Augusta, GA
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.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

Augusta, GA
Cleanup top of mind as Augusta leaders finalize SPLOST projects
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Poor infrastructure and lack of maintenance are complaints we hear every year in Augusta, and city leaders agree.
While leaders narrow down the list of projects you could see on your ballot in November, neighbors say there’s an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed, and that’s years of alleged neglect.
Neighbors say, if money is going to go anywhere, it should go towards trash, overgrown weeds and blighted properties.
Some are taking it upon themselves to enact change, but they say they can’t do it by themselves.
Some roads crumble with cracked sidewalks and grass so tall it looks as if it could swallow you.
“You can see where basically the hillside is washing away, and it’s falling down here onto the embankment here,” said Eric Gaines, an Augusta resident. ”It just gets worse as we go further down here, and then, not to mention, this street has been a dumping ground.”
There is a story on Railroad Street, and Gaines is helping to find a better ending.
“ My grandparents grew up over here on Nicholas Street, and I remember coming down here as a kid; there used to be houses all up and down railroad street,” said Gaines.
Now he’s building a house in the neighborhood that built him.
“That’s the only way that we’re gonna be able to get some of these neighborhoods cleaned up, is that some of us are gonna personally have to come in and put our own dollars into these communities in order to kind of jumpstart some type of progress,” he said.

And he is already getting the attention of those in charge.
“ I’ve been working with them as well as Commissioner Pulliam and Commissioner Scott, and they’ve been very instrumental with getting some of these things done,” said Gaines.
Gaines, however, wants to see the talk turn into something bigger
“The folks here also deserve nice, safe and clean neighborhoods to take a part in, and I know that there are many constraints, but this right here is years of not being paid any attention to,” he said.
Gaines tells us he’s met with commissioners and the engineering department as well.
He says they are working together to hopefully start a site survey at the start of next year.
As for the SPLOST 9 list, as they work to finalize the list of projects that you can vote on, infrastructure was one of their top priorities as they finalize that list.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Knights Templar Eye Foundation awards $90,000 grant to Augusta University researcher

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Augusta, GA
Nike Peach Jam draws top talent and economic boost to North Augusta

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enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore access cannot be granted at this time.
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