Monday, Columbus Regional Health and Piedmont Healthcare signed a Letter of Intent, initiating an exclusive negotiation period between the two organizations. Should the negotiations prove successful, Columbus Regional will become Piedmont’s regional “hub” for clinical services in Southwest Georgia.  

Columbus Regional Health’s two hospitals – Midtown Medical Center and Northside Medical Center, as well as its John B. Amos Cancer Center, MyCare Urgent Care Centers and multiple physician practices – would be included in the partnership.

Piedmont Healthcare is a not-for-profit system of 7 hospitals, nearly 100 Piedmont-employed physician practice locations and a clinically integrated network of over 1,600 employed and independent physicians, caring for patients and communities across Georgia.

“Piedmont is committed to making a positive difference in every life we touch. We share a commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care with Columbus Regional and welcome this opportunity to increase access and enhance care across Southwest Georgia,” said Kevin Brown, president and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare. “Columbus Regional has a rich history of caring for its community and region, and we are thrilled to start working on a partnership with an organization that shares so many of our values.”

“Since last year when we made our initial announcement regarding a potential partnership or affiliation, we have maintained our position of strength financially and we continue to realize improvement across many areas of our health system. We believe that now is the time to combine our strengths through a strategic partnership. This will allow us to serve our patients and the community to the highest degree possible,” said Scott Hill, Columbus Regional Health president and CEO.  

“This decision was made after a comprehensive, year-long process to evaluate the benefits for our patients, for our employees, our medical staff, and most importantly, for our community. Based on the core goals and objectives we laid out before we began our process, we are confident Piedmont is the right fit for us,” added Warren Steele, chairman of the Board of Directors of Columbus Regional Health.

“Piedmont Healthcare has proven experience integrating hospitals into its operations and capitalizing on the unique expertise of each organization, in concert with working to meet the needs of every community they serve in Georgia,” Steele added. 

Columbus Regional Health’s Midtown Medical Center provides the region’s only advanced maternity services and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); a Children’s Hospital, including a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU); comprehensive women’s services; a neuroscience center for spine and stroke care; emergency services – and the region’s only Level II trauma center and heliport.

For additional information about Columbus Regional, visit columbusregional.com. For more information about Piedmont Healthcare and its seven hospitals, visit piedmont.org.