What to Expect from Obesity Treatment

GROVETOWN, Ga.  (August 26, 2026) — Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center welcomed its first patients on Wednesday, Aug. 26, following two major community celebrations that marked a historic step forward for healthcare access in Columbia County and the broader Central Savannah River Area.

The first three patients had scheduled shoulder replacements and a tonsillectomy in three of the hospital’s six state-of-the-art operating rooms. The first patient arrived in the emergency department at 8:02 a.m., two minutes after the hospital's opening.

On Aug. 4 Wellstar leaders, including president and CEO Ketul J. Patel and Board of Trustees Chair Greg Morgan, were joined by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue, Augusta University President Russell Keen, Columbia County Commission Chairman Doug Duncan, and other state and local leaders for a ribbon-cutting event and facility tour at the new hospital.

Days later, on Aug. 8, Wellstar welcomed community members to an open house where residents toured the new facility, explored patient care areas, and learned more about the services that will soon be available close to home.

“This is a special milestone for Columbia County, the CSRA, and everyone who helped bring this vision to life,” said Patel. “When a new hospital comes to life, it creates opportunities that will benefit a community for generations. Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center was thoughtfully designed with this community, for this community, and we are excited about the impact it will have on patients and families for years to come.”

The six-story, 100-bed hospital, located at 5000 Gateway Blvd. in Grovetown, will expand access to emergency care, surgical services, advanced imaging, cardiology, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, specialty care, and inpatient services. The hospital is designed to grow with the region and will open with flexible spaces, advanced technology, and patient-centered features that support care close to home.

Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center features dedicated intensive care unit rooms, and every patient room can be converted to function as ICU room if necessary. Patient rooms also include technology to support telehealth visits with specialists at Wellstar MCG Health and family members, along with digital whiteboards that help patients and care teams stay connected to up-to-date medical information. Large windows throughout the hospital bring in natural light, supporting a healing environment.

“This is 12 years of a dream that began with a commitment to better serve this community,” said Russell Keen, president of Augusta University. “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.”

The new hospital also expands the partnership among Wellstar, Augusta University, and the Medical College of Georgia, providing additional learning opportunities for students and future healthcare professionals through the use of the latest healthcare technologies. Adjacent to the hospital, a 92,000-square-foot medical office building with 11 outpatient clinics remains under construction and is expected to open later this fall.

During the Aug. 4 ribbon-cutting event, leaders emphasized that the hospital represents years of collaboration, planning, and shared commitment among healthcare, education, government, and community partners. The celebration also highlighted the role of local students, whose artwork will be displayed in the hospital lobby to welcome patients, families, visitors, and team members.

“Hospitals are known for medicine, technology, and clinical expertise—and all of those things matter,” Patel said. “But healing is also about connection, comfort, and belonging.”

MARIETTA, Ga. (Aug. 19, 2026) – Wellstar Health System has named Don Stanziano executive vice president and chief external affairs officer, adding a veteran healthcare marketing and communications leader to its executive team.

Stanziano will lead the health system’s marketing, communications, government relations, and strategic community development teams. In the role, he will help strengthen relationships with patients, communities, partners, policymakers, and other stakeholders while supporting Wellstar’s efforts to become a destination healthcare system in Georgia and across the Southeast.

“Don is an accomplished healthcare executive whose experience spans some of the nation’s leading health systems,” said Ketul J. Patel, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System. “He has successfully led organizations through periods of growth and transformation while strengthening relationships with patients, communities, policymakers, and stakeholders. As Wellstar continues advancing our strategic priorities and expanding our impact across Georgia and the Southeast, Don’s leadership, perspective, and commitment to service will be invaluable in helping us build the partnerships and engagement that support our mission.”

Stanziano brings extensive experience leading marketing, communications, and brand strategy for some of the nation’s largest and most respected healthcare organizations.

He joins Wellstar from Banner Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems, with 33 hospitals across six states and approximately $16 billion in annual revenue, where he served as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. In that role, he led initiatives to strengthen the organization’s brand, enhance consumer engagement, and guide external communications.

Prior to Banner Health, Stanziano served as chief marketing and communications officer at Geisinger in Pennsylvania. He also spent 16 years with Scripps Health in San Diego, including eight years as vice president of marketing and communications.

