At St. Joseph's/Candler, the mission to treat illness and promote wellness for all people extends well beyond the walls of our hospitals. Rooted in a faith-based commitment to care and compassion, St. Joseph's/Candler has built one of the most comprehensive community outreach programs in Southeast Georgia, serving not just the medically insured, but the underserved, the vulnerable, and the underrepresented across our region.
In 2025, St. Joseph’s/Candler provided $69 million in traditional charity care. As a resident, you will train in an environment where that mission is not just a statement on a wall. It is the lens through which every patient interaction, every care decision, and every community partnership is made.
The most effective physicians understand that health does not begin and end in a clinical setting. St. Joseph's/Candler embraces a holistic model of care that addresses the root causes of poor health outcomes, including housing instability, lack of access to information, and limited employment opportunities. This perspective shapes how our residents are trained.
The foundation of SJ/C’s community outreach began more than 200 years ago when the individual hospitals were founded and doctors, nurses and Sisters of Mercy went out to care for sick seamen and the poor.
Today that foundation sits on four key footings.
More than twenty five years ago, the health system began to lay the foundation of our community outreach, which today has four footings.
At St. Joseph's/Candler, we meet our patients' needs where they are at to help them take control of their health and wellbeing. A lot of the time, that's outside the hospital walls. Our community outreach program is robust in caring for the uninsured, underinsured and those financially disadvantaged. Learn about just a few of our programs below:
At St. Mary’s Health Center, we offer a free Primary Care Medical Home for uninsured adults between ages of 18 and 65 whose annual household income is at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Our team includes nurse practitioners, medical assistants, administrative staff, and a committed network of volunteers, all united by a common mission: to ensure that every person, regardless of income, has access to the care they need to live a healthy life.
St. Mary’s Community Center is dedicated to serving and empowering the residents of Savannah’s historic Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood. This community, rooted in rich African-American heritage and resilience, faces ongoing challenges related to unemployment, limited healthcare and housing instability. Through resources and concrete action, St. Mary’s works to uplift lives and create meaningful change.
Created to address the critical need for healthcare among uninsured and underinsured individuals, the Good Samaritan Clinic was established by St. Joseph’s/Candler with community support and volunteers from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. The clinic remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering a healthier, more inclusive community where wellness is prioritized for all.
At the African-American Health Inforamtion & Resource Center (AAHIRC), we meet our neighbors where they are, providing them with free, culturally relevant, life-saving services. The AAHIRC is a community-centered health hub offering a wide range of free programs and services for individuals and families.
That commitment has only grown since, extending across the greater Savannah area and into South Carolina. Training at St. Joseph's/Candler means learning to treat the whole person, not just the presenting condition.
St. Joseph's/Candler's community outreach is built on programs that break real barriers to care. The ED Medical Home Program connects uninsured emergency department patients to primary care medical homes throughout Chatham County, addressing both medical and social needs to help patients access coordinated, sustainable care. The SOURCE Program, which stands for Service Options Using Resources in Community Environments, serves Medicaid and Medicare patients, many of them older adults managing chronic conditions on limited incomes, helping stabilize health and enhance independence.
The culture at St. Joseph's/Candler is shaped by more than clinical expertise. For more than 20 years, the health system has partnered with the Sisters of Mercy through the Mercy Volunteer Corps, hosting recent college graduates who commit to a year of full-time service in underserved communities. That culture of purposeful, justice-driven service runs through the entire organization and creates a uniquely supportive and values-aligned environment in which to train.
As a resident, you will be surrounded by physicians, nurses, and staff who chose St. Joseph's/Candler not just for the quality of care it delivers, but for what it stands for. That matters when residency is demanding and the work is hard. It makes a difference to train alongside people who believe, deeply, in what they are doing.
For residents, St. Joseph's/Candler's community reach creates clinical opportunities that are difficult to find anywhere else. Serving 33 counties across Southeast Georgia and the South Carolina Lowcountry, with outreach centers in underserved communities throughout the region, the health system provides exposure to a patient population that reflects the full complexity of real-world medicine.
The Community Health Needs Assessment process, which shapes how resources are allocated across the region, is an active part of how St. Joseph's/Candler listens and responds to the communities it serves. Residents who train here leave with not only strong clinical skills, but a deep understanding of health equity, community medicine, and the kind of patient-centered care that defines the best physicians in any specialty.
At St. Joseph’s/Candler, providing medical treatment is only one aspect of our commitment to the communities we serve. Our outreach initiatives are a dynamic extension of our mission, designed to promote health equity, accessibility and the overall well-being of individuals and families across the region.
Have more questions about the St. Joseph's/Candler Residency Program? Contact us today, and we'll get back in touch with you.