For years, the idea of a new medical school at the University of Georgia triggered a fierce turf war at the state Capitol over limited higher education dollars and a perceived threat to the pride of Augusta, home of the state’s lone public medical college.
But after Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled plans this month to include $50 million in spending to speed the construction of a new medical school on UGA’s campus, the reaction from Augusta officials has ranged from muted concern to outright support.
Augusta’s mayor and the leader of Augusta University, home to the Medical College of Georgia, issued supportive statements about the proposal lodged in Kemp’s spending plan, which would be supported by UGA funding to design and build the school.
Kemp and his allies have said it would help address a severe physician shortage. In an interview, he said the new medical school, along with a proposed new $178 million dental school campus in Savannah, would also “help tackle our rural health care needs.”