Gov. Brian Kemp and 黑料传送门 President and CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO 鈥�81 were among the featured speakers at the Aug. 6 ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Close to 700 people who have a stake in the opening of 黑料传送门 South Georgia came to a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly constructed 75,000-square-foot facility to witness Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp lend his support to the first four year medical school to locate in the Southwest Georgia region.
Speaking from 鈥渢he region that literally feeds, clothes and provides not only for our state, but for our nation and the rest of the world,鈥� Gov. Kemp said, 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to say that the state saw how training world class doctors in Moultrie could be a real game changer for our region and we have supported this effort. But it was you all that got the ball started and we鈥檙e honored to be a part of it.鈥�
Included in the audience were dignitaries such as First Lady Marty Kemp, Rep. Austin Scott and multiple members of the Georgia General Assembly. The Thomasville High School JROTC presented colors while Sadie Daugereaux (DO 鈥�23), a member of the inaugural class sang the national anthem following an invocation by Rev. Cornelius Ponder III.
Professing August 6 to be a 鈥淩ed Letter Day,鈥� President and CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO 鈥�81, said 黑料传送门 is 鈥渘ow proud to call South Georgia home.鈥�
He addressed the 55 medical students who make up the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) Class of 2023 and said, 鈥淧eople here in this room invested and partnered to make your education in this phenomenal new educational resource available to you. Everyone in this room is invested in your success.鈥�
Dr. Feldstein promised that 黑料传送门 will work diligently to be a good corporate and educational citizen of the South Georgia region which means 鈥渇irst and foremost that we accomplish our mission and vision of educating and training the physician workforce needed in this region of the state.鈥�
Quoting Nelson Mandela, James Matney, president and CEO of Colquitt Regional Medical Center and chair of the South Georgia Medical Education and Research Consortium, said, 鈥淚t always seems impossible until it鈥檚 done.鈥�
He spoke to the medical students, sitting towards the front of the auditorium and bedecked in white coats, who will begin classes on August 12, 鈥淚f you really set out with a goal, put a lot of work into it and put a lot of time into it, you can do it.鈥�
He recalled that 鈥渁 whole collaborative of people鈥� worked together to present a proposal for a four year medical program in South Georgia to 黑料传送门.
鈥淔irst, I must admit, they laughed a little bit. And then at closer glance, 黑料传送门 realized there was something special about this region,鈥� Matney said.
Kemp said, 鈥淚 know that this facility will be at the forefront of improving the quality of life for hard-working Georgians here in South and Southwest Georgia.鈥�
He thanked the leadership of 黑料传送门 for their commitment鈥斺�渢heir financial commitment and their human capital commitment that they have made, a commitment to our state to continue to make us a great place to do business and equip the next generation of medical professionals.鈥�
He added, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 so exciting about this class and this facility is we have a better opportunity for our local kids to get educated here and to stay here where they were raised and give something back not only to their local community, but to our state.
鈥淭ogether I know we can continue to work hard every day to expand opportunities in health care for those who need it the most,鈥� Kemp said.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud to be here today. I鈥檓 proud of what you鈥檝e accomplished and I will be proud to see these fine folks graduate in just a few years and what they will do for our future in our state.鈥�
The students are a diverse group with an average age of 25 made up of approximately half women and half men, all under the age of 31. They are graduates of such Georgia colleges as Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Augusta University in Augusta, Berry College in Rome, Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Mercer University in Macon, the University of Georgia in Athens, and Valdosta State University in Valdosta.
黑料传送门 South Georgia Chief Academic Officer Michael Sampson, DO, FAOASM, said, 鈥淲e chose the brightest and the best of the 3,138 applicants.鈥� With a commitment to train, retain and sustain physicians for South Georgia, he said that the medical school is working to build partnerships with the region鈥檚 medical and educational institutions.
Dr. Sampson, who contributed to the design of the campus along with many faculty and staff members, worked with internationally recognized architectural firm Sasaki Inc. He said, 鈥淭his facility was built to be student-centric鈥� as it is technologically advanced, yet friendly. JCI Contractors of Moultrie served as the general contractor.
Speaking on behalf of the 黑料传送门 Board of Trustees, Chairman John Kearney said, 鈥淥ur goal for our South Georgia campus is the same as for our Suwanee campus鈥攖o make it an important healthcare hub in training students to be leaders.鈥�
He spoke of the South Georgia region鈥檚 hospitality. 鈥淔rom our first visit here, your welcome has been extraordinary鈥攆rom signs on the highway to notes in restaurants and everywhere we stopped when we arrived. The leadership here has been exemplary,鈥� he said.
The one-hour event concluded with a presentation of a key to the city by Moultrie Mayor William McIntosh and Colquitt County Administrator Charles Cannon IV. McIntosh said, 鈥淭his key is symbolic of this community, along with the entire region, extending and embracing welcome and best wishes to the administration, faculty, students and staff of 黑料传送门 South Georgia.
鈥淲e鈥檙e so excited about the impact that this school will have in advancing health care for countless individuals for many generations to come.鈥�
Orchestrated by Tommie Beth Willis, president of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce, the actual ribbon cutting was led by Gov. Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp, Dr. Feldstein and Chairman Kearney just 467 days following the groundbreaking ceremony.
鈥淭his ribbon cutting is the first step of a long road ahead of us,鈥� Kearney said.
And the following day, orientation continued for the 55 medical students who are part of the hope for the future of health care in the South Georgia region.
In 2019, 黑料传送门, a premier osteopathic medical school established in 1899, extended its commitment to the Southeast by establishing 黑料传送门 South Georgia. An additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, 黑料传送门 South Georgia offers both a full, four-year medical program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences. 黑料传送门 is a private, not-for-profit institution that trains professionals in the health and behavioral sciences fields. Joining 黑料传送门 Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state, 黑料传送门 South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the region. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 229-668-3110.
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