. 

Council Responsibilities

In addition to hearing project details and updates from DCH leadership and vendor partners involved in program management, expectations and responsibilities of members of the GREAT Health Advisory Council include the following: 

  1. Offer feedback on GREAT Health Program strategy and milestones; 
  2. Provide rural expertise for the duration of the program, which is expected to be five years; and,
  3. Review program progress, data, and performance dashboards.

Once the membership selection process has concluded, the executive director may select a Chair.

Further updates on the first meeting of the GREAT Health Advisory Council, and the cadence of future meetings, will be shared in the coming weeks.

Membership

  • Not to exceed 20 members
  • Members must have professional experience in healthcare (delivery, policy, education, etc) 
  • While not required to be the senior leader of an organization/institution, representatives must be someone within the organization who can relay meaningful insights on behalf of the organization.
  • Nominees will be prioritized if they have at least one the following:
    • rural health organization leadership
    • expertise in health information exchange, interoperability, or data exchange
    • expertise in health economics 
    • expertise in value-based care
    • expertise in medical/healthcare education
    • background in innovation, technology, or applications of AI for rural Georgia
    • background in public health
    • background in behavioral health in rural Georgia

Interested individuals with personal and professional healthcare experience in rural Georgia are highly encouraged to apply. 

Nominees will be evaluated on their skillsets and where they live in the state, as described in the following regions:

  • Region 1: Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Chattahoochee, Crawford, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Harris, Heard, Houston, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Macon, Marion, Meriwether, Monroe, Muscogee, Peach, Pike, Pulaski, Talbot, Taylor, Telfair, Treutlen, Troup, Twiggs, Upson, Wheeler, Wilcox, Wilkinson
  • Region 2: Burke, Columbia, Emanuel, Glascock, Greene, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Putnam, Richmond, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington, Wilkes
  • Region 3: Banks, Catoosa, Chattooga, Clarke, Dade, Dawson, Elbert, Fannin, Floyd, Franklin, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Morgan, Murray, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Polk, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, White, Whitfield 
  • Region 4: Appling, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Montgomery, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Toombs, Ware, Wayne
  • Region 5: Atkinson, Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Grady, Irwin, Lanier, Lee, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Seminole, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Webster, Worth 
  • Region 6: Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, Henry, Jasper, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Rockdale, Spalding, Walton

 

If you are interested in applying to be a member of the GREAT Health Advisory Council, please submit the form below by May 1, 2026. 

Nomination Form

Note: This council is intended to serve as an advisory body for all aspects of the GREAT Health program. All hospitals submitting a Letter of Intent under Initiative 1 to participate in the pre-implementation period for the Achieving Healthcare Efficiency through Accountable Design (AHEAD) value-based care model will have opportunities to engage with DCH and state leaders through letter of intent-specific avenues outside of this council. These conversations will be specific to the AHEAD model and important value-based care model considerations.