Georgia physician stumps for outpatient surgery center

Georgia physician Craig Brown, MD, wrote a letter to the editor supporting applications from two hospitals in the state to develop outpatient surgery centers in Braselton, Ga., JacksonHeraldToday reports.

Dr. Brown advocated for the surgery centers because Commerce, Ga.-based Northridge Medical Center suspended its surgical program more than a year ago. The suspension has caused patients to have to drive to hospitals in Athens, Ga., Gainesville, Ga., or Atlanta to seek care.

Atlanta-based Northside Hospital and Braselton-based Northeast Medical Center both have applications pending review to develop surgery centers in Braselton.

Dr. Brown said the surgery centers would expand surgical capacity in a region that's experiencing a population boom. Jackson County, Ga., has seen its population grow 150 percent since 1990.

Dr. Brown wrote, "Physicians like myself are locating to Northeast Georgia to care for patients, but what we don't have is access to enough surgical space."

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