Photo: SGMC Health’s topping out ceremony commemorated the placement of the final structural beam. | Photo Credit: Valdosta-Lowndes Co. Development Authority
By Lindsey Coulter
VALDOSTA, Ga. — SGMC Health marked a major milestone in its $150 million main campus expansion with a topping out ceremony on July 29. The event commemorates the placement of the final structural beam. Once complete, the project will stand as one of the most advanced healthcare facilities in the southern Georgia region.
SGMC Health was founded in 1955 and currently serves a 25-county region. Leaders say the main campus expansion project marks a bold new chapter in the healthcare provider’s legacy of innovation, access and compassionate care.
“This is an exciting step forward in advancing specialized healthcare that will serve South Georgians and neighboring Florida communities for generations,” said Ronald E. Dean, president and chief executive officer of SGMC Health, in a statement.
Dean added that the continued growth in physician recruitment and increased demand for services highlight the need for the expansion. “This project enables our extraordinary nurses, providers and healthcare professionals to deliver care at the highest level,” Dean said in a statement.
Included in the project is a new three-story Women and Infants Tower, which will provide comprehensive prenatal through postnatal care in a modern and nurturing environment. The facility will also be home to a new emergency department as well as a Level III trauma center to better meet the region’s critical care needs.
At the core of SGMC Health’s operations is its growing workforce. Nursing services, now more than 1,000 employees strong, play a critical role in care delivery. In addition to nursing staff, SGMC health continues to attract new physicians, recently welcoming an additional 19 doctors across specialities such as OB/GYN, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, electrophysiology, general surgery and gastroenterology. The health system now includes more than 700 providers, and its residency and medical education programs continue to evolve at an impressive rate.
To keep pace with growth and patient care expectations, the redesigned campus will feature a new main entrance, improving accessibility, traffic flow and overall patient and visitor experience.
Contribution more than $1 billion annually to the local economy, SGMC Health remains a cornerstone of regional vitality. The expansion is being led by project partners including architecture and engineering firm Goodwyn Mills Cawood, builder Hoar Construction and Adams Management Services.
Construction is scheduled for completion in late 2026. The facility will remain fully operational throughout construction.
