Media Room

GROVETOWN, Ga. — Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center is preparing to welcome 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. 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.”

Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center is scheduled to begin seeing patients on Aug. 26.

CLAYTON, Ga. (August 10, 2026) — Wellstar Health System and Mountain Lakes Medical Center (MLMC) today announced that Wellstar has completed its acquisition of the northeast Georgia-based hospital, following the conclusion of regulatory requirements and customary closing conditions.

Mountain Lakes Medical Center is a 25-bed critical access hospital serving Rabun County and surrounding northeast Georgia communities. With the completed acquisition, MLMC is now Wellstar Mountain Lakes Medical Center and the 12th hospital in Wellstar’s integrated health system.

“From our earliest conversations, it was clear that Mountain Lakes Medical Center was a special organization with a talented team, deep community roots and tremendous potential,” said Wellstar President and CEO Ketul J. Patel. “Completing this acquisition marks an important milestone in our shared commitment to build on the hospital’s strong foundation and create new possibilities for patients, clinicians and communities in the region.”

Wellstar Mountain Lakes Medical Center is a full-service, 25-bed acute care hospital with a Level IV Trauma Center that is staffed by highly trained medical professionals who are passionate about improving healthcare and redefining how their community thinks about health and wellness.

Patel said the completed acquisition reflects Wellstar’s broader vision of enhancing patient care across Georgia and the Southeast.

“At Wellstar, we’re building a connected healthcare ecosystem that links community hospitals, physicians, specialists, advanced clinical programs and digital capabilities into a seamless experience for patients. The Mountain Lakes team has an important role to play in that future.”

Patients will continue to have access to the clinicians and care teams they know and trust as Wellstar takes a phased and thoughtful approach to integrating patients, clinicians and team members into the Wellstar system.

As part of Wellstar, patients in the region will gain access to broader clinical expertise, advanced clinical programs, technology resources and operational support. Over time, patients and clinicians will also benefit from Wellstar’s Digital Care Network, which connects local care teams with specialists and advanced clinical programs across the system in real time, helping accelerate diagnosis, treatment planning and coordinated care.

Additional information and updates will continue to be shared with team members, clinicians, patients and the community as integration progresses.

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.

Leaders from Augusta University and the Medical College of Georgia visited Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center June 24 to highlight the continued growth of a metro Atlanta training program focused on preparing the next generation of physicians—and to hear directly from the students experiencing it.

The visit, part of Augusta University President Russell T. Keen’s Summer Tour, included conversations with third- and fourth-year medical students completing clinical training at the MCG Atlanta campus. Leaders checked in on student progress and gathered feedback on their day-to-day experiences working alongside physicians in one of the state’s busiest hospitals.

For Adrian Bozocea, a third-year medical student and a 2020 graduate of Wheeler High School, the experience carries special meaning. He was born at Wellstar Kennestone.

“It’s a crazy, full-circle moment, knowing that the culmination of my hard work has allowed me to serve in the community that’s built me up and made me who I am,” he said.

Bozocea said training in a familiar community adds a personal connection to patient care.

“It’s a nice feeling knowing you’re helping someone who has potentially served you at a restaurant or helped you find an item in a store,” he said.

Students at Wellstar Kennestone rotate through multiple specialties and locations as part of their training. Bozocea has already completed rotations in family medicine and obstetrics and is now in internal medicine, describing the experience as both rigorous and rewarding. He said what sets the Atlanta campus apart is its strong culture of learning.

“Every clinician is great at teaching. They’re passionate about what they do, and there’s a real culture of learning here,” he said.

Since opening in 2025, the Wellstar Kennestone campus has expanded its reach and capabilities. Dr. Louis Lovett, associate dean of the campus, said the program has strengthened its faculty by appointing Wellstar physicians to clinical teaching roles and adding new electives in surgical and medical subspecialties to complement six core rotations required of all students.

“We’re building a comprehensive training environment that prepares students to meet real-world healthcare needs,” Dr. Lovett said. “By combining strong core rotations with expanded electives and simulation-based learning, we’re giving them the skills and confidence to step into practice ready to care for patients.”

Dr. Lovett has also taken a hands-on approach with students, Bozocea said, frequently checking in and helping connect them with physicians in their areas of interest.

“He’s dedicated to students and passionate about his job,” Bozocea said.

Students gain experience across disciplines, including internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology and psychiatry, while also training in simulation labs that allow them to practice procedures and patient interactions in a supervised setting.

Several students training at Wellstar Kennestone have ties to Cobb County and have expressed interest in returning to the area after graduation—an outcome leaders say reflects the value of training physicians in the communities they may one day serve.

For Bozocea, that path feels especially fitting: a future physician gaining hands-on experience in the same hospital where his own story began.