It's a beautiful building...glad to see it will have a beautiful purpose.
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.
Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
It's a beautiful building...glad to see it will have a beautiful purpose.
Nice building and a good idea but from where is the money comming. I hope not the taxpayers via increased property taxes. Welfare needs to be cut back and not increased. Watch out for Obama and Hillary, both are going to hit your wallet good with higher taxes.
yes..yes..this is what Christ was teaching us. Great idea.
Shut up about the taxes...taxes are with us from cradle to grave...get over it. I work and pay taxes today..I don't know what the future holds. I better not complain about helping the uninsured, one day I may be uninsured.
Don't worry WW1949, no public funds are being used. It is based 100% on private donations, which anyone is welcome to contribute to. I doubt any form of government could get away with naming a clinic "Christ Community". This clinic decreases dependence on welfare by seeing patient's with or without insurance. It's a worthy cause that is helping remedy the healthcare crisis in America, not perpetuate it.
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