Groundbreaking held for Unionville Clinic in Macon-Bibb County; officials cite federal and local support
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Summary
Officials and partners broke ground on the Unionville Clinic in spring 2026, saying Mercer University students will staff the clinic and that federal and county funds helped launch the project to address local health disparities.
Unionville — Officials and community partners gathered in spring 2026 to break ground on the Unionville Clinic, a new community health center organizers said will offer free medical care to thousands of local residents and be staffed in part by Mercer University medical students.
The event host, the founder of Kirix Ministries, opened the ceremony and introduced elected officials and partners, including Mayor Lester Miller (Macon-Bibb County), public health director Jimmy Smith, and Congressman Sam Bishop. "The Unionville Clinic ... will provide free medical care to thousands of Macon's residents and the surrounding area, including those who need it the most," Congressman Sam Bishop said, crediting more than $750,000 in funds and roughly $400,000 in a direct community project he said he secured to help the project get off the ground.
Why it matters: Organizers framed the clinic as a targeted response to persistent disparities in access to basic care in the ZIP codes around Unionville, including undiagnosed hypertension, diabetes and unmet prenatal needs. "2026 is not acceptable," Mayor Lester Miller said, urging cross-partisan cooperation to improve life expectancy and opportunity in the community.
What officials said about services and training: Dr. Jimmy Smith of the Board of Health described the clinic as a bridge between prevention and provision, stressing local access for routine care and behavioral health and the opportunity for community members to see local health professionals who reflect the community. "We need folks in this community to see that the caretakers look like this," Smith said, urging internships and rotations for local students.
Sophie, external affairs at Mercer University, said Mercer will support service learning and student rotations at the clinic. "The Mercer Medical School students will staff this clinic," she said, adding the university prioritizes recruiting Georgians and providing hands-on training that benefits both students and residents.
Funding and context: At the ceremony Congressman Bishop described several funding streams he said supported the project. He said he helped secure "over 750,000 in funds" along with about $400,000 in a direct community project from fiscal 2023 appropriations, and he cited other grants he said he secured for Mercer and local programs (he named amounts he described as "almost $100,000" for rural-health work and $176,000 for cancer and autoimmune research). Those figures and sources are presented as his account at the event.
Bishop also spoke broadly about federal health-policy changes and their local impact, saying last summer Congress passed measures that ‘‘gutted Medicaid’’ and led to millions losing coverage; those statements were his characterization of recent policy debates and were not adjudicated at the event.
Next steps and ceremony: After remarks from partners and officials, the host invited clergy, community members and project representatives to participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking. Organizers said Mercer, Kirix Ministries and Macon-Bibb County government will continue as partners as the project moves to construction and staffing phases.
The event did not record a formal vote or legislative action; organizers and officials described funding sources and partnerships and closed with the ceremonial first shovels.
