Wellstar to acquire Mountain Lakes Medical Center, expand Northeast Georgia footprint

CLAYTON, Ga. — Mountain Lakes Medical Center is set to become part of Wellstar Health System under a newly finalized acquisition agreement announced Friday.

The deal, which is expected to close August 1 pending regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, will bring the 25-bed critical access hospital in Rabun County into one of Georgia’s largest nonprofit healthcare networks.

Once the transaction is complete, the facility will operate as Wellstar Mountain Lakes Medical Center.

Expanded access touted

Leaders from both organizations said the partnership is designed to strengthen healthcare access in Northeast Georgia while preserving local services and relationships.

“From our earliest conversations, it was clear that Mountain Lakes Medical Center was a special organization with a talented team, deep community roots and tremendous potential,” said Wellstar President and CEO Ketul J. Patel. “We collaboratively pursued this opportunity to build on the hospital’s strong foundation and create new possibilities for patients, clinicians and communities in Rabun County and beyond.”

Patel said the acquisition aligns with Wellstar’s strategy of connecting community hospitals with larger networks of specialists, advanced treatment programs and digital healthcare resources.

Mountain Lakes Medical Center CEO Kristy Hall said joining Wellstar will help the hospital continue serving the region while expanding access to additional expertise and technology.

“MLMC has long served as an important healthcare resource for Rabun County and the surrounding area,” Hall said. “We believe joining Wellstar creates exciting opportunities to build on that success while connecting our patients and clinicians to additional expertise, technology, specialty resources and healthcare capabilities that can help support the future of healthcare in northeast Georgia.”

Expected impact on patients, employees

Hospital officials emphasized that patients will continue to receive care from the same local physicians, nurses and healthcare teams they know today. Wellstar said it plans a phased integration process designed to minimize disruptions for patients, employees and clinicians.

The acquisition will also connect Mountain Lakes Medical Center to Wellstar’s broader healthcare network, including specialty care programs and its Digital Care Network, which allows local providers to collaborate with specialists across the system in real time.

Wellstar officials said the hospital will remain an important healthcare access point for Rabun County and surrounding communities, helping patients receive more advanced care while staying closer to home whenever possible.

The health system also intends to retain current Mountain Lakes employees when the transition takes place and expects local operations to continue without significant changes during the integration process. Additional details about the transition are expected to be shared with employees, patients and the community in the coming months.

Mountain Lakes Medical Center is a Level IV Trauma Center and full-service acute care hospital serving Northeast Georgia and parts of Western North Carolina. Wellstar operates 11 hospitals and more than 400 care locations across Georgia and employs more than 35,000 team members.