Rural Center Awards $125,000 to Support Critical Technology Upgrades at Evans Memorial Hospital

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Jan. 30, 2026

Evans County, GA - The Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation, a branch of the Georgia Department of Agriculture and known as Georgia’s Rural Center, has approved a $125,000 grant to Evans Memorial Hospital (EMH) to integrate technology and medication scanning equipment for patients being seen in the Emergency Department.

Serving Evans County and surrounding rural communities since 1968, Evans Memorial Hospital is a 49-licensed bed, not-for-profit acute care hospital located in Claxton, Georgia. With approximately 240 employees, EMH offers an exceptional range of medical services and is fully accredited by DNV Healthcare Inc./NIAHO. The hospital maintains full medical capabilities, including a 24-hour, physician-staffed Emergency Department and an active medical staff specializing in family practice, internal medicine, and general surgery.

In recent years, EMH has experienced a period of growth and innovation. While new advancements reflect EMH’s commitment to excellence and innovation in rural healthcare, they have also created new demands on the hospital’s technology infrastructure. Through this grant-funded investment, Evans Memorial Hospital will implement critical upgrades to support Emergency Department barcode medication scanning at the point of care, an industry standard designed to prevent medication errors and improve patient safety.

These technology upgrades will bring the Emergency Department into compliance with national patient safety standards for medication administration, significantly reduce the risk of medication errors in the hospital’s highest-volume clinical area, and support ongoing quality initiatives, including efforts to improve door-to-EKG times. In addition, the upgraded infrastructure will provide a strong foundation for expanding successful programs such as Kids ABC and strengthening telemedicine partnerships with Augusta University and Wellstar.

Beyond medication scanning, this investment establishes a robust platform for future patient safety and quality initiatives. Planned capabilities include expanded telehealth services, remote patient monitoring, advanced clinical decision support tools, and improved integration with regional health information exchanges.

“Evans Memorial Hospital is grateful for the on-going support of many of our hospital partners throughout the state and the support of Georgia’s legislative leadership. The Rural Center and Georgia Department of Agriculture have supported our advancement of patient safety with our integration of technology and medication scanning equipment for our patients being seen in the Emergency Department. Last year, our Emergency Room triaged and treated over 10,000 patients in rural southeast Georgia. This funding award supports the integrity of our programs and ensures our ability to provide the best possible and safest care for our patients and those who seek confidence in our services,” said Bill Lee, Evans Memorial Hospital CEO.

“We are excited to partner with Evans Memorial to support the hospital in upgrading its scanning equipment. We look forward to seeing the impact of this equipment to the residents of Claxton and the surrounding area,” said Charlie Fiveash, Executive Director of Georgia’s Rural Center.

About Georgia’s Rural Center:

To date, Georgia’s Rural Center projects have resulted in a total investment in rural Georgia of more than $408 million, with $3 million of center funds, which is a 132:1 return ratio against CRPI funds. Since its inception in 2018, the work of Georgia’s Rural Center has touched all 159 of Georgia’s metro, suburban, and rural communities through regional and statewide projects, and directly impacted 73 counties through projects needed in rural communities to help them prosper and thrive.

Bill Lee (middle), CEO at Evans Memorial Hospital. On his right is Senator Billy Hickman, and on his left is Representative Bill Werkheiser.