Published: June 12, 2009 09:25 am      

Hospitals in Royston, Hartwell to consolidate

LAVONIA, Ga. (AP) — The Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center, a $52 million, 56-bed hospital that would consolidate two hospitals in the region could open in Lavonia in 2011.

The new hospital would replace Cobb Memorial Hospital in Royston and Hart County Hospital in Hartwell.

Chuck Adams said the hospitals in Royston and Hartwell have lost money in recent years due to more outpatient surgeries and shorter hospital stays.

Adams, chief executive officer of the Royston-based hospital system, said a rural hospital needs to draw from a population of at least 40,000 people to succeed. He said the combined population trying to support two hospitals is about 45,000.