Dear Medical College of Georgia Friends,

USG Economic Impact Study demonstrates strong community benefits from MCG’s Regional Campuses

Since opening our first regional campus in Albany in 2005 – in partnership with Phoebe Putney Memorial Health System – we have been intentional and ambitious in building clinical partnerships across the state. Today, our educational network includes institutions such as Wellstar Kennestone in Marietta, St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System in Savannah, Southeast Georgia Health System in Brunswick, as well as Vitruvian Health, Atrium Health Floyd, AdventHealth Redmond, the Harbin Clinic, and others in Dalton and Rome. Soon, we’ll welcome Archbold Medical Center in Thomasville to this growing list. The phrase “Georgia is our campus” is a true reflection of our commitment to medical education and community impact in every corner of the state.

Our regional clinical campuses are essential to our ability to educate one of the nation’s largest medical school classes. But their value extends far beyond academics – they offer students immersive, hands-on training in diverse, community-based settings. I frequently hear stories of students delivering dozens of babies, assisting in surgeries, and gaining real-world experience that shapes not only their clinical skills, but also their confidence and professional identity. Living and learning in these communities allows students to work side by side with the faculty who mentor them, building relationships and expertise that significantly enhances their education.

Just as importantly, we have strong evidence that students who train in these regions are more likely to return and practice there, strengthening the local physician workforce and expanding access to care where it’s needed most. These campuses are not only advancing our mission – they are making a lasting difference in the lives of our students and the communities they serve.

Campuses Contribute Over $6 Million to Georgia’s Economy

Needless to say, we’ve long understood the value these campuses bring to our students, and this week we received even more evidence of their significance to the communities they serve. According to a recent report from the University System of Georgia, the MCG campus in Albany contributes approximately $1.6 million to the local economy. In Savannah and Brunswick, the combined impact reaches $2.7 million, while the Rome/Dalton campus generates $1.7 million in economic activity. These figures represent not only direct spending and job creation, but also the broader economic benefits of health care services, student engagement and institutional collaboration.

It’s important to note that this report measured impact during FY24 and does not yet include our newest four-year campus in Savannah or our regional campus at Wellstar Kennestone. However, it does reflect the impact of the four-year AU/UGA Medical Partnership, which reached an impressive $36.3 million. Our main campus in Augusta’s impact is measured as part of Augusta University, whose total economic impact is $1.6 billion.

And while these numbers are compelling, they only tell part of the story. What they don’t capture are the future contributions of the physicians who will return to practice in these communities – the patients they’ll treat, the families they’ll support, and the lives they’ll improve. Some of their impact will be reflected in economic data and health outcomes, but much of it will unfold in ways that can’t be measured.

Newest cohort of Peach State Scholars includes 12 students who are committed to practicing in communities that need them most

Today was another great example of our medical school’s deep commitment to serving Georgia: we welcomed our newest cohort of Peach State Scholars. As many of you know, this initiative began in 2021 with the goal of addressing the state’s critical shortage of primary care providers. These students make an early commitment to complete medical school in three years, enter a Georgia-based primary care residency, and ultimately practice in underserved communities across the state.

The need is an urgent one. Nearly every county in Georgia faces some level of primary care shortage, with 142 of our 159 counties designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas by federal standards. These designations reflect a lack of providers relative to population, as defined by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

In return for their service, Peach State Scholars receive a medical school scholarship, which removes the financial barrier of student loan debt and makes primary care a more viable and appealing path. It’s a win-win: for the students and for the communities who gain access to the care they deserve.

Students will enter Georgia residency programs, some with our regional campus partners

Here is our 2025 Cohort – the fifth group of students we’ve welcomed into this program – their chosen specialties; where they’ll complete their residencies; and…some interesting facts about them:

• Sadie Abernathy of Gainesville; emergency medicine; residency program: Wellstar MCG Health. Sadie’s path to medicine began when she binge watched the X-Files and was drawn to the mystery solving of forensic pathology. As an emergency department scribe, she discovered a passion for the fast-paced variety of cases.
• Funmi Adewumi of Kennesaw; pediatrics; residency program: Wellstar MCG Health. A mission trip to Memphis during college opened her eyes to the barriers to care faced in both urban and rural communities.
• Cole Anderson of Augusta; family medicine; residency: Wellstar MCG Health. His passion was sparked while working in a free clinic while an undergrad at Georgia Southern. He says that it was there that he realized what a difference compassionate, accessible medicine can make.

