Augusta, GA
Warnock pushes for Wellstar promises under AU Health deal
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/UQVKM7WGHJH2VIOBUAKD4TDXP4.png "Warnock pushes for Wellstar promises under AU Health deal")
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is urging Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr to ensure Wellstar Health System commits to long-standing investments in Augusta University Health.
Warnock sent a letter to Carr as a part of the public comment period regarding the proposed merger between Wellstar and AU Health. Also as part of the period, Carr held a hearing earlier this week in Augusta.
The senator offered his conditional support for the merger, but recommended Carr require that any merger agreement contain these commitments from Wellstar:
- Do not move or shut down services currently offered at AU Medical Center. AU Health currently offers 37 lines of service and has received top recognition for heart attack, kidney failure, heart failure, and stroke care. Cutting any of these service lines would be disruptive and unacceptable, Warnock says. Any agreement should require Wellstar to commit to not closing any existing service lines for at least 20 years after the merger is finalized, Warnock says. Additionally, Wellstar should not move any lines of service outside of Richmond County for the same period.
- Allow AU Health providers to remain in Augusta. Any agreement should require Wellstar to commit to allowing current providers such as doctors, nurses and physician assistants the freedom to stay in the Augusta area instead of relocating them to Wellstar hospitals elsewhere.
- Provide robust community benefits that benefit preventive health. Warnock wants Wellstar to invest in Augusta, and other locations across the state, through various benefit categories in addition to charity care. Specifically, he wants any agreement to require Wellstar to commit to community benefit spending equal to its current median percent spent across its other facilities. Additionally, a meaningful share of the spending should be directed to preventive categories for marginalized residents.
- Agree to price constraints for hospital services. Research shows that hospital mergers within state, but not within the same geographic market, often result in price increases, Warnock says. Warnock wants Wellstar to commit to freezing the prices of services at AU Health for at least 10 years after the merger is finalized.
- Establish a Medical College of Georgia program to benefit primary care across the state. Georgia is experiencing crisis levels of health care workforce shortages, so Wellstar should train the next generation of primary care doctors, the senator says. Warnock wants any such agreement to last a minimum of 10 years and partially serve underserved areas of the state.
- Commit to providing relief for patients with medical debt. Warnock wants Wellstar to commit for at least 10 years to pause sending medical debt (for existing debt before the merger and post-merger debt) to debt collectors and credit reporting agencies and instead work in good faith to ensure the patient continues to have access to care.
AU Health wanted the merger after losing $63 million overall since 2017, according to audits. The health system has been looking for a partner like Wellstar since 2019.
Under the merger, Wellstar will become the sole corporate member of AU Health and will have a 40-year contract with the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.
Wellstar will spend nearly $800 million with the deal over the next 10 years, with millions used to build the new Columbia County hospital and move the current surgery center.
Also, $200 million will be used for the main Augusta University campus and $139 million will go toward various projects on the AU Medical Center campus.
Wellstar will also switch over to the new state electronic health records system.
In the first 10 years of the deal, regents have the right of first refusal if Wellstar tries to sell or transfer its stake in the Medical College of Georgia. That means the university system gets the first chance at acquiring the assets.
Copyright 2023 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – We’re just under two months away from baseball season and this year will be a bittersweet one for North Augusta’s baseball and softball teams.
While many players would much rather play at a brand-new facility, Riverview Park has been home to the Yellowjackets for a long time now.
After this season, however, North Augusta will finally have a new place to call home.
But, they will have one more chance to close out a phenomenal season before transitioning to the new stadium next year.
You’ve seen the construction and you can see the vision.
In just a few more months, across the street from North Augusta High School will be two brand-new facilities.
The newest home of the Yellowjackets baseball and softball teams.
“It’s a chance to have something that is ours,” said Lynn. “Our own atmosphere at school. It’s going to be exciting.”
The over $8 million project was slated to be completed ahead of this year’s season, but after multiple delays like the impact of Hurricane Helene and just how big of a project it truly is, the facilities are still several months from being ready for play.
In the event construction concludes as originally planned, Head Coach Kevin Lynn says the team has no plans to move fields in the middle of their 2025 season.
“I don’t want to have summer ball starting there, I want our kids to start a regular season there,” said Lynn. I want them to open the season up and have a true home opener.”
The good news is, nothing about this year will feel different for the team.
The Yellowjackets have called Riverview Park home for over 40 years and they’ll get one more chance to send it out with a grand slam.”I grew up watching my brother play here and many people before him, so being able to play here one last time feels really good.”
“I’d like to go out on a high note and finish up strong here. Our goal is to win all of our games at home since we play here all the time and know the layout more than anybody else. It’d be nice to accomplish those goals in our last season.”
Lynn’s team will open up on the road against Strom Thurmond on Feb. 11.
The Yellowjackets are 40 and 40 under Lynn as head coach.
It’s hard to believe we’re almost to baseball season, before we know it we’ll be talking about the Masters.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
SYLVANIA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Two young males are dead after their boat overturned while fishing, according to the Screven County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a press release, around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, emergency services received a call about a boat overturning in a pond off Poor Robin Road.
Upon arrival, deputies spoke with a young adult male who was located at the scene. The male reported he had been in a boat with two other young males fishing when their boat overturned.
The young male was treated for his injuries and released, according to officials.
Additional agencies arrived on the scene including the Screven County Marine Rescue Squadron and several local scuba divers.
“After an extensive 5-hour search, in 46-degree water, the bodies of the remaining two young males were located in the pond,” said Sheriff Norman Royal.
The investigation into the circumstances that led up to these deaths is still ongoing, but no foul play is suspected at this time, according to officials.
Screven County EMS, Screven County Fire, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Effingham County Fire and Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, also assisted in the response.
Sheriff Royal sends his thoughts and prayers to the families of these two young men and thanks all agencies that assisted and made their recovery possible.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A weapon was seized by school administrators after the apparent gun fell to the floor during a fight between students Tuesday at Butler High School.
Parents were told of the incident in a letter.
“Two students engaged in a fight in a classroom today during a class,” the letter stated. “During the altercation, students saw a weapon drop to the floor.”
The Richmond County School System didn’t address what kind of weapon it was, but a video on Facebook showed what appeared to be a gun.
Administrators and Richmond County School System police responded immediately and secured the school for about 45 minutes while police investigated, parents were told.
The student was taken into custody and the incident was addressed following the Code of Student Conduct and Discipline.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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