Elected leaders honored for championing AU’s Medical College of Georgia

Three state and federal elected officials were honored as 2025 Legislative Champions the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

U.S. Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, R-St. Simons; State Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savannah; and State Rep. Mark Newton, R-Augusta, were recognized at MCG’s recent Statewide Faculty Development Conference on Jekyll Island, Georgia.

Carter received the Healthcare Champion Award. Carter represents Georgia’s 1st Congressional District and previously served as the mayor of Pooler, Georgia, before serving in the Georgia Legislature. He also owned Carter’s Pharmacy in Pooler for more than 30 years.

As a pharmacist and small business owner serving in Congress, Carter is dedicated to working toward a health care system that provides choices, lower costs, better services and the opportunity for Georgians to live healthier lives.

“From the Georgia State House to his current position as chairman of the Health Subcommittee on the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Carter has been a powerful advocate for health care advancement,” said Augusta University President Russell T. Keen. “His impact on MCG has been remarkable. During the pandemic, he helped secure nearly $1 million in FCC funding for our telehealth initiatives. More recently, he’s helped secure $1 million for our Center for Digital Health, which is helping transform how we prepare tomorrow’s physicians.”

Carter also recently met with officials at Augusta University for a progress update regarding the $1 million he secured for AU in FY23 to support MCG’s Center for Digital Health.

“I often say that we knew how important telehealth was before the pandemic, but we didn’t realize it until after,” Carter said. “As a health care professional, I am a strong supporter of telehealth services and am proud of the work Augusta University is doing to bring this resource to more patients.”

Watson, who is a 1985 MCG alumnus and serves as chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, received the Excellence in Advocacy Award. He has been a primary care physician in Savannah since 1988, practicing internal medicine with a specialty in geriatrics.

“Since taking office in 2014, Sen. Watson has transformed health care policy in Georgia,” Keen said. “His leadership of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee has elevated health care professionals’ voices statewide, while his steadfast support of Graduate Medical Education has opened new doors for the next generation of physicians.”

Newton, who is a 1988 MCG alumnus and chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, was named State Legislator of the Year. He is a board-certified emergency physician and the founder and CEO of MedNow Urgent Care Centers with locations throughout the greater Augusta and eastern Georgia areas.

Keen said Newton, as a proud graduate of MCG, brings “an alumnus’s heart and a legislator’s wisdom to every challenge.”

“Through his pivotal role as chairman of Higher Education Appropriations, he helped secure the $99.8 million investment in our translational research building, which will advance medical discovery for generations,” Keen said. “His backing of the Preceptor Tax Incentive through HB 144 strengthens medical education across Georgia and his support has elevated MCG’s capacity to lead in medical innovation and education.”

The new 150,000-square-foot research building will provide modern laboratory spaces, advanced equipment and updated technology infrastructure, ensuring scientists have the necessary tools to support the continued growth of the groundbreaking research at MCG.

“This research building will be key to attracting the highest caliber physicians and physician scientists to provide breakthrough treatments,” Newton said. “This investment will improve the research ecosystem and bring benefits not just to the greater Augusta area but also to the state and beyond.”

House Bill 144 calls for changes to the preceptor tax incentive program that would positively impact preceptors and their students.

The current program allows community-based preceptors to earn tax credits for providing clinical training for students from the state’s medical, osteopathic, advanced practice nursing or physician assistant educational programs.

This bill adds dentistry to the program and proposes to offer $1,000 for each preceptorship rotation, including $750 for advanced practice nurses and physician assistants for each preceptorship rotation with a maximum of 10 rotations per calendar year, and extends the sunset to 2030.