Wellstar Health System and Augusta University Health System Announce Definitive Agreement for Statewide Partnership
On March 31, 2023, Wellstar Health System and Augusta University Health System (AUHS), with approval from both organizations’ boards, reached an agreement to form an innovative, new partnership that will create a broader affiliation with the university’s Medical College of Georgia (MCG).
Wellstar, AUHS and MCG share a mission to solve health care challenges across the state, and together, they will drive significant advances in clinical care, academic teaching and research in Georgia. By combining the best of community health care and academic medicine, the organizations will make a transformational impact on improving the health and wellbeing of each patient they serve – creating a healthier future for Georgia.
To accomplish this, the partnership will focus on five key areas:
- Access to Expertise: Creating an ecosystem of care that provides the most advanced clinical care, innovated academic teaching models, and lifesaving research to all corners of the state and beyond.
- Expanding the Pipeline of Clinicians: Making significant investments to increase the number of clinicians trained in Georgia at the Medical College of Georgia.
- Care Innovation: Creating new and innovative clinical care offerings and models to enhance the health and well-being of patients we serve.
- Pediatric Care: Bringing Wellstar and AUHS’s exemplary pediatric care to more Georgians across the state through Children’s Hospital of Georgia and Wellstar’s dedicated pediatric care and emergency departments.
- Digital Health: Making significant investments in improving clinical IT, modernizing digital care centers, and adding remote care offerings backed by the academic medical expertise of the Medical College of Georgia.
Most of the day-to-day operations will stay the same, and patients will continue to access care as they currently do. The organizations are excited for the benefits this partnership will provide and are confident about the opportunity to transform health care through a better patient experience, more accessible care and better value.
For more information, read the full announcement here.
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Georgia Life Sciences Selects Fulton County Schools Innovation Academy Student as the 2025 Georgia BioGENEius Winner Sandy Springs & Rockmart Teens Take Top Honors in Statewide Science Competition Atlanta, GA (April 4, 2025) – Georgia Life Sciences today named Bhavya Alapati , a junior at Fulton County Schools Innovation Academy, as the winner of the 2025 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge, the premier competition for high school students that recognizes outstanding research and innovation in the biotechnology field. Eleven students from across Georgia competed for this year’s title and cash prize. Bhavya’s project investigated a novel method of identifying strokes using a device she created called SpectroStroke, a small-scale spectrophotometer, to detect homocysteine, an amino acid product that is associated with stroke. Bhavya identified the ability of homocysteine to be detected using Ellman’s reagent, which reacts with the free sulfhydryl group on the molecule to produce a yellow color. Bhavya created a wearable patch that contains the Ellman’s reagent. Then, she designed the SpectroStroke to be able to detect the color change when the patch is exposed to elevated levels of homocysteine. Bhavya’s SpectroStroke can detect normal levels of homocysteine up to extremely high levels seen in those experiencing a stroke. The ability to detect a stroke earlier would reduce damage and long-term effects of the condition. A future iteration of the SpectroStroke would include real-time monitoring capabilities to help track changing homocysteine levels. "Supporting and celebrating outstanding research and innovation in biotechnology is vital for the future of science and medicine. The Georgia BioGENEius Challenge not only encourages the brightest young minds to explore their potential but also nurtures the next generation of leaders who will drive groundbreaking advancements in biotechnology,” said Georgia Life Sciences President and CEO Maria Thacker-Goethe. “By recognizing and empowering these students, we are helping to shape a future where innovation thrives and the possibilities for improving lives are endless. Well done, Bhavya!” Georgia Life Sciences also congratulates the Georgia BioGENEius runner-up, Shelby Kendrick , who is a senior at Paulding County High School in Dallas, GA. Shelby’s research investigated the ability of Aspergillus terreus, a fungus found in soil, to degrade pre-treated polypropylene plastic (PP). This fungus has been discovered to produce high concentrations of degrading enzymes and raises the moisture level of its substrate. Shelby isolated the fungus from soil samples and confirmed the species using PCR amplification and DNA barcoding. Samples of polypropylene were pre-treated with 75% ethanol and UV exposure, then placed in a liquid culture of A. terreus in Minimal Salt Medium (MSM) media, and the culture was incubated for 23 days. At the end of the trial period, PP samples were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy. These samples showed changes in their surface layer, indicating evidence of biodegradation. Polypropylene plastic is found in household items such as plastic cups and is a known problem in the environment due to its inability to degrade. Shelby’s future research on the use of A. terreus for biodegradation includes optimizing degradation conditions and assessing methods of application in the environment. Judging the 2025 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge were Ralph L. Cordell, CDC, and Alex Harvey, ViaMune. Cash prizes were awarded to Bhavya and Shelby. # # # About Georgia Life Sciences Georgia Life Sciences, founded in 1989, is a non-profit, membership-based organization that promotes the interests and growth of the life sciences industry. It is the state’s largest and most influential life sciences advocacy and business leadership organization working to improve access to innovative discoveries that have lifesaving impact. The association connects business, academia, government, and other allied entities involved in the application of life sciences products to fuel growth and collaboration through policy development, community programs, national industry initiatives, and a portfolio of educational and networking events. Learn more at galifesciences.org.
