Georgia MedGroup (GMG) is CHSGa’s medical services delivery team providing 24/7 primary care for patients primarily in Ethica skilled nursing settings. More than 30 physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners work as a collaborative medical team to provide care for post-acute patients through medical director, attending physician and advance practice provider (APP) services. GMG is additionally contracted to provide medical services for Affinis hospice and to serve in the medical director role for multiple affiliate companies.
GMG is developing a model for serving CHSGa markets with medical services and medical directors for companies in the System rather than for individual nursing centers—specifically, in the Albany market, a GMG physician serves as Medical Director for the four Ethica skilled nursing centers, Affinis Hospice, NextStep Care and CHSGa Home Health. The development of this model of care will provide consistency and leadership in high-performing clinical care and effective service delivery across CHSGa settings, as well as providing as Georgia Health Advantage coordination and service to the CHSGa mission.
GMG was established in 2012 and is headquartered in Gray, Georgia, with all work on contracts, insurance, credentialing, etc., performed there. Physicians and APPs are deployed around the state to CHSGa providers.
Headed by the Senior Vice President for Clinical Practice, staffing for GMG includes:
- Senior Director of Physician Services
- Director of Clinical Services
- Director of Informatics/Recruiting
- Billing/coding Coordinator
- Medical directors
- APPs
- Medical scribes
Statewide census for GMG at the 41 Ethica skilled nursing centers served:
- 265 Medicare patients
- 2445 Medicaid patients
- 93 private pay statewide
GMG staff is comprised of 18 clinical providers: 6 physicians and 12 nurse practitioners who provide medical director services and primary care to patients in the 41 nursing centers. NPs and physicians have different specialties (therapy, geriatric, etc.); all are commmitted to caring for vulnerable patients with complex medical and behavioral status and needs related to social drivers of health. A majority of GMG physicians are certified Medical Directors, which requires 3 years of attending/
medical directorship at skilled nursing facilities.