OAKWOOD, GA. – A recent $10,000 donation from Wayne-Sanderson Farms is helping local nonprofit health care organization, Good News Clinics, expand their facilities and increase services in Hall County as part of their “Greater Things” capital campaign. Thanks in part to the company’s donation and a matching donation of $10,000 from a local family foundation, the campaign has raised more than $5.2 million to date towards a goal of $8 million from area businesses and organizations like the Georgia Poultry Federation and others.
When Good News Clinics opened their doors in 1992, the community health center provided health care primarily to Hall County residents unable to afford traditional medical care or health insurance. As the county’s population grew over the next three decades, the clinic also grew in size and scope of services. Today, the free clinic is a full-service health care operation, even partnering with the poultry industry to offer COVID-19 vaccines to workers during the pandemic.
By offering primary and specialty medical, dental and behavioral health care to the county’s less fortunate residents, the clinic provides health care for patients that would otherwise source health care from area emergency rooms or receive no care at all. “Our patients have nowhere else to go for help, so with the support of the community, we take it on,” said Liz Coates, executive director of Good News Clinics. “Thanks to the generosity and leadership of local businesses and organizations like Wayne-Sanderson Farms, we’re able to make a real difference. We’re so grateful for their support.”
The clinic serves more than 3,500 patients annually, and Coates said the planned expansion to increase the facility’s capacity by 60 percent, or an additional 2,000 patients each year, is critical. “This county is growing and the number of people who need our services gets larger every day,” said Coates. “We’re seeing big increases in patient numbers, and we’re already stretched thin, so this expansion is crucial.”
As a faith-based clinic funded by donations and grants, Good News Clinics’ operation is supported by more than 150 organizations across the community. While providing routine treatment is the everyday mission of the clinic, the facility also focuses on patient education and early intervention to prevent chronic illness and decrease dependence on local emergency rooms and hospitals with a cost avoidance of more than $4.5 million.
“Without Good News Clinics, some families in this community wouldn’t receive the medical care or support they need,” said Clint Rivers, Wayne-Sanderson Farms president and CEO. “Our community is stronger when all our residents have access to good health care, and we’re proud to be able to help.”
As part of the expansion, the clinic recently purchased an 8,400-square-foot Northeast Georgia Health Systems facility directly behind Good News Clinics to serve as a Health Education Center, which will significantly expand the clinic’s mental and behavioral health capabilities. Thanks to generous donations from organizations like Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Good News Clinics will also renovate its 11,000-square-foot office on Pine Street to add ophthalmology services with six new exam rooms, clinical workstations and additional space for ancillary services. During the expansion, the clinic’s welcome center will also be renovated and renamed the Anne Warren Thomas Welcome Center, where patients will benefit from more efficient reception and have access to free medical supplies, shelf-stable foods and hygiene items.
To donate to Good News Clinics’ capital campaign, visit Good News Clinics’ website.
About Wayne-Sanderson Farms
Wayne-Sanderson Farms is an industry leader and the nation’s third-largest poultry producer, serving customers, consumers and communities with integrity, leadership and responsible farm, workplace and business practices. With a diverse portfolio of products, a strong operating culture, and an industry-leading workforce of more than 26,000 people, Wayne-Sanderson Farms owns and operates 23 fresh and further-processing facilities across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas. Wayne-Sanderson Farms produces affordable, high-quality poultry products for retail, foodservice, restaurant, industrial and institutional segments under the brand names of WAYNE FARMS® fresh and prepared chicken; SANDERSON FARMS® fresh chicken; COVINGTON FARMS® fresh and frozen chicken; PLATINUM HARVEST® premium fresh chicken; CHEF’S CRAFT® gourmet chicken; and NAKED TRUTH® premium chicken. For more information visit our website at http://www.waynesandersonfarms.com
