Dear Medical College of Georgia Friends,

Annual State of the College Address outlines “Big Hairy Audacious Goal”

Nearly 30 years ago, one of my favorite authors, Jim Collins, who is perhaps best known for his book Good to Great, introduced a concept that has always stuck with me. In Built to Last, which he co‑authored with Jerry Porras, they coined the term Big Hairy Audacious Goal, or BHAG. It describes a long‑term, bold ambition that serves as a “powerful mechanism to stimulate progress” and becomes a unifying focal point for an entire organization.

A true BHAG is the kind of goal so big, so transformative, that people pause often when they hear it. One of the classic examples they often cite is NASA’s commitment in the 1960s to land a man on the Moon. It was bold and it changed the course of history.

Outside of the updates we often discuss in these writings, last week at the annual State of the College Address I shared what I believe is our BHAG: building an integrated, statewide public-private health system that fully leverages the strengths of MCG and our partners across Wellstar’s statewide network.

A Statewide Integrated Public-Private Academic Health System would mean better care for Georgians

As an academic medical center, MCG and Wellstar MCG Health are part of the national system of institutions that train most of the country’s medical students and residents and drive the majority of medical discoveries and breakthroughs. That role gives us both a unique responsibility and a unique opportunity.

MCG’s statewide educational model, our deep engagement with communities across all nine campuses, our strong research enterprise, and our growing leadership in applying AI to health care — combined with the reach of our Center for Digital Health, which connects providers here at Wellstar MCG Health to patients and physicians in rural and underserved regions — position us for something truly transformative.

When we pair these assets with Wellstar’s extensive $7.5 billion network of hospitals and their commitment to digital health innovation, we have both the opportunity and the obligation to deliver exceptional care, pioneering treatments, and more effective prevention strategies to people in every corner of Georgia. This goal is ambitious and long-term, and it’s supposed to be. But I believe that if we work together, we can achieve it…and change our state’s health care landscape.

If you couldn’t be there in person last week, you can watch the entire State of the College Address here.

Rep. Darlene Taylor honored for work to expand MCG’s reach in Southwest Georgia

Another highlight of this annual gathering, for me, is the opportunity to recognize individuals who have helped broaden MCG’s reach and impact.

This year, State Representative Darlene Taylor, House District 173, who represents Thomasville and chairs the House Health Appropriations Subcommittee, received the MCG Advocate Award. She was absolutely instrumental in making it possible for us to expand our Southwest Campus to Thomasville and Archbold earlier this year. Thanks to her leadership, the first six students arrived in January and are now living and learning in that community for the entirety of their clinical education.

Many of you may remember her from our Statewide Faculty Development Conference last year on Jekyll Island, where she attended every session she could to understand the hows and whys of our statewide educational model. Her commitment to improving health outcomes in her region and across Georgia is genuine, and she truly understands that expanding MCG’s statewide presence is key.

Dr. Raul Santos has also been integral to our expansion in Thomasville

Another key partner in our growth in Southwest Georgia has been Dr. Raul Santos, a nephrologist and chief of the Department of Medicine at Archbold. Dr. Santos, who directs Archbold’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, which we proudly partner with, received this year’s Community Advocate Award.

While he’s not an MCG graduate, he certainly has been one of our strongest champions, encouraging students and trainees to come to Thomasville and experience the community firsthand. As a well-known and respected physician caring for many patients with hypertension and resulting chronic kidney disease, he understands the importance of building a strong physician pipeline so that more physicians will hopefully choose to practice in Thomasville and expand access to care for the people who need it most.

Drs. Ashley Saucier and Dave Ringer honored for service to underserved Georgians
Dr. Ashley Saucier, a 2011 MCG graduate who completed her family medicine training here, received this year’s Professionalism Award. As a frontline primary care physician, she knows how critical timely, high‑quality care is in preventing manageable conditions from becoming life‑altering illnesses. That commitment has driven her work to expand access in underserved communities and ensure that MCG learners train where that care is delivered.

Now an associate professor in our Department of Family and Community Medicine and assistant dean for evaluation, accreditation, and CQI, Dr. Saucier has been central to strengthening MCG’s partnerships with Georgia’s Federally Qualified Health Centers. These community‑based clinics provide comprehensive primary, dental, and mental health services to underserved and uninsured patients. Her efforts, which were undoubtedly shaped by the mentorship of longtime department chair Dr. Joseph Hobbs, have helped build training opportunities across the state. Today, MCG has affiliation agreements with 60% of Georgia’s FQHCs, allowing them to serve as clinical training sites for our students and residents.

Dr. Dave Ringer, another MCG graduate, is CEO of Oconee Valley Health Care in Greensboro, Georgia

While Dr. Saucier has helped expand our statewide partnerships with FQHCs, Dr. Dave Ringer has spent decades carrying out their mission. The 1986 MCG graduate and longtime family physician serves as CEO of Oconee Valley Health Care in Greensboro, a nonprofit FQHC that provides comprehensive care to patients who might otherwise go without. He also serves as Chief of Staff at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro.

Dr. Ringer, who received our second Community Advocate Award this year, was an early and influential voice for MCG’s partnerships with FQHCs across Georgia, recognizing how vital these relationships would be in strengthening care for underserved communities.

For 22 years, Dr. Ringer owned and operated Family Medical Associates of Lake Oconee before merging with what is now Oconee Valley Health Care to help strengthen its impact in the area.

