Big advancements at WellStar MCG Health and Augusta Regional Airport

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Georgia senator Jon Ossoff visited Augusta today to celebrate two big projects at WellStar MCG and Augusta Regional Airport.

At WellStar M-C-G Health, Senator Ossoff was joined by Augusta University President Brooks Keel and hospital president Ralph Turner. They unveiled replacements for two M-R-I machines.

“For me to actually be here to see this come to fruition,” said Brooks Keel, President of Augusta University. “We’ve been working on this since 2022. Great support from our government relation folks and Senator Ossoff just took the lead on it, took It by the horns, and really, now you see the fruits of that labor. So, we can now provide state-of-the-art diagnostic care for the youngest patients, I’m talking weeks old, that we just weren’t able to do in the past.”

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Funding for that was made possible through a bill passed in 2022 that Ossoff supported.

“This means that this hospital now has a brand-new world-class MRI machine that can help diagnose cancer,” said Jon Ossoff, Georgia Senator. “They can help surgeons. They can help surgeons. They can help newborn babies who have serious health issues, and now there’s a higher standard of health care here for folks in the CSRA.”

Senator Ossoff also participated in the ribbon cutting for Augusta Regional Airport’s Gates 3 and 4. That project was funded by money from the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress last year.

“The bipartisan infrastructure law that we passed has updated Augusta Reginal Airport Just like its upgrading infrastructure across Georgia. Getting lead pipes out of drinking water systems, expanding broadband internet access, upgrading airports and seaports. This is a great day for the Augusta community,” said Ossoff.

The airport now boasts four boarding bridges, and the airport director hopes this will increase air service and passenger traffic to Augusta Regional.

“As I mentioned in my remarks, we are very bullish and very aggressive in wanting to grow the airport. We feel like this is our huge economic engine, and the more we build the airport, the more it helps the entire region,” said Herbert Judon, Augusta Regional Airport executive director.

The executive director at the Augusta Regional Airport says there will be more expansions in the future.

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