Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) supported the Fiscal Year 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) funding bill during its consideration by the full House Appropriations Committee.
The bill strengthens public health infrastructure by investing in cutting-edge biomedical research to prevent disease and improve quality of life for all Americans. It supports child care, Head Start, and preschool development grants. It also makes crucial investments in education so that every American has the opportunity to reach his or her potential in the 21st Century economy. The bill helps create and sustain good-paying American jobs by funding job training, apprenticeship programs, and worker protection.
“I am proud to support these vital investments that will create and sustain jobs, train our workforce, and strengthen education initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels. This bill also will bolster medical research into life-saving cures and treatments, and ensure that our public health system can withstand any present and future challenges,” said Congressman Bishop. “And I am especially pleased that the funding we secured for the Second Congressional District will address some of the important community needs in both our urban and rural areas.”
Congressman Bishop worked hard to include $10.5 billion in the bill for the Georgia-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect America from health, safety, and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S.
This bill also funds the U.S. Department of Labor and its programs, including the Job Corps, a program that helps eligible young people complete their high school education, trains them for careers, and helps them find employment. Turner Job Corps Center, located in Albany, Georgia, is one of 123 centers across the country supported by this program. Congressman Bishop, the Co-Chair of the Congressional Job Corps Caucus, worked to provide $1.8 billion for this program.
Finally, Congressman Bishop included report language to make sure vulnerable Medicare patients continue to have access to nonemergency medical transportation so they can receive life-saving dialysis, cancer care, and other important treatments.
Congressman Bishop succeeded in securing community projects for six Middle and Southwest Georgia community institutions that will receive funds as part of this appropriations bill.
Albany Technical College will receive $1,000,000 to support regional recruitment efforts to identify and transition interested students into allied health professions, with the overall goal of addressing the nursing shortage throughout Southwest Georgia. As part of this project, Albany Technical College will partner with Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital to support financial assistance and recruitment efforts.
Dr. Emmett Griswold, Interim President of Albany Technical College (ATC) said, “The Southwest Georgia region is experiencing a critical shortage of nursing professionals at all levels. ATC, in partnership with Phoebe Putney Health Systems, will work tirelessly to address this workforce shortage by recruiting individuals who will be trained, educated, and equipped with the necessary skills to enter the healthcare workforce. The funding that Congressman Bishop is securing for this project will be vital to our efforts and the impact of this partnership will be a model for others to follow around the state of Georgia.”
Augusta University’s Southwest Regional Campus of the Medical College of Georgia will receive $2,000,000 to provide training and expand the healthcare workforce by supporting graduate students at Augusta University’s Southwest Regional Campus of the Medical College of Georgia in Albany, Georgia.
Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel, PhD. stated, “Augusta University and the Medical College of Georgia are grateful to Congressman Bishop for his support and leadership in securing this funding in the U.S. House. Part of our mission is providing leadership and excellence in teaching, discovery and clinical care for the next generation of health professionals. This federal investment for MCG’s Southwest Campus will be used to increase the number of MCG students fast-tracked into practice in the southwest region of Georgia, which will help decrease healthcare disparities and health inequality in the region and create more jobs for physicians and medical workforce support jobs in rural and underserved parts of the region.”
Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers will receive $1,020,047 to expand support and increase awareness of Alzheimer caregivers in Georgia by expanding the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers’ Dealing with Dementia (DWD) program. The project would support outreach and engagement activities, curriculum development, training programs, printing and distributing of resource materials about the program, and analyze the program’s success among the community.
Dr. Jennifer Olsen, CEO of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers stated, “Thanks to the leadership of Congressman Bishop, we are one step closer to engaging diverse caregivers, particularly communities of color, with the kinds of culturally competent resources, training, and support they deserve. In Georgia alone, there are over 300,000 family caregivers supporting someone with Alzheimer's – a disproportionate number of whom are people of color. Despite being overrepresented within the caregiver community, people of color – particularly Black Americans – are significantly less likely to have access to formal caregiving support for their own physical, mental, and financial wellbeing. This critical funding will help change that.”
Keyrx Ministries, Inc. will receive $400,000 to support a community-based medical student-run clinic, in collaboration with Mercer University, in the poverty-stricken Unionville community in Macon, Georgia, which will improve the health care of children, senior citizens, and homeless individuals who need medical attention and mental health care services.
Dr. Henry C. Ficklin, Founder of Keryx Ministries, Inc. said, “This free, student-run medical clinic will help thousands of vulnerable, economically disadvantaged citizens in Macon and the surrounding area. The medical students from Mercer’s Medical School will gain valuable professional experience while serving the community. Congressman Bishop has long been a friend and fighter for poor communities. We are overjoyed to hear that our project has been included in the funding bill and we need him to continue this fight for our community in the halls of Congress.”
Southwest Georgia Children’s Alliance, Inc. will receive $367,362 to help address and treat child abuse and neglect through evidence- and model- based direct service programs benefitting 17 resource-poor counties in Southwest Georgia: Ben Hill, Clay, Crisp, Dooly, Early, Lee, Macon, Miller, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Seminole, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell, Webster, and Wilcox counites.
Maggie McGruther, CEO/Executive Director of the Southwest Georgia Children’s Alliance, Inc. said, “We want to thank Congressman Bishop for his support of the work that the Southwest Georgia Children’s Alliance does to advocate for children following an outcry of abuse, neglect, and/or assault in order to protect the most vulnerable lives in our region. We appreciate Congressman Bishop fighting for these funds which will help SOWEGA Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Lighthouse Children’s Advocacy Center, and the Children in Need of Services Program collectively provide specialized services and support that are necessary for recovery and an improved quality of life.”
Golden Triangle Resource Conservation and Development Council will receive $1,000,000 to train heavy equipment operators to fill the many vacant positions that exist in Southwest Georgia as well as other areas of the state. The project will provide employment opportunities for high school or vocational school students, individuals reentering the workforce after time spent in a correctional facility, individuals in a workforce development program, and individuals who already have jobs but are interested in learning and mastering skills to improve their financial future.
Rhonda Gordon Executive Director of the Golden Triangle Resource Conservation and Development Council noted, “This project will have positive economic and environmental benefits for Southwest Georgia. In Southwest Georgia alone, there are over 3,400 miles of unpaved roads, many of which have caused major difficulties for farmers, timber producers and other agricultural and livestock operations trying to get their products to market. The project will foster local industry partnerships to train heavy equipment operators to repair the roads, keeping them open and safe for businesses and citizens to travel.”
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