LAGRANGE, Ga.- Inside the main lobby of the West Georgia Medical Center, representatives from West Georgia Health and Wellstar signed an agreement to enter in a partnership with each other.

West Georgia Health’s Chairman of the Board, Mike Patton said two years ago, the hospital was planning for their future and looking for a partner to help them navigate challenges with the Affordable Care Act. He said they were looking for someone committed to a sharp focus on patient and employee care. He said all of their qualifications were met by Wellstar.

Wellstar, a not for profit health system was recently named a Fortune Magazine Top 100 company to work for, for the third year in a row. Candice Saunders, the President and CEO of Wellstar says their focus is on the people, both patients and employees. She added that quality and affordability are at the forefront. She adds that this partnership will increase access to healthcare and keep it affordable. Saunders went on to say that patients will not notice any dramatic changes because West Georgia was able to meet the needs of their patients, but patients will be able to see new technology and projects being implemented down the road.

Jerry Fulks is the President and CEO of West Georgia. He says the consolidation will not result in any job losses. Fulks says “This organization is enhanced in terms of its recruitment capabilities by our affiliation with Wellstar. Many physicians coming out are looking for that financial strength backing their local hospital and quite honestly, hospitals and physicians need each other to be able to meet the future needs of our community.” In addition, he says “Having broader capabilities extending beyond the geographic borders of our community means that the local citizens will be able to have access to more healthcare than they could in the past. There’s a lot of collaboration that goes on in healthcare whether you’re flying the same corporate banners such as the Wellstar banner. We are first and foremost healthcare professionals.”