Throughout his career, Stanziano has helped healthcare organizations drive growth, elevate their brands, deepen community engagement, and navigate periods of transformation. At Wellstar, he will help advance the health system’s strategic priorities and strengthen the relationships that support its mission and the communities it serves. Stanziano is expected to begin his new role on September 21.

AUSTIN, Tex. and MARIETTA, Ga. (August 18, 2026) — Curative, the employer-sponsored health plan redefining access to healthcare through its $0-deductible, $0-copay model, today announced a network agreement with Georgia-based Wellstar Health System, adding 12 hospitals and more than 400 medical office locations, as Curative continues to build out statewide coverage.

As a major integrated health system partner for Curative in Georgia, Wellstar becomes the cornerstone of the company's growing provider network in the state. The agreement marks an important milestone in Curative's strategy to build direct partnerships with leading health systems that share its commitment to improving access, affordability, and patient experience. By combining premier provider networks with a benefit design that eliminates financial barriers to care, Curative is creating a more accessible healthcare experience for employers, members, and providers alike.

Curative members now have in-network access to Wellstar's full continuum of care—including women’s and maternal health, pediatrics, cancer, cardiovascular, neurology, and orthopedics, —with zero copays and zero deductibles after completing a Baseline Visit. For Georgia employers and brokers, the agreement pairs one of the state's most trusted health systems with a health plan designed to improve access to care while helping employers better manage healthcare costs through a simpler, more connected care experience.

"Wellstar is exactly the kind of health system we want as we build out a provider network that employers, brokers, and members can trust," said Fred Turner, CEO of Curative. “Their reputation for excellence and high-quality providers is well established across the state, where, for too long, rising deductibles have shifted costs onto families instead of improving healthcare. We're proving there's a better way—one with zero copays, zero deductibles, and access to exceptional care."

"Our priority was building a partnership with Wellstar that delivers value from day one," said Ramzy ElGomayel, Senior Vice President of Network Development & Management at Curative. "We move at the speed a health system actually needs, without decades of legacy systems to work around. Our engaged members become their engaged patients. That's what makes Curative worth signing for."

"At Wellstar, we look for ways to make care more accessible and affordable to further our mission of enhancing the health and well-being of every person we serve," said Barbara Courey, Senior Vice President for Managed Care at Wellstar Health System. "Providing people with opportunities to receive the right level of care at the right time, beginning with proactive primary and specialty care visits, is increasingly important. Making options available to our patients, from in-person and virtual visits to a variety of payment options such as those offered by Curative, are all critically important to improving a person’s overall health and cost of care.”

As the company continues to expand, Curative is building a statewide provider network comprised of leading health systems that deliver the quality, scale, and coordinated care employers and members expect. Together, these partnerships will help remove barriers to care and support better health outcomes for Georgia communities.

Members, employers, and brokers can learn more about Curative's Georgia health plans at curative.com.

About Wellstar Health System

Wellstar Health System is one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the Southeast and a growing destination for care across Georgia and beyond. Guided by its PeopleCare culture, Wellstar is advancing a bold vision to deliver exceptional quality, safety and patient experience while expanding access to world-class medicine.

Today, 35,000 team members, one of the region’s largest physician networks, and 12 hospitals serve communities through more than 400 care locations including cancer centers, rehabilitation facilities, urgent care centers and a digital care network that extends specialty expertise to community and rural hospitals. Wellstar’s nationally recognized programs span cardiology, neuroscience, oncology, orthopedics, pediatrics and other specialties, bringing advanced treatment closer to the people who need it.

Through partnerships that include Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia, Wellstar helps educate future clinicians, accelerate discovery and translate research into real-world impact. Recognized as one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, Wellstar combines clinical excellence, innovation and collaboration to improve the health and well-being of every person it serves.

About Curative

Curative is redefining employer-sponsored health insurance by eliminating financial barriers to care and partnering with leading health systems across the country. Its health plans feature $0 deductibles, $0 copays for in-network care and preferred prescriptions after members complete a Baseline Visit, helping people access care earlier while giving employers a more predictable and sustainable healthcare benefit. Backed by an AM Best rating of A-, Curative is building a premier provider network and delivering a simpler healthcare experience for employers, brokers, providers and members. Learn more at curative.com or follow Curative on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.

*Every Curative member qualifies for the $0 deductible, $0 copay for in-network care and preferred prescriptions by completing a Baseline Visit within 120 days of the plan effective date.