🌱 Gold Cross Abruptly Ends Contract + Wellstar Health Acquires AUHS

Good morning, neighbors! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your new edition of the Augusta Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Tuesday: Warmer; cloudy, then some sun. High: 82 Low: 64.
• Wednesday: Very warm. High: 88 Low: 67.

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Here are the top three stories in Augusta today:

1. Central Emergency Services has taken over ambulance services after Gold Cross abruptly terminated its contract. The transition took place overnight on Saturday, Apr. 1, and city leaders and Central EMS had to assemble ambulances in the early hours of Sunday morning to avoid any gaps in service. Central EMS President Gary Coker said the main priority was to ensure that citizens have ambulance services running and that the response times have improved with more ambulances now in operation. (WRDW)
2. The owners of Takosushi restaurant in Surrey Center have taken down their patio due to city code violations, which include not having a permit, fire hazards, and serving alcohol off-premises. The owners are frustrated about the timing of the decision, just before their busiest week of the year, and the lack of clear answers from the city’s code enforcement division. Augusta District 7 Commissioner Sean Frantom defends the decision, stating that the city wants to ensure safety and will be monitoring all businesses for compliance. (WJBF-TV)
3. The Georgia Board of Regents has approved the transfer of control of Augusta University's hospitals to Wellstar Health System, which will now be known as Wellstar MCG Health. The transfer will take effect in late summer, and Wellstar has pledged to invest almost $800 million in the Augusta University Health System (AUHS) facilities, including over $200 million for the main Augusta University Medical Center, building a new hospital in Columbia County, and implementing a new medical records system. The deal is expected to help the financially struggling AUHS, which lost $28 million on $1.06 billion in revenue in the 2021 budget year. (WSB Atlanta)

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Today and tomorrow in Augusta:

Tuesday, April 4

• Annual Rock Fore! Dough At First Tee Augusta (4:00 PM)
• Paint Nite - Golfer's Edition At Wine & Design (6:00 PM)

Wednesday, April 5

• ParTee On The Green At Downtown Augusta (5:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Full- and part-time job opportunities are available in the Augusta area. Available positions include customer service tech, stock manager, arts activity leader, property inspector, and more. More details about companies hiring in the area are available at the link. (Augusta Patch)
• New homes have been listed for sale in the Augusta area! Get all the property details at the link. (Augusta Patch)
• One of the most exciting weeks of the year is here: the Masters Tournament! If you're trying to maneuver the traffic that comes along with the event, sign up for Augusta's Golf Traffic Alerts on your device. (Augusta, Georgia Government via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Tuesday! I'll be in your inbox soon with another update.

— Michelle Paul

About me: Michelle Paul is a Utah-based writer and photographer with a professional background in content management and registered nursing. When not working on projects ranging from photo editing to copywriting, they enjoy traveling, video games, and expanding their skills.