Dr. Matt Lyon leads efforts to teach rural providers best practices for emergency care

It goes without saying that our faculty – and our alums – truly understand MCG’s mission to improve care for all Georgians. Another great example is Dr. Matt Lyon, a 1999 MCG graduate and emergency medicine physician who completed his training here and now serves as the J. Harold Harrison, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Telehealth and Director of the MCG Center for Digital Health. Throughout his career, he has worked to ensure that hospitals and clinicians in rural and underserved communities can access the expertise of physicians at Wellstar MCG Health through telehealth — a lifeline when specialty care is hours away.

For the past decade, he has also focused on expanding access to training in the latest emergency medicine techniques. That work is essential: 77 Georgia counties have no emergency‑medicine–trained physicians, leaving many emergency departments staffed by clinicians from other specialties.

Since 2015, Dr. Lyon and his colleagues have offered a rural outreach course for providers across the state, alternating each year between Augusta and Savannah. This year’s course, held last weekend, brought together more than 150 multidisciplinary providers for lectures and hands‑on procedural training. The annual event is sponsored by the Center for Digital Health and the Georgia College of Emergency Physicians.

My thanks to all of you for strengthening the care that people across our state receive across every setting, especially when and where they need it most.

Dr. David Munn stepping up to lead Georgia Cancer Center

It goes without saying that the people of MCG are consistently service‑minded, always ready to step up and step in, whether they’re improving the lives of those we are privileged to treat or giving their time and energy to support their medical school. That’s why, I was not surprised that when I asked Dr. David Munn to serve as interim director of our Georgia Cancer Center after Dr. Jorge Cortes’ departure next month, he willingly agreed. Dr. Munn is a pediatric hematologist/oncologist, Regents’ Professor and co-director of our Pediatric Immunotherapy Program. Many of you know Dr. Munn well. He’s a long-time member of our faculty, a trusted colleague, and a leader who is well suited for this role. I am thankful for his willingness to lead.

A 1984 graduate of MCG, Dr. Munn returned to join our faculty in 1990 after training at Rainbow Babies’ and Children’s Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Not long after, he and his colleague Dr. Andrew Mellor made the discovery that an enzyme called IDO helps create an immune-protected environment in pregnancy; and that cancer cells use the same mechanism to shield themselves. That discovery laid the groundwork for modern cancer therapies that harness the immune system, and it remains one of the most significant scientific contributions to come out of this medical school.

A national search for a permanent director is underway, but I am confident the Cancer Center will be in capable hands in the months ahead.

Macon Alumni Reception gives opportunities to connect with new and familiar faces

It’s always a privilege to get out on the road and share with our alumni and supporters the remarkable things happening at MCG. Last week’s annual Macon Alumni Reception was no exception. It drew its usual terrific crowd and reminded me once again of the strength of the community that supports this medical school. It was wonderful to reconnect with alums like Drs. Cindy Mercer and Mark Ellison, who made the drive from Athens; the ever‑faithful Dr. Anil Puri from Milledgeville; and Dr. Champ Baker, who joined us from Columbus. We were also fortunate to have MCG Foundation Board Members (in addition to Dr. Ellison) Dr. Paul Turk and Julie Means with us.

A particular highlight of the evening was hearing from third‑year student Holland Schell, a Macon native with aspirations in Pediatrics, who attended with Mrs. Means. It’s always refreshing to hear our students’ perspectives.

My sincere thanks go to Dr. William “Bill” Brooks for his continued hospitality in hosting us, and to our Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement team, who are always right there beside me on the road. None of these gatherings would be possible without their dedication.

GAPI event brings another opportunity to share updates about MCG

The weekend after our Macon reception brought yet another great opportunity to share updates about the work happening across our medical school – and another chance to cross paths with Dr. Puri. I was honored to be invited by Dr. Sarita Sharma from our Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior to serve as the chief guest at the Georgia Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPI) meeting. This lively gathering certainly offered an engaged…and fun audience who were equally excited to hear about MCG’s momentum and where we are headed.

Annual Ellison Lecture is a reminder of how MCG continues to be shaped by its people

Our MCG community is undeniably shaped by those who have poured their lives into this place. I was certainly reminded of that yesterday when I was able to attend the annual Department of Physiology’s Ellison Lectureship This year’s speaker, Dr. Holly A. Ingraham, a professor of Cellular Molecular Pharmacology at the University of California, gave a fascinating talk about adaptive brain–body pathways in female physiology, which is expanding our understanding of women’s health across the lifespan.

The Ellison Lectureship, established in 2011, stands as a lasting tribute to Dr. Lois T. Ellison, who supported MCG throughout her entire life. Mother of five sons (including Mark); devoted wife of Dr. Robert Ellison, a pioneer in cardiothoracic surgery; she was a trailblazer in medicine and science in her own right. She mentored many of our faculty, students and residents, and she is rightly known as the beloved matriarch of our medical school. It goes without saying that Dr. Ellison’s influence continues to guide and inspire us all.

My best to you always,

David C. Hess, MD

Dean, Medical College of Georgia

Upcoming Events

March 14 – MCG White Coat Dash 5K, 10 am, Summerville Campus

March 20 – MCG Match Day, SRP Park

April 17 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium

May 7 – MCG Hooding Ceremony, 2 p.m., Bell Auditorium