A Look at the Premier Medical Providers in Columbus, GA
Read the medical menu in Columbus and discover a five-star collection of the region’s superior health care facilities. Here, you will find a brand-new, freestanding children’s hospital, one of the country’s leading orthopaedic practices and a long-standing pillar in the community, helping its neighbors for 75 years.
Region’s Only Children’s Hospital
With a new, freestanding space dedicated to their care, children in the Columbus region now have access to the latest treatments and technology at the Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital. The 30-bed (including five for lCU patients), five-story inpatient facility recently opened on the Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown hospital campus.
Each room offers a “safe space” for children, meaning medical procedures take place elsewhere. Named in honor of Bettye Cheves’ parents, the $28 million project was made possible by a generous donation from Bettye and Cecil Cheves, along with other community support. The space, designed for patients from birth to age 18, features warm and comforting decor.
The design includes vibrant colors, interactive touchscreens and architectural elements inspired by the Chattahoochee River. A friendly, climbable turtle named Bo is the facility mascot and lobby greeter. Plus, a new enclosed connection corridor links the children’s facility to the main hospital.
“The Bill and Olivia Amos Children’s Hospital creates a destination pediatric health care facility for our growing region under one roof,” says Cary Burcham, Piedmont Columbus Regional chief nursing officer. “We are actively recruiting the best providers and specialists to address the ongoing needs of our community, so families ultimately won’t have to travel out of town for any level of pediatric care.”
Other features include an activity room, laundry facility, food pantry and outdoor playground.
Superior Orthopaedic Care
Hughston Clinic, a multispecialty orthopaedic group, is known for delivering superior, patient-centered medicine.
“We have proudly served the citizens of Columbus for over 75 years,” says CEO Mark Baker. “It is our privilege to carry on the Hughston legacy for the next 75 years.”
The clinic is the official sports medicine provider for Muscogee County Schools and other surrounding counties. Clinic physicians provide sideline medical care and annual preparticipation health screenings as well as host Saturday Morning Injury Clinics during the fall sports season.
Hughston’s integrated system of research, education and patient-focused treatment makes all the difference in providing quality health care. The facility is home to centers of excellence in spine, upper and lower extremities, trauma, and total joint replacement. Its award-winning patient care is based on a platform of specialty-trained physicians and specialized health care professionals who work together on one common goal – their patients.
75 Years of Service
The medical professionals at St. Francis-Emory Healthcare are also celebrating 75 years of serving their community, with clinical excellence, compassion and community engagement in west Georgia and east Alabama.
This sparkling legacy began when determined citizens of Columbus raised $45 million in seed money to open the doors of a modern hospital. Through the decades, three generations of health care providers have built on their faith-based mission to care for their neighbors – body, mind and spirit – through every season of life. Today, over 2,500 associates and 300 physicians provide a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency room services, including the only distinguished Level 1 Emergency Cardiac Care Center in Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley.
St. Francis-Emory Healthcare offers the only open-heart cardiac program in the region, led by board-certified physicians performing the most advanced treatments on the forefront of heart care. It’s a premier provider of mental and behavioral health care, provides excellence in women’s services and is home to accredited internal medicine and psychiatry residency programs.
Continuing to build on its traditions, St. Francis-Emory Healthcare is committed to seeking innovative ways to enhance the health and well-being of the communities it’s privileged to serve for the next 75 years and beyond.
MercyMed of Columbus Broadens Its Impact
MercyMed of Columbus is continuing to grow, providing affordable health care and hope to the city’s underserved community and addressing total wellness in body, mind and spirit.
The nonprofit organization recently cut the ribbon on a $1.6 million renovation project, transforming a former convenience store on Second Avenue into a wellness center. Services offered include pharmacy, physical therapy, counseling, nutrition therapy and classes, and exercise classes.
Generous financial support from local foundations and community donations allowed the center to acquire the property and renovate the 8,000-square-foot space debt-free.
The organization’s first location opened in 2012 on Second Avenue to provide primary care. Today, more than 7,000 patients (and growing) are seen there and two additional sites – The Banks at Mill Village and the Baptist Association building. The largest facility, next to the wellness clinic, includes a dentistry team.
“How you move, eat, sleep and think has a dramatic impact on your health. The new facility provides easy access to services under one roof where we can treat, educate, inspire and empower our community toward healthier living,” says Casey Valencia, wellness clinic manager. “It also frees up space at our medical clinic. This will enable MercyMed to hire additional medical staff and to increase the number of vulnerable community members we can help.”
The MercyMed Farm is an urban garden, existing to make healthy food affordable and accessible to the community and patients on Friday mornings. Shoppers with SNAP benefits receive 50% off their purchase. It’s a crucial part of the organization’s wellness mantra – to move well, eat well and rest well so you can be well.