Stakeholder Engagement
As the designated lead agency for the GREAT Health Program, DCH is committed to robust stakeholder engagement. Prior to developing this proposal, DCH solicited input through multiple channels, including an 18-day public comment period, four town hall meetings, solicitation of stakeholder submissions, and direct outreach to state agencies. Town hall meetings were strategically convened in rural towns across regions of the state designated as Rural Health Clinic–eligible, Health Professional Shortage Areas, or medically underserved areas, representing diverse demographic and economic contexts. To encourage broad participation, DCH also hosted a virtual town hall and provided additional opportunities for the submission of letters and feedback. Over 50 townhall stakeholders and 150 public submissions from hospitals, nursing homes, charitable care clinics, community behavioral health providers, and community organizations shared ideas, concerns, and hopes for rural health transformation in Georgia. All input was carefully reviewed and published online for transparency— this feedback directly led to the creation of proposed initiatives.
Engagement Framework
Moving forward, DCH is committed to continuing its practice of engaging diverse stakeholders at every stage of the process through a robust engagement framework built around four key steps: Preparing, Establishing, Maintaining, and Developing.
Table 7: GREAT Health Program Engagement Framework
| Stage | Short Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing | Assess key stakeholder engagement | Town halls, open feedback channels, RHT Program webpage and online form for submissions, meetings with DHS, DBHDD, DPH, SORH, academic institutions, rural partners, and the Governor’s Office |
| Establishing | Determine stakeholder engagement processes, including accessible opportunities for participation | Multisector collaborative (GREAT Health AdvisoryCouncil) and five initiative-based workgroups focused on key objectives that align with the strategic goals |
| Maintaining | Implement initiatives, ensuring continuous engagement of stakeholders across every phase of each strategy throughout the funding period | Adding public inbox for feedback on the project; intentional rural travel of program leadership to engage in two-way communication with local partners and stakeholders, including rural residents |
| Developing | Refine engagement strategies over time, guided by ongoing stakeholder input | Update stakeholder engagement processes based on stakeholder input to improve engagement opportunities and transparency |
To ensure coordination and community engagement, the GREAT Health Advisory Council, as described above, will be established. The Council will include representatives from DCH, DPH, and SORH, along with rural patients and providers, ensuring that at least 60% of members represent rural entities. The GREAT Health Advisory Council will meet regularly, which will provide a forum for sharing data, identifying challenges, and recommending adjustments to improve implementation and sustainability. The five initiatives-based workgroups of the Council will align with the strategic goals and will include key stakeholders engaged in or affected by each specific initiative – such as state agencies, rural providers, nonclinical partners, and rural residents. Members will collaborate within their focus areas and across initiatives to ensure alignment and shared impact.
Governance
The Department of Community Health (DCH), as the state Medicaid agency, will have administrative oversight responsibilities over all operational aspects of the GREAT Health Program. To ensure project governance reflects rural communities, the GREAT Health Advisory Council will include patients and residents as members. DCH will share this application and initiative details with the public, and a dedicated GREAT Health Program specific inbox will be available for public feedback during every stage of the process. Feedback will be reviewed during the developing stage of the engagement framework, ensuring that rural Georgians have an active role in the governance and continuous improvement of the initiatives.
Evidence of stakeholder support
In addition to public comments reviewed from town halls and survey submissions, DCH has engaged the following stakeholders in the formation of this proposal: SORH, GBHCW, DHS, DBHDD, DPH, academic institutions, rural partners, and the Governor’s Office. Evidence of formal support includes the Governor’s Endorsement and letters of support from the Georgia General Assembly, SORH, state health agencies, and other stakeholders (Attachments M-R).