Medical College of Georgia responds to Augusta legislator's efforts to stop expansion in Athens

Toni Baker, a spokeswoman for the Medical College of Georgia, has released this statement in response to efforts by Senator Ed Tarver to stop MCG's planned expansion to Athens.

We appreciate Sen. Tarver's comments and his work to ensure the economic future of the state. MCG wants and needs to grow its School of Medicine to provide more physicians for our state. At the direction of the University System of Georgia and at the recommendation of expansion experts, Georgia's health sciences university is growing in all quadrants of the state: with focal points in Augusta, Athens, Savannah and Albany. We do not intend to lose positions in Augusta rather to expand significantly here - growing our medical student numbers from 190 per class to 240 along with concomitant increases in faculty numbers and research. This growth will require a new medical school building in Augusta and likely another research building as well. We look forward to continued work with Sen. Tarver and other members of the legislature on this important initiative for the health of our state, which currently ranks 41st in the nation in overall health indicators, according to the United Health Foundation.

Senator takes steps to delay Medical College of Georgia's expansion to Athens

Sen. Ed Tarver (D-Augusta) says he plans to introduce a measure in the upcoming legislative session to delay expansion of the Medical College of Georgia to Athens. Tarver says the expansion is costly in these tough economic times, especially as state universities are looking at budget cuts that could reach 10 percent. He also does not want to see job losses at MCG's main campus in Augusta, and says residency programs there are vital. Tarver, who used to represent MCG as a special state attorney general before he became a senator and whose wife is employed at the school, opposed the expansion efforts, a project strongly supported by Governor Sonny Perdue.