AU reigns in court battle to build a hospital in Columbia County

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Augusta University Medical Center and Doctors Hospital have battled in court to build the first hospital in Columbia County, but a Georgia court ruling has finally settled the years-long dispute.

Right now, there is no true hospital in Columbia County.

AU was granted a certificate of need back in 2014 to build a hospital in Columbia County, but since then, it's been an uphill battle.

AUMC bought 82-acres of land in Grovetown and got a certificate to build a 100-bed hospital. But construction has been on hold for years.

And Doctors Hospital also wanted to build in Columbia County and took AUMC to court.

But Thursday, a Georgia court has ruled in favor for Augusta University to build a hospital in Columbia County.

AU Health calls this an important victory, saying, as this is the fifth time the department's award has been affirmed and they're confident this is the right decision for Columbia County.

An official with Doctors Hospital told News 12, there’s a lot going on in Columbia County and they’re exploring their options.

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