SGMC Health is pleased to welcome Rachel Dillard as its Director of Medical Education. In this role, Dillard will oversee SGMC Health’s comprehensive medical education programs, including residency training, medical student education, continuing medical education, and the health system’s state-of-the-art simulation lab.

Now in its fourth year, SGMC Health's medical education program was developed in partnership with Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) to help address the healthcare needs of rural and underserved communities across Georgia. The health system offers three residency training programs: Internal Medicine, Transitional Year, and Family Medicine. In addition, SGMC Health serves as a 2-year clinical campus of MUSM, welcoming medical students to learn and train in South Georgia. As Director of Medical Education, Dillard will play a key role in guiding and advancing these efforts.

A native of Valdosta, Dillard returns home with a strong background in healthcare operations and graduate medical education. She previously served as program administrator for Graduate Medical Education at Piedmont Athens Regional, supporting internal medicine and transitional year residencies. She later advanced within Piedmont Healthcare to manage hospital physician operations across several inpatient service lines in the metro-Atlanta area.

Dillard holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Promotion and Education from the University of Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University Shreveport.

“I’m excited to join SGMC Health in its mission to ensure high-quality medical education for our physicians in training,” said Dillard. “Being a teaching hospital not only enhances the quality of care for our patients but also strengthens the pipeline of well-trained physicians for South Georgia. I look forward to contributing to the continued growth and success of the health system as we serve our community.”

Dillard and her husband, Reed, are proud parents to their daughter, Hattie.