Our Projects

Preventative Rural Health and Wellness Research

In the past, our interns have led specific projects and initiatives to dive into some of the struggles and challenges that patients in our region face. Over the past few years, interns at LCMG have led and worked on many projects to attempt to improve the health of our population, which include:

• Determining the clinical significance of a cardiac lifestyle modification program
• Research into COVID during the pandemic, and finding factors that impact disease progression and severity 
• Use of Digital Technology to improve remote blood pressure management
• Use of new technology for improved congestive heart failure care
• Research into the clinical significance of chronic care management and medicine reconciliation programs on patient short and long health 
• Examining correlations between risk factors and progression to cardiovascular disease 

They have also worked to help emphasize some of the struggles that certain people face in regards to accessing their healthcare, exacerbated by a rural setting. Interns and alumni are actively collaborating and attempting to find innovative and effective ways to help improve the health of people living in the region.

Objective: Directly impact the health of our patient population by researching methods, technology, and factors that will lead to improved overall patient health and better treatment of all clinical conditions. 

Action: Continue to help LCMG interns and alumni perform this research by helping fund the cost to perform this research and present their findings to national audiences, leading to increased scientific discovery and positive impact on health of the community.

Rural Medical Work

Our interns, alumni, and staff have a passion for service, and many of them have given back through using their skills in a variety of rural health settings, both locally and across the globe. Recently, we have had multiple past interns travel to India to serve in both the Himalayan mountain regions and the isolated jungles of Odisha. The interns in the past spent months in the region, helping with cardiovascular disease management, public health and water sanitation efforts, infectious disease management and treatment, wound care, hygiene, and other medical efforts. They were involved in helping provide healthcare treatment, prevention efforts, and public health initiatives to thousands of individuals in regions who lacked access to any healthcare. Interns in the past have aided with setting up health clinics and providing medical aid/supplies to those in need in: Haiti, Dominican Republic, India, Costa Rica, Ukraine, Appalachia and other regions since 2021. 

Objective: Help provide direct medical care to those residing in rural settings across the globe who currently lack access or financial means to receive healthcare. To promote public health initiatives and teach lifestyle habits to prevent disease progression. 

Action: Help provide scholarships to those who are traveling to rural areas to provide medical treatments and services to those in need. Help provide medical supplies to clinics and trips traveling locally and around the globe for healthcare.

Future Healthcare Provider Program:

The Future Healthcare Provider Program is a comprehensive initiative aimed at supporting and preparing pre-health students for their journey into the healthcare field. The program is designed to provide a holistic and enriching experience through various components and aimed towards kids in the Lake Country Region and in other rural areas:

1. Kids in Medicine:
   • Objective: Provide early exposure and hands-on experiences to kids who reside in rural Georgia, fostering excitement and curiosity into health and the medical field.
   • Action: Host hands-on events with the children, teaching them concepts such as sports injury and prevention, heart and CPR classes, proper wound care, and other medical topics. With staff at LCMG leading the events, we hope to foster the next generation of healthcare leaders, through offering avenues early on that children can explore the medical field and ask questions that they have.
2. College Tours Support:
   • Objective: Facilitate exposure and exploration for pre-health students by supporting them in attending college tours.
   • Action: Provide financial assistance, resources, and guidance to enable students to participate in college tours, fostering an informed decision-making process for their academic and professional paths.
3. Medical Speaker Workshops:
   • Objective: Enhance the educational experience by bringing in experienced medical professionals to share insights, expertise, and career perspectives.
   • Action: Organize workshops and seminars featuring medical speakers who can provide valuable information about different healthcare professions, share their personal experiences, and offer guidance on navigating the journey towards a healthcare career.
4. Science Fair Hosting/Sponsorship:
   • Objective: Promote scientific inquiry and innovation among pre-health students and the broader community.
   • Action: Host or sponsor science fairs that provide a platform for students to showcase their research, projects, and scientific endeavors. This initiative encourages critical thinking, creativity, and a passion for science, fostering a supportive environment for future healthcare professionals.

Overall, the Future Healthcare Provider Program seeks to empower pre-health students by offering tangible support for college exploration, providing valuable insights from experienced medical professionals, and encouraging a passion for scientific inquiry through science fair hosting or sponsorship. By combining these elements, the program aims to cultivate a well-rounded and informed generation of healthcare providers who are equipped with the knowledge, inspiration, and resources needed to succeed in their future careers.

Other Projects:

1.  Help provide medical support and aid through offering medical supplies to rural areas in need, especially during times of Humanitarian Crisis. 

Objective: Fundraise and Directly Purchase Medical Supplies that will be directly used in frontline healthcare situations where it is needed.

The images are of surgeons and physicians in Ukraine directly receiving, utilizing, and providing critical medical treatment using supplies that were funded largely by the work of Lake Country Medical Aid for Ukraine, through the hard work of the team members and the generous donations from the community. The fundraiser was largely led by Garrett Jimmerson, an intern who collaborated with Dr. Chronos and the rest of the team put on the event, which led to significant quantities of supplies sent over to support humanitarian efforts in the war torn region. Below are images of the supplies that money from donations from the Lake Country community directly paid for, helping deliver life saving care in the operating room, NICU, hospitals, clinics, and communities.

2.  Fund the use of new technology and medical advancements for patient use to attempt to improve patient health and outcomes.

3.  Potentially Hosting Health Screening and Vaccination Clinics in Rural areas in neighboring counties for those who can not afford or access regular health care

Groundbreaking Research:

The Cordio HearO™ Clinical Trial, led by previous intern Kiki Soto, is an international, multicenter, observational, single-arm, blinded study to assess the performance of the Cordio HearO™ system in detection of congestive heart failure. The Cordio HearO™ is a software medical device that remotely monitors CHF patients by detecting changes in the patients’ recorded voice relative to a baseline. Kiki and her team have created the system for organizing and logging patient information in the inhouse medical records system, and work with blood processing on screening days, including utilizing a proBNP machine to access cardiac function. The intern team screens patients, manages participant compliance, and coordinates study follow-ups. We are actively screening, enrolling, and managing patients now.