The Midstate’s excellent comprehensive healthcare is a reflection of the area’s impressive educational system and technologically advanced facilities. Five of the Midstate’s postsecondary schools offer degrees in the medical field. Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon specially trains primary-care physicians to serve rural and under-served areas of Georgia. The state-of-the-art Medical Center of Central Georgia is the primary teaching hospital for Mercer University School of Medicine. Many of Mercer’s graduates do their residencies at the hospital in one of its residency-training programs in general surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology. Partnerships between area colleges and hospitals ensure not only an educated workforce but also a robust job market for medical students after graduation.
From cardiac care to neonatal intensive care, the Midstate area not only has outstanding healthcare and modern facilities, but also homegrown community care within all of our communities. In fact, Bibb, Bleckley and Pulaski Counties have nearly twice the state average of beds per 1,000 people. When it comes to practicing physicians, Bibb County has 37 doctors per 10,000 people, significantly higher than the state average of 19.
The Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon is the second-largest hospital in the state with a service area of 28 counties representing a population of approximately 750,000. Employing more than 500 physicians, the Medical Center has a licensed capacity of 637 beds and offers medical-surgical, obstetric, orthopedic, oncology and psychiatric services, as well as cardiovascular intensive care, neurology intensive care, and pediatric intensive care. The Medical Center also serves as a referral hospital and a Level One Trauma Center, providing highly specialized trauma care.
As one of the most comprehensive pediatric programs in the state, The Children’s Hospital at The Medical Center of Central Georgia offers outpatient services, general pediatric care, pediatric intensive care, and neonatal intensive care, all in a pediatric environment. The 112-bed facility serves more than 115,000 pediatric patients each year. A few blocks away, the Ronald McDonald House also helps the families of seriously ill children by providing temporary living quarters.
The newest edition to The Medical Center of Central Georgia is the Albert Luce Jr. Heart Institute. The $87 million building began admitting patients in 2008. It offers 13 procedure labs, 60 outpatient beds, 42 recovery rooms and 10 diagnostic testing rooms. Open-heart surgeries and most critical cardiac care are still performed in the hospital’s existing surgery center, but all cardiac diagnostic services, including heart catheterizations, arteriograms, stress tests, ultrasounds and even basic electrocardiography have moved into the new tower. Interventional procedures — angioplasties and implantations of stents, pacemakers, defibrillators and heart-failure devices — are also performed there.
Macon’s Coliseum Health System, which includes Coliseum Medical Centers, Coliseum Northside Hospital and Coliseum Psychiatric Center, is the only hospital system in Macon to offer all private rooms and wireless internet for patients and families.
The hospitals feature an expansive range of state-of-the-art services designed to meet the medical needs of the region, including a 24-hour emergency room, inpatient and outpatient surgery options, diagnostic services and orthopedic rehabilitation programs. New technology now allows patients in the middle Georgia area to find out the average ER wait time at Coliseum Medical Centers and Coliseum Northside Hospital before they go to the hospital. The hospital posts its average ER wait times on its website (coliseumhealthsystem.com) and via text messaging. Coliseum Health System’s breadth of care options include the Coliseum Regional Cardiac Center, an advanced cardiac center and the Coliseum Northside Orthopaedic Center, providing a full range of orthopedic services. Other specialty services include the Coliseum Cancer Center, the Diabetes Management Center and the Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center.
The hospital’s Family Ties Birthing Center includes expert medical and nursing staffs, family-centered childbirth, modern diagnostic equipment, prenatal education classes and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Coliseum Medical Centers earned the Gold Seal of Approval for Primary Stroke Centers from The Joint Commission who determined that the stroke care program at Coliseum Medical Centers significantly improves stroke patient outcomes.
Robotic surgery is available at Coliseum Medical Centers. The da Vinci Surgical System enables surgeons to perform common surgeries using minimally invasive techniques. These techniques are designed to benefit patients by providing a shorter recovery period and a quicker return to daily activities.
Coliseum Psychiatric Center provides treatment for adults with psychiatric and addiction issues. The services include inpatient and outpatient programs, as well as Lifeline, a 24- hour crisis line and free assessment and referral services.
In order to serve Houston County, one of the fastest-growing areas in the state, Houston Healthcare is expanding. Houston Medical Center in Warner Robins recently added a five-story tower, including an additional 12 medical/surgical beds and 23 more observation/patient beds. Houston Medical Center now has 198 beds and serves more than 200,000 people annually. Houston Healthcare serves the medical needs of residents in Perry, Centerville, Warner Robins and Houston County as the county’s largest healthcare provider for more than 40 years. Along with the Houston Medical Center, the system includes Perry Hospital, a 45-bed facility, the Houston Heart Institute, the Surgery Center, Houston Occupational Health & Wellness Center, Houston Health Pavilion; urgent care centers and outpatient services.
Perry Hospital’s Surgery Center offers the latest laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures. The hospital also provides hospice care in Serenity Gate, an inpatient hospice and palliative-care unit operated by Hospice of Houston County.
While Bibb and Houston counties have large, full-service hospitals, other Midstate hospitals fill an important role in providing convenient medical care to the rural areas.
In Fort Valley, the 25-bed Peach Regional Medical Center offers emergency services, surgery, radiology and cardiac rehabilitation. This nonprofit hospital has been designated a Critical Access Hospital by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It receives federal support to provide accessible healthcare for people in outlying areas. Founded in 1957, Peach Regional was awarded the Gold Seal of Approval by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Opened in 1957, Monroe County Hospital has 25 beds and offers acute care, surgery and endoscopy, a 24-hour emergency room, laboratory, radiology and a diabetes support group. In 2007 Monroe County Hospital became a presentation site for a new telemedicine program, part of the Georgia Rural Health Initiative. Using advanced computer and video technology, patients can interact with medical specialists in some of the state’s top teaching hospitals.
Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin, a modern, 190-bed acute-care facility, provides community healthcare services for Laurens County, including a 24-hour emergency room, impatient and outpatient surgery options and rehabilitation therapy services. In addition, Fairview provides specialty services through its Sleep Center, the Same Day Surgery Center, the Heart Center and the Women’s Imaging Center.
Dublin is also the home to the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center. The 339-bed facility provides both acute- and extended-care services to veterans in Middle and South Georgia. Services include cardiology, pulmonary, general surgery, podiatry, urology and physical therapy. Mental-health services are also available, including treatment for substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and general psychiatric care.
For those individuals who do not qualify for public assistance or are uninsured, there are two relatively new volunteer clinics in the Midstate. The Macon Volunteer Clinic, opened in February of 2003, has helped more than 1,200 patients with prescription medications, x-rays, eye exams and cancer screenings. The Houston County Volunteer Clinic in Warner Robins opened in January of 2005. Both clinics are staffed by volunteer healthcare providers and funded by community donations and charitable groups. Residents can also turn to Georgia’s Department of Public Health, which operates offices in each of Georgia’s 159 counties. The county health departments provide vital records, health screenings and vaccines.
