(L-R) Diocese of Atlanta Archdeacon Carole Maddux, Dr. John O’Shea, Taliaferro County Commission Chair Charles Ware, Community Health Care Systems CEO Carla Belcher, The Rev. Loree Reed, Taliaferro School Superintendent Allen Fort, Bishop Robert C. Wright, Ga. Rep. Trey Rhodes open the Taliaferro County Community Health Clinic.
On May 8, Bishop Rob Wright, Archdeacon Carole Maddux, and the Rev. Loree Reed participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony for a brand new, health care clinic in Taliaferro County. This clinic is the first fruit of a call in 2016 by Bishop Rob Wright to identify and help meet pressing needs within the counties of our diocese without an Episcopal presence.
Using the Asset-Based Community Development model developed by Episcopal Relief and Development, a small group of volunteers studied the counties, made contact with local leaders, and worked with them over the past two years to identify and accomplish their goal.
The most pressing need identified by Taliaferro County residents was access to primary health care. A partnership of county, city, and school officials was formed that developed a plan to create and support this health clinic. Located on Taliaferro County School property, the clinic will serve uninsured children and adults from Taliaferro County’s population of 1,700.
For more information on the effort to assist the unserved counties within the Diocese of Atlanta, contact Don Plummer, dplummer@episcopalatlanta.org.