Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center is nearing completion with an open date expected around August.
Officials anticipate receiving a certificate of occupancy within the next week, according to Nelson So, Chief Operating Officer of Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center, who spoke to media during a tour of the facility on May 13.
The new hospital at 5000 Gateway Blvd. in Grovetown has been more than a decade in the making.
“This campus also represents a significant generational investment into this community of over $380 million into the hospital as well as the medical office building, and that it’s also infused with digital technology that will allow us to leverage the specialties and capabilities not only at Wellstar MCG Health but also across the Wellstar health system,” So said.
The new facility brings with it the expertise of the Medical College of Georgia and the students and residents training there.
“Studies show if you go to an academic medical center, your chances of having a better outcome rises by about 20%,” said Dr. David Hess, Dean of the Medical College of Georgia which marks its bicentennial in 2028. “We can basically treat anything here, and if we can’t treat it here, we can treat it downtown.”
Hess said he was excited to see the progress on the facility that took so many years to come to fruition. He sees only positive outcomes.
“This is a win-win-win,” he said.
Russell Keen, president of Augusta University, said having the state-of-the-art facility in Columbia County will not only benefit people currently living in the area, but it will be a draw for future residents.
Health care represents economic development, he said.
“It also tells business and institutions why they might want to come to Columbia County…They look at health care and schools. We’ve got a lot to be proud of.”
And it will benefit those attending the Medical College of Georgia, not just physicians but nurses, occupational therapists and other medical professionals.
“There’s a shortage of healthcare providers. What this facility does for us and out community is provide a place to train,” he said.
It’s also a place where children can be inspired by the work those in the health care field do and give them aspirations for the future.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named Augusta Magazine’s best local writer in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
