Doctors Hospital In Augusta Opens $7M Lab to Help Teaching Hospital Transition

Augusta's Doctors Hospital unveiled its state-of-the-art $7 million Graduate Medical Education training center. The facility marks a significant milestone as the site transitions into a teaching hospital, with plans to begin training new medical staff using advanced simulation tools in July 2026.

"This has been about three years in the making," said Joanna Conley, CEO of Doctors Hospital, according to The Augusta Chronicle. "We've really wanted to help address the need in our community for additional physicians, and we've gone through a lot of planning and preparation for that."

Students will train in specialized simulation spaces designed to test their skills. "It could be a trauma scenario, it could be a medical scenario," said Greig Samuelson, director of simulation for HCA's medical education wing, per The Augusta Press.

Georgia faces a critical gap in medical care. By 2030, the state will need 8,000 more doctors. 

Medical Associates Plus will work with the site to give new doctors both hospital and outpatient experience. Their network serves more than 50,000 patients across 20-plus Augusta locations.

Medical College of Georgia graduate Dr. Mariam Akhtar will lead the residency program. She told The Augusta Press, "We hope that these residents will serve our community, and hopefully some of them will stay and serve throughout the years."

The new training hub is located on the third floor of the Heart, Lung, and Vascular Building. Inside, students will find an operating room with advanced practice mannequins and a hands-on skills lab.

This training center is part of a wider $150 million upgrade. Work continues on a new standalone emergency room in Columbia County.