Longstreet Clinic will officially become part of Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) in the fourth quarter of 2025, the two healthcare organizations announced Wednesday, April 30.
The agreement marks a significant milestone in a partnership that spans decades, aiming to enhance access and streamline care for patients across the region.
Failed negotiations between NGHS and UnitedHealthcare could impact some patients.
“NGHS continues to negotiate in good faith with United and all other insurance payors/plans to maintain in-network care for the people Longstreet and NGHS serve,” NGHS spokesperson Layne Saliba said. “Specifics will be confirmed and communicated as we get feedback from those insurance payors/plans before Longstreet officially joins NGHS.”
“Longstreet Clinic and NGHS have partnered to provide high-quality care for decades; this agreement enables us to take our partnership to the next level, eliminates barriers and will help us serve our community in new, enhanced ways,” said Robert Richard, MD, FACS, bariatric surgeon and president & chairman of the Governing Board of Longstreet Clinic. “From a day-to-day perspective, our operations will remain largely unchanged, meaning patients can look forward to receiving the same great care and service with the same expert physicians, providers and staff at the same convenient locations.”
Founded in 1995, Longstreet Clinic has played a key role in multiple collaborative efforts with NGHS. These include the establishment of neonatal intensive care units at NGMC Gainesville and NGMC Braselton, oncology centers in Braselton and Toccoa, and participation in a shared electronic medical records system, Epic. The organizations are also founding members of HP2, a clinically integrated network designed to improve health outcomes while lowering costs.
“As we celebrate our 30th anniversary this year, it’s exciting to reflect on so many successful collaborations between Longstreet Clinic and NGHS through the years. This strategic partnership will help us take quality health care to an even higher level in the communities we serve,” Mimi Collins, who has served as Longstreet Clinic’s CEO since its founding, said. “We enter this agreement with the firm belief that the best is yet to come.”
NGHS President and CEO Dr. Matt Hanley echoed the sentiment, stating, “We are excited to welcome Longstreet Clinic physicians, clinicians and staff to the NGHS family alongside Northeast Georgia Physicians Group and Georgia Heart Institute. This is yet another way our team is working to improve the health of our community in all we do.”
