Augusta, GA

Digital healthcare network supporting local hospitals become more accessible

Published

10 months ago

June 12, 2025

Digital healthcare network supporting local hospitals become more accessible

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Small, rural hospitals often struggle to survive because of challenges that come with providing specialized care to lightly populated communities.

Wellstar and Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia (MCG) Center for Digital Health is working to change that.

Through the Wellstar Digital Care Network, Georgians in rural communities can access resources more quickly and conveniently than they could a few years ago.

About 70% of patients in the program remain at a nearby hospital for treatment, when the digital care program started in 2019, only 30% of patients remained in their local hospital.

The types of care range from adult and pediatric emergency room triage to inpatient and intensive care unit support to critical disease management.

“Our team’s digital care supplements the great work already being done at these rural hospitals,” said Dr. Matt Lyon, MD, director of MCG’s Center for Digital Health and specialist in emergency medicine. “We do more than support these fantastic care teams as they treat their patients. We also uplift their communities by helping keep their healthcare local.”

This allows telehealth visits at several rural hospitals:

Burke Health: Waynesboro, GA (Burke County)
Jefferson Hospital: Louisville, GA, (Jefferson County)
Jenkins County Medical Center: Millen, GA
Washington County Regional Medical Center: Sandersville, GA
Wills Memorial Hospital: Washington, GA (Wilkes County)

“We noticed that a high number of our patients would avoid care instead of driving farther distances to larger healthcare institutions. Because of the advanced care offered through the Digital Care Network, we were able to expand our existing services and offer more critical care, which enabled more people to receive care locally,” said Michael Purvis, former chief executive officer of Candler County Hospital and currently chief executive officer of Dodge County Hospital.

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Augusta, GA

Local group holds 4th annual walk against autism

Published

2 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Local group holds 4th annual walk against autism

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – April is Autism Awareness Month, and one local group raised awareness with a walk in Augusta on Sunday.

The fourth annual autism walk was hosted by Moving Over Mountains Against autism at Lake Olmstead Park.

All proceeds from the walk support autism awareness initiatives.

We spoke with the CEO and founder of the group, Deidre Roberson, who said this year they are dedicating the walk to their photographer, who died recently.

Roberson told us what she looks forward to the most.

“I look most forward to seeing the different people every year. We always meet different people, new people, and they come from all over the CSRA, so Washington, Wilkes, Carolina,” she said.

There were also several vendors providing resources to families.

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Augusta, GA

From Augusta roots to Nighthawks leader: Nolan Belcher comes home

Published

14 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

From Augusta roots to Nighthawks leader: Nolan Belcher comes home

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- Augusta University baseball is in a three-game series matchup against the University of North Georgia.

AU is currently down in the series 0-2 after a close loss Friday and a loss Saturday.

But we aren’t focusing on the Jags, we’re going to take a look at North Georgia’s head coach, Nolan Belcher.

He is an Augusta native who began his career at Greenbrier and Augusta Christian.

He won three state championships, which then led him to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

There he won back-to-back national championships and finished runner up in 2012.

His coaching career began after that where he eventually joined the Peach belt Confrence, coaching at USCA and GCSU.

Now in his first season as head coach for the Nighthawks, he is happy to come home and coach in front of his friends and family.

“I’m very fortunate that I got family that, one is still around and they can come watch me do what I love. And, they’ve shown me, nothing but support throughout my whole coaching career and even back on my playing dates are very thankful and appreciative for everything they’ve done for me.”

AU and UNG will have their final series match on Sunday.

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