Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) and Aetna have agreed to terms for a new contract that covers the care NGHS provides to all Aetna health plan members, ensuring continued access to high-quality care in Northeast Georgia.

Building on their decade long collaborative relationship, NGHS and Aetna have worked together to extend the relationship and avoid any disruption in care to those who matter most - plan members and patients.

"We are excited to continue working with Aetna to provide the award-winning health care our communities have come to expect from us," said Carol Burrell, president and CEO of NGHS. "We are dedicated to our mission of improving the health of our community in all we do, and this new contract allows us to secure the sustainability of that mission for many years. We appreciate partners, like Aetna, who offer fair contracts and value the care NGHS provides."

"This is exciting news for our members," said Cary Goldenthal, Aetna's Chief Network & Operations Officer, Georgia and the Gulf States. "Aetna's relationship with Northeast Georgia Health System continues to thrive and we look forward to continuing to work with them to transform health care for our customers and members in the northeast part of the state."

The new agreement is effective October 1, 2019 and includes all NGHS facilities, hospitals and providers.