• Maddox Benedict of Buford; psychiatry, with a strong interest in treating children and adolescents; residency: Wellstar MCG Health. His interest in serving children began while he volunteered in classrooms with his mother, an elementary school teacher.
• Austin Tyler Buntin of Ellijay; internal medicine; residency: AdventHealth Redmond in Rome. Growing up in a community with limited access to health care deepened his understanding of the types of challenges that can bring.
• Oscar Meza of Brunswick; psychiatry; residency: Wellstar MCG Health. His interest in mental health was shaped by caring for people with psychiatric conditions during undergrad and watching how the long-term affects of untreated mental illness affected a family member.
• Madison Crawford of Monroe; emergency medicine; residency: Wellstar MCG Health. She also worked as a medical scribe in an ED during her gap years before medical school and wants to eventually provide emergency care in a rural area much like the one she grew up in.
• Andy Ji, originally from Effingham, Georgia; family medicine; residency: Atrium Health Floyd in Rome. He’s had a longstanding commitment to volunteerism and serves as the outreach coordinator for the ALAS Pediatric Clinic and as co-lead for its annual Free Health Fair.
• Beth Ketchem, a native of Marietta; emergency medicine; residency: Wellstar MCG Health. Her background includes mission work with her church and volunteer service through the Rotary Club.
• Leja Lizunaite of Johns Creek; OB/Gyn; residency: Wellstar MCG Health. Her passion for medicine was shaped by a personal experience that she says taught her the lasting power of empathy in patient care.
• William Ngo of Norcross; internal medicine; residency: AdventHealth Redmond in Rome. His professional journey actually began as a regional sales manager with the Hershey Company, but took a turn in 2021 when his mother became critically ill. He discovered his true calling while caring for her.
• Nikul Azad Parikh of Moultrie; internal medicine; residency: Wellstar MCG Health. He is class liaison and clinic coordinator for the Empower Clinic, a student-run mobile clinic that provides care to communities with limited access to medical services.

Congratulations to you all. And thank you for your compassion and dedication. I am confident you will continue to make a difference in the lives of the patients and families you care for, both during and after your journey at MCG.

MCG’s Got Talent planned for Aug. 23

I say it often; the caliber of students we have the privilege to educate at MCG continues to inspire me. Their academic achievements are remarkable, but what leaves the most lasting impression is what they accomplish beyond the classroom. Whether volunteering in clinics, leading community initiatives, or raising funds for life-changing research happening right here on our campus, they consistently go above and beyond in ways that inspire us all. One of those annual examples always comes at the MCG’s Got Talent show, which, this year, is planned for 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 23 at the Maxwell Performing Arts Theater on the Summerville Campus. This year’s show is inspired by the magic of Hollywood and features acts including dances, vocal performances, artwork displays and more. Tickets, which can be purchased here, are $8 until the day of, when they are $10. Proceeds will benefit our Georgia Cancer Center. There is some remarkable talent among our medical students. I hope you can join them and see for yourselves. 

Two MCG graduate students awarded prestigious NIH Award

No doubt that I get constant reminders of the privilege it is to educate the next generation of physicians and physician scientists here. I’m always honored to celebrate their accomplishments – whether those are made on a stage in front of hundreds of people or in a lab with a small, but dedicated research team. Here’s another great example. Two of our graduate students from the Immunology Center of Georgia, Khalia Cummings and Megh Mehta, have been awarded the prestigious Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the immunological mechanisms driving cardiometabolic disease. As graduate research assistants at IMMCG and PhD candidates in our biomedical sciences program, their work reflects the caliber of training and mentorship we offer here. Khalia is exploring how olfactory receptors – typically associated with smell – may influence inflammation and plaque buildup in the arteries, while Megh is analyzing how genetic variations affect cellular behavior and contribute to disease. I look forward to hearing more about their findings and how their research will continue to advance our understanding of cardiovascular health.

New Translational Research Building on track to open in 2028, our bicentennial year

Success like that of those students is a powerful reminder of why we must continue strengthening the infrastructure that supports this kind of groundbreaking work. Despite a week packed with meetings, I’ve found myself leaving several of them with a renewed sense of excitement that is focused around our new Translational Research Building. The building is on track to open in 2028; the year we celebrate our bicentennial. This state-of-the-art facility is more than a building. It’s an investment in the future of research, discovery and innovation here. If we are serious about expanding our research portfolio and continuing to increase NIH funding, this building is certainly an essential step. For nearly 200 years, the treatments and cures developed at MCG have changed lives. This new space will ensure we can continue and build upon that legacy.

My best to you always,

David C. Hess, MD

Dean, Medical College of Georgia

Upcoming Events

August 22 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium

August 23 – MCG’s Got Talent, 7 pm, Maxwell Theatre

August 26 – MCG Atlanta Campus at Wellstar Kennestone Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, 11 am, Wellstar Kennestone

September 5 – MCG Research Day, 2 pm, J. Harold Harrison, MD Education Commons

September 19 – MCG Faculty Senate Meeting, noon, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium

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

November 13 – MCG Investiture Ceremony, 5 pm, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium

November 14 – Body Donor Memorial Service, 1 pm, Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium