Rapid growth drives health care demand as Phoebe breaks ground in Lee County

LEE COUNTY — In one of Georgia’s fastest-growing counties, where population gains are outpacing access to primary care and thousands remain uninsured, local health care leaders are moving to expand options with a new urgent care facility aimed at easing pressure on existing health systems.

Phoebe Putney Health System broke ground Thursday on Phoebe Urgent Care at Marlow, a new clinic planned for the corner of Highway 82 and Marlow Lane in southwest Lee County. The project had originally been slated to begin construction in early 2025.

The clinic is designed to serve rapidly growing residential areas along the Highway 82 corridor, where continued development has driven increased demand for timely, affordable care. Lee County’s population has climbed steadily over the past decade, increasing by more than 20% since 2010, according to U.S. Census estimates, with much of that growth concentrated in suburban expansion west of Albany.

“Breaking ground on Phoebe Urgent Care at Marlow reflects our ongoing commitment to meeting the health care needs of our communities as they grow,” Scott Steiner, president and CEO of Phoebe Putney Health System, said. “This facility will help ensure residents have access to timely, high-quality care close to home.”

The new facility is part of a broader strategy by Phoebe — the region’s largest health care provider — to expand access points in high-growth areas and reduce reliance on hospital-based care for non-emergency needs.

With nearly 4,500 preventable hospital stays per 100,000 older residents annually, health care leaders say expanding urgent care access is not just a matter of convenience, but of cost and outcomes. Patients who can be seen quickly for minor illnesses and injuries are less likely to delay treatment or turn to emergency departments for non-emergency care.

“This is about expanding access and giving patients options,” Dr. Estrellita Redmon, the president of Phoebe Physicians, said. “As our communities grow, we’re seeing more demand for care that is convenient and immediate. Urgent care plays a key role in meeting that need.”

Once open, the clinic will treat patients of all ages — from pediatrics to geriatrics — and will be staffed by physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Services will include treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, helping divert lower-acuity cases away from emergency rooms.

Redmon said meeting that demand also supports job creation within the health care system.

“We employ roughly 360 providers, evenly split between physicians and advanced practice providers,” she said. “Our goal is to provide a continuum of quality care — whether you need a primary care checkup or advanced subspecialty care — so that you don’t have to leave southwest Georgia for health care.”

The Marlow location will join Phoebe’s existing urgent care network, which operates alongside the system’s emergency centers in Albany, Americus and Sylvester. Together, those facilities form a regional access model built around multiple entry points — primary care, urgent care, telehealth and emergency services — allowing patients to receive the appropriate level of care without defaulting to the emergency room.

While a completion date has not been announced, development along the Highway 82 corridor continues to accelerate, bringing more rooftops, more traffic and more demand for care with it.