ATHENS—St. Mary’s Health Care System in Athens was named 2015 Large Hospital of the Year by the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals at its 32nd annual conference.

The “Hospital of the Year” award highlights the impact of member hospitals on individual patients, the health and wellness of Georgians, and the quality of life of their communities. The alliance selected St. Mary’s for its demonstrated commitment to improving access to care and expanding critical health services, according to a news release.

It is the third time St. Mary’s has received this recognition. It was previously honored in 2006 and 2010.

Physician workforce issues are a top concern in the state. St. Mary’s partnered with the Georgia Regents University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership in Athens and launched northeast Georgia’s first Internal Medicine Residency Program. All 10 residency positions have been filled with plans to bring the total number to 30 within the next two years.

In addition to the approximately $17 million the hospital provides in charity and uncompensated care, St. Mary’s invests in the community. It has partnered with community organizations to provide free mammograms to uninsured women and health education and screenings at senior centers, community events and employer health fairs.

The Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals also acknowledged St. Mary’s for its expanded critical services. St. Mary’s Hospice is the only hospice in the Athens area that delivers perinatal and pediatric hospice care, regardless of ability to pay.