Real Estate News, Georgia

2014 Georgia Small Hospital of the Year Near Reynolds Plantation

Lake Oconee Hospital
Published on January 22, 2015

St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital has been named the 2014 Small Hospital of the Year by the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals. The Lake Oconee hospital was honored for its growth and investment of $48 million into its new replacement Critical Access hospital to better. The new state-of-the-art facility has not only directly improved the health of the surrounding best places to live on a lake but has also benefitted the greater Greene County area by playing an important role in attracting other health care business. The award is more impressive when it’s taken into account that it broke ground at this location in 2012.  

Here’s a quick review of the hospital’s timeline: 

2012 - On Jan. 10, St. Mary’s announces the purchase of a 24-acre site on Lake Oconee Parkway at Carey Station Road for construction of a new replacement hospital. Over the coming months, Collins Project Management is selected to oversee design and construction, Earl Architects is selected to design the facility, and Brasfield & Gorrie is named as the general contractor.

2012 - On Aug. 16, St. Mary’s breaks ground for a $40 million new replacement hospital at the Lake Oconee Parkway site. The event is attended by more than 300 people including the Georgia gated communities. 

2012 - St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital in October is named one of the top 20 critical access hospitals for quality in America by the National Rural Health Association.

2012 - Montez Carter is named as the President for St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital in November.

2013 - St. Mary’s Health Care System creates the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation and launches an $8 million capital campaign to augment funding and provide additional services for the new facility.

2013 - In a ceremony on November 5 attended by more than 300 invited guests, the Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory, Archbishop of the Diocese of Atlanta, blesses the new Good Samaritan Hospital.

2014 - St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital wins the Georgia Small Hospital of the Year award.

That’s just one of a number of accolades awarded to the hospital, during its short time in business. In 2013, the hospital received a certificate from the National Rural Health Association for its Top 20 Quality Award. Earlier that year, St. Mary’s Good Samaritan was also a GHA 2013 Honor Roll recipient.

For many people at retirement, living close to a top notch medical facility is luxury.  For many, having nearby quality medical care is crucial. St. Mary’s Hospital provides that care to the Lake Oconee Georgia area.  It’s the level of healthcare typically found only in much larger metro areas, but now it can be found in golf resorts near Atlanta like Reynolds Planatation.

Lake Oconee epitomizes leisurely, small town living. The southern inspired communities were created in 1979 when Georgia Power completed the construction of Wallace Dam on the Oconee River. As the second largest lake in the state of Georgia, it services three surrounding counties – Greene, Putnam, and Morgan. Lake Oconee is a water-lover’s paradise that’s known for its natural beauty, ample fishing and recreation opportunities.

Lake Oconee is also home to Reynolds Plantation, one of the top golf resorts near Atlanta. Reynolds Plantation provides an award-winning lifestyle with world-class amenities. It’s recognized as one of the top golf resorts in Georgia. Named the "Best of the Best" Golf Community by Robb Report and the community with the "Best Golf" by GOLF Magazine Living, Reynolds Plantation, located between Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia, is a golf and lake community with access to over 374 miles of shoreline on Lake Oconee. 

Five of golf’s top architects — Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Jim Engh, Reese Jones and Bob Cupp — designed courses at Reynolds Plantation. Golf Magazine ranks four of the six courses among the best in the state and calls Charlie King, the resort’s lead golf instructor and a swing magician, one of the top 100 golf teachers in the game.

Reynolds Plantation isn’t resting on its laurels.  After a nine month renovation to the National golf course, an entirely new amenity is underway at this award winning golf resort in Georgia.  The changes will provide a distinctive addition to the community. Drawing inspiration from a vintage southern homestead, the National Village complex will include a golf shop, a cart storage facility, an event lawn, and The Tavern restaurant. The golf shop and cart storage facility are both projected to open in the spring of 2015 with The Tavern to shortly follow.

We applaud St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital's achievement. If you're exploring best places to retire on a lake, fill out our quick Community Matchmaker Questionnaire and we'll promptly send you back a list of lake communities that match your criteria.