Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed Memorial Hospital and Manor Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jim Peak to the Georgia Board of Physician Workforce, it was announced Friday.

Peak explained that the 15-member board will research problems and make suggestions to the governor and the General Assembly by identifying the physician workforce needs of Georgia communities.

They will work to meet those needs through the support and developing medical education programs.

“It’s a great opportunity to help rural areas of the state of Georgia,” said Peak.

Peak was appointed as the hospital administrator representative. The other appointee to the board that was announced Friday is E. Daniel DeLoach of Savannah, who is to serve as the non-primary care physician representative

According the state of Georgia’s Web site, the board’s specific responsibilities include monitoring and forecasting the supply and distribution of physicians in Georgia; assuring an adequate supply, specialty mix and geographic distribution of physicians to meet the health care needs of Georgia; coordinating physician workforce planning with state funding for medical education; and the development and support of medical education programs required to meet physician workforce needs.

Peak has served as a trustee and chairman of the board for the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) and is chair-elect of GHA’s Council for Rural Hospitals.

He is a board member of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, member of the Bainbridge Rotary Club and the Decatur County School Board Foundation. He previously served as a member of the Health Strategies Council for the State of Georgia.

Peak earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree from Georgia Southern University. He and his wife, Bettie, have two sons.