Picture yourself stepping into a thriving family medicine practice where the waiting room is consistently full, patients are already scheduled out a month in advance, and the community eagerly awaits your arrival. This isn't a startup situation where you'll spend years building a patient panel—you'll be assuming the care of an established, loyal patient population from Dr. Ludwick, a beloved physician who has served Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County since the early 1990s. After more than three decades of building deep relationships with families across multiple generations, Dr. Ludwick will retire in July 2026, creating an exceptional opportunity for a family medicine physician to inherit what Phoebe Healthcare System once recognized as the busiest primary care practice in their entire network.
Dorminy Medical Center serves as the healthcare anchor for Ben Hill County and the surrounding rural communities of south-central Georgia. With a service area spanning approximately 30-40 miles in each direction, you'll provide essential primary care to a population that genuinely needs you. This is rural medicine at its most meaningful—where physicians aren't just healthcare providers but integral community pillars. Fitzgerald's population of approximately 9,000 expands to nearly 17,000 when you include Ben Hill County, and access to quality primary care remains limited. The practice currently has just two physicians serving this entire area, and when Dr. Ludwick retires, that gap will become even more pronounced. Your arrival will directly address a critical healthcare need in a community that values and respects its physicians.
Dorminy Medical Center is actively working toward Critical Access Hospital designation, which will significantly strengthen the organization's financial foundation and sustainability. This transition represents strategic positioning for long-term success in rural healthcare delivery, ensuring the hospital can continue providing comprehensive services to the community for decades to come.
You'll join a collaborative primary care team at Dorminy Medical Center, working alongside Dr. Curtis (a seven-year veteran of the practice) and Chelsea (a newer nurse practitioner). Dr. Mann serves as the Medical Director for the employed physician group, providing clinical leadership and mentorship. You'll report through the outpatient services leadership structure, with Katherine serving as Outpatient Director and Renee as your Clinic Manager. The beauty of this structure is that leadership genuinely values physician input—you'll have remarkable autonomy in how you practice while being supported by an experienced administrative team that handles the business operations, allowing you to focus on patient care.
Dr. Ludwick plans to retire at the end of July 2026, though the practice would welcome you earlier to allow for a mentorship period and smoother patient transition. Starting before his departure would give you invaluable time to learn the nuances of the practice, understand patient histories and preferences, and build relationships under Dr. Ludwick's guidance—a rare opportunity to be personally introduced to your future patients by the physician they've trusted for decades.
This isn't just another job opening—it's an invitation to continue a legacy of compassionate care in a community that will embrace you as one of their own. You'll practice medicine the way it was meant to be practiced: building lasting relationships, making a genuine difference in people's lives, and enjoying the professional satisfaction that comes from being truly needed and deeply appreciated.