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Keeping those services available depends on a tax credit program that brings millions of dollars into rural hospitals.
BREMEN, Ga. — For many rural communities, the local hospital isn’t just a place for care; it can mean the difference between minutes and miles.
At Higgins General Hospital in Bremen, administrators say access to nearby care is critical for residents across West Georgia.
The hospital serves as a primary point of care for emergencies, routine visits and diagnostic services in an area where the next option can be nearly an hour away.
“People come here if they’re having chest pain,” said Heather Stitcher, an administrator. “People come here for outpatient diagnostic imaging. We have a primary care clinic.”
Stitcher said keeping those services available depends not only on staffing and operations, but also on a tax credit program that brings millions of dollars into rural hospitals across the state.
“These funds provide a mix of critical infrastructure, equipment, and patient care upgrades,” Stitcher said. “That quite honestly would be very, very difficult for a rural hospital to afford on their operations alone.”
Through the Georgia HEART Program, taxpayers can redirect a portion of their state income taxes to support eligible rural hospitals. There are 50 hospitals statewide that qualify, and taxpayers can choose which hospital receives their contribution.
“You’re making a decision of where those tax dollars that you’ll have to spend anyway get to be spent,” said Allison Saxby with the HEART Program.
At Higgins General, those contributions have helped upgrade lab and imaging services and fund a mobile mammography bus.
In 2024, lawmakers increased the program’s contribution cap, which program leaders say reflects its effectiveness.
“The dollars that are contributed to the Georgia HEART Program are available immediately to these hospitals for spending,” Saxby said. “And in a lot of cases they’re keeping the doors open.”
“We continue to hear about hospitals that are vulnerable to closing and hospitals that are having to decide almost on a monthly basis which services they can continue to offer their community,” Jerry Morris, Senior Vice President of Hospital Operations for Tanner Health, which owns Higgins General, said. “So that challenging landscape … is real, and it’s today to operate a rural hospital and remain financially viable.”
Morris says the HEART program has been a ‘game-changer’ for rural hospitals.
“These dollar-for-dollar tax credits are allowing rural hospitals today to address capital challenges they may have, workforce challenges, to handle general operating expenses and to create further economic prosperity and benefit for the communities they serve,” he said.
A recent state audit found the program is achieving its goal, with funding going toward infrastructure, staffing, and services while reducing the risk that financially vulnerable rural hospitals could close.
With approximately $26 million still unclaimed and the Dec. 31 deadline approaching, hospital leaders say every contribution matters.
“I’ve witnessed that critical impact that we make, that small rural hospitals make on our communities,” Stitcher said. “And having this available here, versus having to drive 45 minutes, makes the difference in someone’s life.”
The audit also found that taxpayer-directed giving can make public spending more efficient by better aligning dollars with local needs. More information about the Georgia HEART Program and the end-of-year deadline is available here.
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