SGMC Health has been named the recipient of the prestigious Georgia HEART Impact Award by the Georgia HEART Hospital Program, recognizing the system’s extraordinary commitment to rural healthcare through its SGMC Health Berrien Expansion Project. This honor celebrates hospitals that demonstrate the transformative power of Georgia HEART tax credit contributions to improve access to healthcare and patient outcomes.

The award specifically highlights SGMC Health’s use of HEART funding to help build a state-of-the-art, 26,000-square-foot Emergency Department on its Berrien campus. The facility, which officially opened in December 2024, marks a new era of care for Berrien County and the surrounding rural communities.

The new Emergency Department replaced the former four-room facility with nine advanced treatment rooms, including larger trauma and specialty care rooms, enhanced monitoring systems, and upgraded support spaces, all designed to better meet the increasing demand for emergency services in the region.

“This recognition is a testament to the collective effort of our healthcare professionals, community leaders, donors, and supporters who made this vision a reality,” said Hilary Gibbs, Vice President of Support Services and Chief Development Officer. “The Georgia HEART Program allowed us to convert tax dollars into life-saving infrastructure that will serve generations of South Georgians.”

Since its inception, the Georgia HEART Hospital Program has provided a critical lifeline to rural hospitals across the state. For SGMC Health Berrien, contributions made through HEART were vital in funding the expansion, illustrating the profound impact of community-supported healthcare investments.

“Every gift has helped transform rural healthcare,” said Gibbs. “This award reflects the heart and soul of a community that came together for a common good.”

Since opening in 1965, SGMC Health Berrien has served as a cornerstone of its community, providing a full spectrum of medical care, including emergency services, inpatient and outpatient care, 3-D mammography, geriatric psychiatric care, and more.

Georgia HEART is a dollar-for-dollar state income tax credit that allows Georgians to choose where their tax dollars go, directly supporting rural hospitals like SGMC Health’s Berrien and Lanier campuses. Georgia HEART is currently accepting applications for 2025 tax credits. Completing the HEART tax credit application takes less than a minute. Credits are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so reserve your spot today by visiting www.georgiaheart.org.

Hamilton Home Health recently received top marks for its patient services.

It received 5-star ratings for Quality of Care and Patient Experience at the Care Compare website at Medicare.gov. The site is an assessment tool from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for consumers to evaluate providers.

The Quality of Patient Care Star Rating measures patient improvements in mobility, bed transferring, bathing, shortness of breath, medication management, potentially preventable hospitalization and how quickly care is initiated. A 5-star rating is the mark of a high-performing organization.

“At Hamilton Home Health, we strive to offer personalized care in the familiarity of the patient’s own home,” said Blake Nelson, executive director of Post-Acute Care Services. “Our dedicated team will tailor the plan of care to promote recovery and enhance the patient’s quality of life. In the case of Hamilton Home Health, a patient is not only receiving medical assistance but gaining a partner in the journey toward better health.”

Home health care requires a doctor’s order and is typically issued for individuals who are unable to easily leave home. It brings medical care to patients’ homes to help them recover from acute injury or illness and provides services like medication management, wound care, physical therapy, occupational therapy and others provided by licensed individuals.

“This achievement is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our entire team,” Nelson said. “We take great pride in providing compassionate, high-quality care that helps our patients recover safely at home while maintaining their independence. This five-star rating reaffirms our mission to serve our community with excellence — every person, every time.”

Peeples Cancer Institute (PCI) at Hamilton Medical Center has expanded access to the latest in cancer research for patients in north Georgia and the surrounding area by opening National Cancer Institute (NCI) supported Phase 3 clinical trials at PCI.

In collaboration with Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, the latest clinical trial to open at PCI evaluates the addition of high-dose targeted radiation to the usual treatment for locally advanced, inoperable, non-small cell lung cancer.

“Clinical trials are an opportunity to advance science and provide new and better ways to treat patients,” said Jayme Carrico, PCI executive director. “They offer hope beyond what might be possible with only standard of care.”

Because this trial is an approved Phase 3 clinical trial, insurance typically covers it, offering patients greater access to these breakthrough treatments.

Clinical trials are categorized into three phases: Phase 1 and Phase 2 scope out the safety and side effects of new treatments and are performed at one or two sites with a relatively small number of participants. If the new treatment is shown to be promising in Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials — from both an effectiveness and safety standpoint — it is expanded into a Phase 3 trial. Phase 3 trials pull in multiple sites, highly trained providers and potentially thousands of patients across the nation or globe. They are typically offered only at larger universities and hospitals.

PCI is opening Phase 3 trials only. Through highly regulated protocols, patients who meet the specific qualifications of each trial are allowed to enroll. Phase 3 trials further explore the effectiveness of emerging treatments, enabling patients to access what Carrico describes as “the absolute forefront of technology for treating cancer.” Usually, those patients may also receive the proven standard of care treatment.

Cancer treatments are continuously evolving. Becoming a designated site for NCI supported Phase 3 clinical trials is typically reserved for larger universities and hospitals, but it is important to stay up to date and offer the best in care, according to Carrico. It also speaks to PCI’s level of commitment.

