Athens has lower ER wait times

If you head to an Emergency Room in Athens, you can expect to wait for a doctor less than most Americans. That’s according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. he Athens Banner-Herald reports the average patient wait time at Athens Regional Medical Center is 42 minutes. At St. Mary’s Hospital, it’s 47 minutes. The CDC says in the average American ER, people wait an hour.

In midst of drought, Athens hospitals dig wells

Hospitals in Athens aren’t taking any chances on running out of water during Georgia’s drought. The Athens-Banner Herald reports that St. Mary’s Hospital and Athens Regional Medical Center have drilled wells. Athens Regional already has a working well, and recently drilled another one near the hospital’s new parking deck. The water in the new well has yet to be tested. St. Mary’s recently applied for a pump house permit on a well it drilled several months ago.