Augusta, GA
Wellstar MCG helps bridge gap in Ga. health care
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – It’s been over a year since Wellstar Health System and Augusta University Health System merged.
Since then, they have seen an increase in medical students.
Augusta University says MCG’s class size is one of the top five in the country with more than 300 students in each class.
We spoke with a doctor about how this growth is helping Georgians.
The Medical College of Georgia is the 13th oldest medical school in the country.
After years of maturing, the college’s current first year class is projected to be the fifth largest in the country.
MCG officials say the growth is positive for pipelining more medical professionals in Georgia.
From the lab to communities, Wellstar MCG is making headway into the future of investing in Georgia’s medical workforce.
Dr. Natasha Savage with the Medical College of Georgia says her journey through the medical field has come full circle, now being able to educate the next generation.
“I’m a graduate of the Medical College of Georgia. I know how much our faculty cares about our residents, about our students and about our patients,” said Savage.
She says expanding specialty programs is what’s keeping MCG competitive in critical areas of healthcare like their newest program, maternal-fetal medicine.
“That is a three-year fellowship under the state under the program of OB/GYN and is fully supported by the state. Maternal-fetal medicine specialists help ensure that we have great care for our moms and their children,” she said.
MCG says they’re not slowing down because the need to grow the medical pipeline is more important than ever.
“Whether that be pediatricians or OB/GYNs or pathologists, etc. There’s many areas of the state of Georgia that have no OB/GYN or no psychiatrist and so we’re really working to fill that void,” said Savage.
Savage says MCG retains about 50% of its students each year, which is a positive sign for the future landscape of Georgia healthcare.
“We hope to maintain them, keep them here and continue to improve healthcare through optimal teaching, research and excellence in care,” she said.
According to the Georgia Department of Community Health, more than 140 counties in Georgia are medically underserved.
With a high retention rate, officials hope to continue to bridge that gap in healthcare.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The second annual Juneteenth trail ride took place on Old Waynesboro Road in Augusta on Saturday.
The event featured trail rides with horses and ATVs, a mechanical bull contest and music.
People shopped at vendors, and there was entertainment for kids, including a petting zoo, inflatables and games.
“It’s really a privilege just to be able to have the opportunity to share my space, to share my area, and to share for an event with so much value, to give back to my community and a place to celebrate,” said Davon Wallace, chief of operations at Crimson Hills.
Wallace said they will be hosting more events, with a haunted trail coming in October.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has made multiple arrests in a deadly shooting that left one teenager dead and another injured early Saturday morning.
According to deputies, the incident happened June 20, at approximately 12:50 a.m. in the 200 block of Warren Road, where authorities responded to reports of shots fired involving two gunshot victims.
When deputies arrived, they located two 18-year-old men from Augusta.
Officials identified the victims as Eric Markquis Bartley Miller and Joseph Lamar Thomas.
Investigators say Miller sustained at least one gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thomas was also found with at least one gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under active investigation.
As of Saturday afternoon, three teenage suspects have been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
18-year-old Dmihjay Collins, 17-year-old Tayshaun Thomas, and 17-year-old Joseph Thomas have all been arrested and charged with Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of Machine Guns. They are all currently being held at the Webster Detention Center.
A fourth teenager, 17-year-old Reante Byrd was also arrested, but investigators have not linked him to the murder case. Byrd has been charged with Possession of a Pistol or Revolver by a Person Under the Age of 18. He is also being held in the Webster Detention Center.
No further details in the investigation have been released.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Students showcased drones they built during a two-week summer camp at Augusta Regional Airport on Friday.
12 junior and high school students attended the camp, where they learned to fly and build drones designed to help others.
Anderson Puryear, a student, said the camp focused on delivering small medical supplies.
“It was focused on delivering small medical supplies like an EPI pen or glucose packet for like diabetics and for people with allergies in need in the real world that could obviously help save lives, and if people are like in a place in a boat or like in the desert or in the forest where they can’t easily access those supplies it can save their lives,” Puryear said.
The airport partnered with Georgia Tech, state troopers and the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Department for the Air Edu Summer Camp.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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