Medical Sector
The Augusta region has one of the largest concentrations of medical care and research in the Southeast. By many standards, Augusta is considered to have the lowest doctor to patient ratio in the whole country, which is estimated to be 640:1. Augusta’s medical corridor is also an important player in providing top-notch trauma care. Ten regional hospitals provide patients from around the world with excellence in medical care.
Doctors Hospital
Doctors Hospital features the area’s first Trilogy Radiosurgery System, da Vinci surgical system, and a Joint and Spine center. Doctors Hospital recently received the 2010 Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award
Joseph M Still Burn Centers
The Joseph M Still Burn Centers, Inc., located on the campus of Doctors Hospital, serves not only area residents, but also patients from outside of the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) who are brought to these centers to receive specialized care. The Joseph M. Still Burn Center admits about 3,000 patients to its 70-bed center from around the Southeast annually and has one of the most experienced burn center staffs in the country. For over 30 years it has developed national recognition as a leader in burn research and treatment, and in 2010 the American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association verified the Joseph M Still Burn Center a Burn Center of Excellence, making it the only verified burn center in the state of Georgia.
Augusta University Health
The Augusta University Health Level 1 Trauma Center, a 12-bed shock/trauma intensive care unit and specialized trauma resuscitation area, was the first level 1 trauma center established in Georgia. The emergency helicopter transport team enables swift treatment of patients with traumatic critical care injures. Also with ground and air trauma transport teams, the Augusta University Health Children’s Medical Center houses a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center. The Augusta University Health Sports Medicine Center not only treats sports-related injuries, but also aids people in improving sports performance. Augusta University Health System is one of 15 major academic medical centers included among the Thon Reuters 100 Top Hospitals – the highest honor in health care – and in 2008 became the only health system in Georgia named a Community Value Index Top 100 Hospital for four out of five consecutive years.
University Health Care System
University Health Care System consists of the 581-bed University Hospital with specialty centers that include renowned heart and vascular services, cancer care and women’s health, and the Heart and Vascular Institute that consolidates all state-of-the-art heart and vascular diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care under one roof. University Hospital, the oldest hospital in Augusta and the second oldest in the state of Georgia, is also an accredited Chest Pain Center with a medical staff of more than 600 primary care physicians and specialists providing everything from preventive to emergency care. University Hospital has earned the Magnet designation for nursing excellence, the only hospital in the CSRA to hold this distinction, and has been named the National Research Corporation’s Consumer Choice Award for overall image and quality for 12 consecutive years.
HealthSouth
HealthSouth, formerly Walton Rehabilitation Hospital, serves adults and adolescents recovering from stroke, head injuries, spinal injuries, orthopedic injuries, amputation, and chronic pain through in-patient and out-patient programs. In fact, HealthSouth is the only provider of comprehensive, specialized physical medicine and rehabilitation in the CSRA. HealthSouth received the 2007 NAHMA Communities of Quality award for the Development for the Elderly and the Development for Residents with Special Needs.