Stronger Workforce. Healthier Georgia.

A Strong State Needs a Strong Healthcare Workforce

What is GHEHI?

The Georgia Higher Education Healthcare Initiative (GHEHI) is a nonprofit organization that leverages data, with a focus on Georgia's:

Research ecosystem
Physician and nursing workforce crisis
Outcomes

By turning information into clear, actionable insights, GHEHI aims to help educators, health systems, policymakers, and communities make better decisions to strengthen Georgia’s workforce and ultimately improve the health of Georgians.

GHEHI's Motive: Irrefutable Data

GHEHI views the current state of Georgia's healthcare outcomes and the physician and nursing workforce crisis as completely unacceptable and unnecessary, particularly given Georgia's ranking as the #1 place to do business. The record is the record. 10 years ago, Georgia ranked 39th in physicians per capita, today it ranks 40th, and even lower for primary care physicians and surgeons. The record for nursing is worse. 10 years ago, Georgia ranked 43rd in RNs per capita, and today it ranks 48th. Worse yet, the healthcare outcomes data for Georgia shows the state ranks in the bottom quintile and in the case of maternal and infant outcomes, next to dead last in the nation.

A state as populous and popular for attracting business must have a strong healthcare workforce to care for those here already as well as those who aspire to come to Georgia.

GHEHI's Work

GHEHI develops and shares evidence‑based insights on Georgia’s healthcare workforce, including:

Research and data analysis: Highlighting physician and nurse workforce supply and trends, comparing Georgia to other states.
Public reporting: Publishing findings through briefs, presentations, testimony, and newsletters to make data accessible to decision‑makers and stakeholders.
Actionable insights: Identifying best practices so Georgia can recruit, train, and retain the workforce necessary to improve health outcomes.
Accountability: Making transparency and outcome measurement the foundation for action, so Georgia can clearly see what’s working and where gaps remain.

Doctor's Day at the Capitol, photo courtesy of Medical Association of Georgia