The site of Augusta's oldest hospital and the first medical college in Georgia will take on new life as a Christian health center serving the poor and uninsured.

The Widow's Home on Greene Street will be renovated this summer into the home of Christ Community Health Services, a nonprofit clinic founded by Dr. Robert Campbell and Dr. Grant Scarborough.

Augusta businessman Clay Boardman, who bought the Widow's Home in 2003 to ensure its preservation, gave it to Christ Community Health Services in July, provided they used it as a clinic. The clinic, already in operation since November at 1226 D'Antignac St. next to University Hospital, will move into the home in 18 months to two years, Dr. Campbell said.

Augusta architect Nicholas Dickinson is working on plans, and construction is expected to begin in late summer, Dr. Campbell said.

"It will be a 12 examination-room clinic," he said. "It will also have a pediatric physical therapy suite, and we'll have classrooms. Our goal is to have ophthalmology services in the future."

They plan to hire one more physician this summer and eventually will have four doctors when they move in.

"We're looking for volunteers this summer to help us with construction," he said.

Dr. Campbell and Dr. Scarborough are both internal medicine doctors and pediatricians, or med/peds. They treat newborns, children, adults and the elderly, Dr. Campbell said.

They treat patients with insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, but 80 percent are uninsured, he said.

The Widow's Home was founded in 1871 for Confederate widows on land the city bought. The home standing today was built in 1886-87 with 42 rooms for "needy women" from its opening in 1887 until 2003, according to Christ Community Health Services Web site at www.christcommunity augusta.org.

Anyone is welcome to join the clinic as a volunteer, patient or donor.