H E A LT H l o c a l c a r e
Exceptional healthcare, community focus The name has changed, but the commitment to quality healthcare and services at Memorial Health Meadows Hospital remains. For more than 60 years, Memorial Health Meadows Hospital has provided high-quality healthcare for the people of Toombs County and the surrounding area. Now, as a part of the HCA Healthcare family, Meadows joins one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services. On May 1, Meadows Regional Medical Center joined HCA Healthcare’s South Atlantic Division. The hospital was renamed Memorial Health Meadows Hospital, keeping the proud Meadows name while also aligning it with Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah to reflect HCA Healthcare’s presence in the region. HCA’s scale enables them to conduct leading-edge research, share best practices and most importantly – deliver the type of care patients need, when and where they need it. Meadows Hospital has rich history of caring for its community. The name honors the region’s first physician, whose son donated land for a hospital. Over the years,
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TO O M B S CO U N T Y M A G A Z I N E
Meadows brought new medical services to the region including an 8-bed ICU, behavioral health center, and the area’s first MRI. In 2001, cardiologists performed the first heart procedure in their new cardiac catheterization lab. As Meadows’ impressive growth continued, hospital leaders recognized the need for a larger facility. Their new hospital building opened in February 2011; the $100 million facility was nearly 50% larger than the original hospital and boasted 20 emergency rooms and six operating suites. CEO Alan Kent stated at the time, “Everything is state-ofthe-art.” These advancements established Meadows as a major player in the regional healthcare community. To secure the hospital’s long-term future, the Board and Hospital Authority began seeking a strategic partner in 2018 and HCA Healthcare expressed immediate interest in having Meadows join its growing network in southern Georgia. “As a part of HCA Healthcare, Memorial Health Meadows Hospital will be able to expand its innovative and patient-focused care,” said Kent. “We chose HCA Healthcare because, like us, they are committed to high-quality, community-based hospitals and are focused on serving patients and giving back in a meaningful way to the Vidalia area.” The company lives out its mission, “Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life,” through its commitment to its patients, communities and colleagues. Clinical services will grow stronger by implementing industry best practices and investments. HCA Healthcare has already committed to invest $10 million over the next five years. The community should
expect new technologies and treatments for patients. Also, HCA provides millions of dollars in healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured populations; the Georgia hospitals in the South Atlantic Division provided $130 million in charity care in 2020. To improve the health and well-being of the citizens of Vidalia and surrounding communities, HCA Healthcare will create a new $30 million Meadows Foundation to directly benefit the community. The foundation will also contribute $250,000 over a 5-year period for community initiatives. Vidalia and Toombs County will also benefit from taxes paid by Meadows Hospital. In 2020, the division’s Georgia hospitals paid $43.5 million in state and local taxes to benefit infrastructure, schools and more. Meadows Hospital employees will also receive attractive benefits as HCA Healthcare colleagues. The company offers competitive salaries and benefits plans; this was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when HCA offered a pandemic pay program, hotel rooms (for colleagues treating COVID patients) and more. HCA also offers an employee stock purchase program, educational opportunities, tuition reimbursement and scholarships for colleague’s children. And, as a national healthcare company, the company has a vast number of opportunities for colleagues who wish to grow their career or move to a new location. Hugh Tappan, President of the South Atlantic Division, said, “By becoming part of HCA Healthcare, Meadows can continue to care for its community just as it always has but with the support, scale and resources of HCA behind Meadows.” Memorial Health Meadows Hospital looks forward to providing exceptional care for our friends and neighbors in Toombs and surrounding counties.
