Primary Care Services Integration and Facility Enhancement - Dorminy Medical Center, the community-owned healthcare provider serving Ben Hill County and surrounding rural South Georgia communities, requests $1,452,000 through the HRSA Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending (CPF/CDS) Construction Program (HRSA-26-107) to support the Katherine R. Hill Clinic Expansion Project. The project will expand and renovate the Katherine R. Hill Building located on Dorminy Medical Center’s campus in Fitzgerald, Georgia, increasing access to high-quality primary care services for a predominantly rural and medically underserved population. The project will construct approximately 7,500 square feet of additional clinical space and modernize existing facilities to create a centralized outpatient care center. Planned improvements include seven clinic suites containing approximately 28 examination rooms, centralized patient registration and scheduling, provider workspaces, administrative support areas, patient waiting areas, and upgraded building infrastructure. These enhancements will improve operational efficiency, increase provider capacity, support future physician recruitment, and reduce barriers to healthcare access. Dorminy Medical Center serves a primary population of approximately 17,100 residents in Ben Hill County and a broader regional service area that includes portions of Irwin, Wilcox, Turner, and Telfair Counties, extending the project’s impact to roughly 55,000 residents. The service area is characterized by high poverty rates, below-average household incomes, transportation challenges, an aging population, and limited healthcare resources, all of which contribute to increased demand for local primary care services. The expansion directly addresses growing demand for outpatient healthcare services and existing space constraints that limit appointment availability and future growth. By consolidating provider practices into a single, modernized location, the project will improve care coordination, enhance patient convenience, increase access to preventive and chronic disease management services, and strengthen the long-term healthcare infrastructure of the region. The project is expected to begin following federal approvals and environmental review, with construction anticipated to start in September 2026 and facility occupancy projected for March 2028. Dorminy Medical Center will contribute approximately $525,250 in local funding through Georgia HEART Hospital Program proceeds and organizational capital resources, demonstrating strong community and institutional commitment to project completion and sustainability. The Katherine R. Hill Clinic Expansion Project represents a transformative investment in rural healthcare infrastructure that will expand access to primary care, improve patient outcomes, strengthen provider recruitment and retention, and ensure that residents of Ben Hill County and neighboring communities continue to receive high-quality healthcare services close to home.
