Georgia College and State University (GCSU) welcomed alumni, and president of Aflac, Virgil Miller to campus this past Friday. Miller awarded GCSU a $100,000 Aflac CareGrant, that will be used to maintain a mobile health unit from the institution.
“This CareGrant is about helping people,” said Miller during his speech at the presentation ceremony.
Aflac has given more than $2 million through the CareGrant program since its inception in 2022, but this is the first time a CareGrant has been awarded in the state of Georgia. The program is aimed to help close the gap created by uncovered medical expenses, something that is crucial to these four counties.
The grant will support the work of GCSU’s College of Health Sciences to educate future leaders and maintain a mobile health unit through the Center for Health & Social Issues. The clinic will provide services to rural counties surrounding Milledgeville, such as Washington, Baldwin, Jones, and Hancock.
“Aflac selected GCSU for the university’s commitment to affect positive health outcomes for the local Milledgeville community and the College of Health Sciences’ commitment to holistically prepare its students to become leaders and promote health and wellness in their communities,” states a press release on the event.
According to the Aflac press release, these counties have more residents living without medical insurance compared to the national median, as well as higher rates of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
The mobile care unit will provide health screenings and other health services to help with care and prevention.
“We are really over the moon excited about this opportunity,” said Cathy Cox, president of Georgia College and State University. “To have it come from an alum like Dr. Virgil Miller is doubly exciting because he has a great history here… He is a poster child for what we hope our alumni will be able to go and do with their Georgia College degree.”
Along with the CareGrant donation, a bench was installed next to the Health Sciences building to memorialize the occasion. According to the press release, this bench is “a physical manifestation of the commitments Aflac makes to educate, support, and advocate to help close the health and wealth gap.”
Aflac installs these park benches in “highly exposed communities” that it awards the CareGrants.