State and local leaders break ground on Columbia County hospital

GROVETOWN, Ga. (WJBF) – After more than a decade and few setbacks, the first hospital in Columbia County is becoming a reality – and people from far and near came out to celebrate.

Leaders and special guests broke ground at the Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center site on Monday on Gateway Boulevard in Grovetown.

“This is a great milestone not only for Columbia County, but for the CSRA,” said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.

Gov. Kemp was there with first lady Marty Kemp, as well as leaders from the University System of Georgia, Augusta University, Wellstar, and Columbia County.

The mission is to grow healthcare providers in Georgia.

“Seventy-three counties have no emergency medical physicians, and nine counties in the great state of Georgia have no doctors at all. That can’t happen,” said Sonny Perdue, the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia.

After the groundbreaking, everyone gathered to sign a support beam.

“A long time coming, but just very exciting,” Gov. Kemp said. “Such a great partnership, such great optimism for not only today, but what we’re gonna see in the future. It’s incredible.”

The hospital will have 100 rooms and beds, a level II trauma center, a surgery area, a medical office building for primary care and other specialties, and more.

It will bring more jobs to the community, and provide more access to healthcare for people living in rural parts of the county and surrounding areas.

“Ten, twenty years from now, I think this space will only expand and grow larger to increase more access,” said Wellstar MCG Health Hospital President Ralph Turner.

It will also serve as a training site for MCG and AU students in the medical field.

“The more opportunities we can provide for students,” said Augusta University President Dr. Brooks Keel. “Whether it’s training opportunities for those who go into healthcare, or for just students who live in this area to know they’re going to have a state of the art hospital right in this county.”

Turner said they struggled for about eight years to get a certificate of need for the hospital, and just got the bonds to fund the hospital last year. But now, everything’s falling into place.

“It gives people who think about making Columbia County home, a bit more easier to make that decision,” he said.

Construction is expected to be complete by early 2026.

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