REYNOLDS — Mercer Medicine, a division of Mercer University School of Medicine, held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting Dec. 1 to recognize and celebrate the newest location in its system of rural clinics around the state. Mercer Medicine Taylor County opened in October at 57 Martin Luther King Drive. The office offers high-quality primary care to Taylor County and the region.
Mercer Medicine is the faculty practice of the School of Medicine, which operates a multi-specialty medical complex in downtown Macon. The system’s other rural health clinics are located in Plains, Clay County, Putnam County, Harris County and Jekyll Island.
“Mercer School of Medicine is committed to bringing good doctors and clinicians to rural communities,” said School of Medicine Dean Jean Sumner, M.D., FACP. “We’re honored by the support we’ve had in Reynolds and in Taylor County, and we’re looking forward to working with the community to bring care and improve the county’s overall health status.”
Mercer Medicine Taylor County offers walk-in and scheduled appointments for outstanding, patient-centered primary care provided by its board-certified internal medicine physician, Srijana Ranjit, M.D., Ph.D.; Allison Ball, APRN, NP-C; and a highly qualified staff. Other services include point-of-care lab testing, immunizations and telehealth services, with X-ray coming soon. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
“We are very privileged to be here and be part of Mercer University,” said Dr. Ranjit. “This is our testament that we are here to serve rural communities and provide access to high-quality care.”
In addition to Dr. Sumner and Dr. Ranjit, speakers at the ribbon-cutting included Mercer President William D. Underwood; Mercer Medicine Chief Executive Doug Brewer, M.D.; School of Medicine Chief Financial Officer Ben West; and local pharmacist Jonathan Knight, PharmD.
Dr. Knight, a Mercer College of Pharmacy graduate, said, “When I was visiting pharmacy schools, I was looking for a community, and that’s what Mercer meant to me. Mercer is a family, and I felt at home there, so we’re excited to have Mercer here with us.”
Emily Hartley, a third-year medical student who will become a family medicine physician, was born and raised in Taylor County. She spoke to the gathering about the importance of good medical care in her home county.
“I’m blessed to have been born in such a wonderful county full of supportive and loving people,” she said. “It makes me so proud, as not only a Mercerian but a citizen of Taylor County, that an institution that I hold near and dear to my heart has chosen to serve these wonderful people.”
Hartley was joined by Kelby Bulles, a fourth-year medical student and student body president, to assist in cutting the ribbon. Bulles, who has a naval appointment and will become an OB-GYN, grew up in neighboring Yatesville in Lamar County.
Mercer Medicine opened its first rural health clinic in Plains in July 2018. Building off that successful launch and continuing to deliver on its commitment to meet the health care needs of rural Georgians, Mercer has since opened rural health clinics in Clay County, Putnam County, Harris County and on Jekyll Island. In addition to the provision of excellent care, these clinics provide an opportunity to educate future rural physicians.
About Mercer Medicine
With more than 30 primary care and specialty providers in seven locations, Mercer Medicine brings high-quality health care services to communities in rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. As a subsidiary of Mercer University School of Medicine, Mercer Medicine is staffed by health care providers who are leading the way in medical education, technology, and research.
