The Hardy family, founders of Hardy Family Automotive, announced on Apr. 13 a $1 million donation to support the expansion of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center and its new Graduate Medical Education residency program.
This contribution comes as Paulding County experiences rapid growth and increasing demand for healthcare services. The donation aims to help ensure that families in the area have continued access to care close to home.
Rene Hardy Gordon, dealer principal of Hardy Family Automotive, said, “We are incredibly grateful to have a state-of-the-art hospital serving our friends and family right here in the heart of our community. The pride that our community feels for Wellstar Paulding is something we deeply share.”
Wellstar Health System is investing more than $300 million into expanding the Paulding campus with a seven-story hospital tower and additional parking. The first phase will add 56 beds by November 2027, boosting capacity by half. Future plans include further bed additions and enhanced procedural spaces. Sharon Robinson, vice president of the Wellstar Foundation, said, “Paulding County is home to so many families who deserve access to excellent care close to where they live. The Hardy family’s investment helps us grow our physician training programs in a way that supports both today’s patients and the long-term health of this community.”
To address physician shortages—especially in rural areas—Wellstar recently launched a residency program at Paulding focused on internal medicine with an emphasis on rural primary care. This program will create 30 new physician positions as part of an overall effort that has grown from 14 trainees in 2016 to nearly 300 across Wellstar teaching hospitals today. In partnership with Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia, another 500 physicians are currently training at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center; statewide more than 860 physicians will soon be supported by these programs.
The pledge from the Hardy family will also help raise an additional $3 million needed for training spaces within the new tower at Paulding Medical Center.
According to Gordon: “Our parents, Charles and Jeannette Hardy, instilled in us the importance of caring for the community that has supported our family for generations… we believe investing in local healthcare is one of the most meaningful ways we can give back.”
Wellstar Health System invests millions annually in charity care and community benefit programs according to its official website. It operates more than 400 locations across north and west Georgia according to its official website and provides specialized care including cancer treatment, heart services, neurology, orthopedics, women’s health, and pediatrics according to its official website. Several facilities have received Magnet designation for nursing excellence according to its official website. Candice Saunders serves as president and chief executive officer according to its official website, guiding efforts aimed at improving health outcomes throughout communities served by Wellstar according to its official website.
