Wellstar and Augusta University Health Systems Merger Finalized

The merger of Wellstar Health and Augusta University Health Systems is now official. It will be known as Wellstar MCG Health.

A signing ceremony on the nearly $800 million deal was held this morning in Augusta with University System Chancellor Sonny Perdue, Augusta University President Dr. Brooks Keel, and Wellstar President and CEO Candice Saunders in attendance.

A joint statement from Augusta University, Wellstar Health System, and the University System of Georgia said, "Through this partnership, we are committed to investing in cutting-edge medical facilities and infrastructure, strengthening collaborations with rural hospitals, and providing greater access to digital health services and top-notch clinical care, such as the exceptional pediatric care offered by Wellstar and Children's Hospital of Georgia.

As part of the deal, Wellstar will spend $139 million on capital projects at AU Medical Center in years 3 through 10. They will implement over $100 million electronic health records system, and construct a new hospital in Columbia County.

Officials say by building on the legacy of Augusta University's Medical College of Georgia and creating new opportunities for more physicians to be trained in a modern clinical environment, they're addressing physician shortages in the area and contributing to solving the challenge nationwide.

The merger comes at a time when Augusta University Health Systems had an outstanding debt of roughly $234 million.

The Georgia Board of Regents approved the takeover in late March. The Georgia attorney general's office just signed off on the plan last month.