Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center is nearing completion and is scheduled to open Aug. 26. The six-story, 100-bed hospital is located at 5000 Gateway Blvd. in Grovetown.
“It’s phenomenal to get to this level of substantial completion with construction because it means we’re that much closer to increasing access to care across the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA),” said Ralph Turner, president of Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center.
The new medical center expands healthcare services already offered in Augusta for more rural counties like McDuffie and provides additional learning opportunities for students at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Students will train using the latest technologies in healthcare.
“This is 12 years of a dream that began with a commitment to better serve this community,” said Augusta University President Russell Keen. “What’s being built here is an investment in the CSRA as well as an important part of strengthening the healthcare workforce across Georgia through Wellstar MCG Health, Augusta University and the Medical College of Georgia.”
Wellstar Columbia County will feature new technologies that improve the way healthcare is delivered. While the hospital will have dedicated intensive care unit (ICU) rooms, every patient room will have the capability to function as an ICU room if the need arises.
Patient rooms will also include cameras, enabling patients to access telehealth visits with specialists or family members.
“That is the pivotal piece of the telehealth technology at a community hospital. We’ll be able to digitally connect specialty providers at Wellstar MCG Health in downtown Augusta with patients and their care team in Columbia County without having to be in the building,” said Tammy Moore, chief nursing officer of Wellstar Columbia County.
A digital whiteboard will display the patient’s name and medical history, allowing greater visibility between patients and their care teams. It will also help ensure care teams have the most up-to-date medical information when making diagnoses or medical decisions at the bedside. Patients will have the ability to customize the displayed information to protect their privacy.
In addition, the hospital was built with larger windows to incorporate more natural light, which has been proven to have a positive effect on patients’ overall well-being.
A 92,000-square-foot Medical Office Building—adjacent to the hospital and featuring 11 outpatient clinics—remains under construction and is scheduled to open later this fall.
