SGMC announces expansion plans
Jun. 3—VALDOSTA — A multi-year project totaling $125 million is on the horizon for South Georgia Medical Center.
According to hospital officials during a recent authority meeting, SGMC is adding a gastroenterology clinic, a second women's health center and a new residency class as part of a long-term expansion plan to diversify patient services and attract more talent to the hospital system.
Hospital officials said the hospital will be inducting a second class of eight resident physicians in July. SGMC welcomed its first class of eight physicians in July 2022; these doctors will move into the post-graduate second year of their journey.
Aside from the eight physicians enrolled in the residency program, another eight physicians will join the physician network and the community between July and September.
The physicians practice in many specialties including gastroenterology, radiation oncology, internal medicine, family medicine and obstetrics and gynecology.
With the influx of physicians, SGMC will open two new medical clinics, SGMC Gastroenterology and a second SGMC Women's Health location.
This includes moving forward with Phase I of its long-range plan, which includes a main campus redesign and a new women and infant's patient tower, emergency department and front entrance.
The multi-year project is estimated to cost $125 million and leadership anticipates beginning construction in 2024.
This is in conjunction with SGMC's kick off of a $15 million expansion of its Berrien County hospital with a groundbreaking ceremony.
The project includes a new two-story emergency room addition that will expand the current campus footprint by 26,000 square feet.
The new facility is slated to replace the original four-room emergency department with a new, modern nine-room emergency department. Construction is expected to be completed in fall 2024.
According to Ronald Dean, SGMC president and chief executive officer, the hospital will be expanding its reach in more ways than one, taking steps to grow its network to attract more physicians and specialists.
"In June, our trauma program expects to complete requirements and become the State of Georgia's next designated Level III Trauma Center. According to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, traumatic injuries are the leading cause of death for individuals up to 45 years old. In an emergency, every second counts, and victims of traumatic injuries often find themselves in a race against time," he said.
"To become a designated center, SGMC spent years building a program that meets high national standards of care and outcomes for critically injured patients. Additionally, the program is vital to successfully recruiting and keeping specialists such as neurosurgeons and trauma surgeons. SGMC believes these projects align with its priority to create unequaled access to care. A vital next step will be establishing a new 501c3 nonprofit entity to guide and direct the health system's future needs and allow it to serve more areas. SGMC has a growing network, and this reorganization will better equip the system to keep up with the rising health care demands of our region," he said.