“The way an oncologist would treat lung cancer six months ago is different from the way they would treat it today,” Carrico said. “The field is evolving — and not just in chemotherapy drug regimens but genetic and genomic testing and immunotherapy regimens.”

Each trial is strictly monitored, not only by local staff but also by Winship and the clinical trial’s national leadership team. Arif Ali, M, PCI medical director, completed additional training to administer the trials. Strict criteria and quality assurance measures ensure the program meets NCI clinical trial standards.

In many cases, clinical trial sites can be difficult to reach. The next closest site to access this trial is Emory in Atlanta, making PCI’s location a valuable resource for local patients in the region.

Ali was previously on the faculty at Emory, where he was the site principal investigator for multiple research trials and grants. He said he is excited to offer the lung cancer trial to patients, but he also expects to soon open clinical trials for breast, prostate, brain, rectal, gynecologic, and head and neck cancers.

“This is a key differentiator between us and surrounding hospitals,” Ali said. “We are excited to be able to offer these treatment options not only for patients in Whitfield County but the surrounding region.”

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Tanner Health announced that Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica has achieved accolades for clinical excellence from Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans use when searching for a doctor or hospital. Among the hospital’s distinctions are:  two Five Star 2025 Awards, one for Coronary Interventional Procedures and one for Treatment of Heart Attack; and a Coronary Intervention Excellence Award for 2025.

“We are proud to accept these awards, which reflect the quality of care we provide to our coronary patients,” said Loy Howard, president and CEO of Tanner Health. “These awards place Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica in the upper echelon of hospitals for coronary care nationwide and reflect Tanner Health’s system-wide commitment to exceptional cardiovascular care.”

Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica’s achievements are based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. As part of its 2025 hospital assessment, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for over 30 of the most common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide to determine the top performers in specialty care. By offering easy access to objective performance measures, Healthgrades helps consumers find and select a hospital that excels in providing the care they need.

“These awards validate our approach to interventional cardiovascular care at Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica,” said Shazib Khawaja, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and endovascular specialist with Tanner Heart & Vascular Specialists, chief of interventional cardiology, and medical operations leader for Tanner Heart Care. “It also acknowledges the hard work and dedication of our cardiovascular team members in delivering exceptional care to every patient.”

Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica is a 53-bed acute care hospital located in Villa Rica, Georgia, serving the residents of Carroll, Douglas and Paulding counties and beyond. Tanner Heart Center, located inside the hospital, is an accredited chest pain center and certified primary stroke center, offering interventional cardiology, and a wide variety of cardiac tests and procedures. Learn more at tanner.org/heart-care.

“Healthgrades commends Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica for their clear commitment to delivering consistently superior patient outcomes in critical service areas, including Five Star 2025 Awards for Coronary Interventional Procedures, and Treatment of Heart Attack; and a Coronary Intervention Excellence Award for 2025,” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer and head of data science at Healthgrades. “Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica’s leadership, expertise, and unwavering dedication to clinical excellence set a high mark for specialty care in Georgia and nationwide.”

Consumers can visit healthgrades.com to learn more about how Healthgrades measures hospital quality and access a patient-friendly overview of how we rate and why hospital quality matters here.

About Tanner Heart Care

Tanner Health has had cardiologists on its hospital staff for most of its 75-year history, but the system first launched its interventional cardiology program at Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton in 2006, offering a nonsurgical angioplasty and stenting procedure to clear blocked arteries. This same procedure expanded to Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica in 2015, providing Villa Rica residents with the procedure, closer to home, to save hearts and lives. In January 2023, Tanner Health began offering open-heart surgery in the new Adams Heart Center in Carrollton, providing a local option for the many open-heart cases in the region. Tanner Health continues to add cardiac services, which will include structural heart in Carrollton in the near future. Both Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton and Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica are accredited chest pain centers.

About Healthgrades

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering meaningful connections between patients, doctors, and hospitals. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.

For over 20 years, our health system, group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have helped our partners reach and engage consumers on their way to the doctor.

Healthgrades is part of RVO Health, a partnership between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. RVO Health has the largest consumer health and wellness audience online across its brand portfolio, including Healthgrades, Healthline, Medical News Today, Greatist, Psych Central and Bezzy, which touch every part of the health and wellness journey. RVO Health helps more than 100 million unique visitors live their strongest and healthiest lives each month.

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Northside Hospital’s Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program has again ranked among the best in the United States for bone marrow transplant survival outcomes.

For the 16th consecutive year (2009-24), Northside’s program exceeded predicted one-year survival outcomes for U.S. transplant centers, according to the 2024 Transplant Center Survival Report by the Centers for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR).

• Northside is the only U.S. transplant program to achieve this historic milestone.

The big picture: Every three or four minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia, according to NMDP^SM (formerly Be The Match®). For many patients, their only hope for a cure is a blood or marrow transplant.

By the numbers: Each year, CIBMTR analyzes survival data for U.S. transplant centers performing allogeneic transplants, providing an overall risk-adjusted analysis indicating whether one-year survival is as expected, above expected or below expected for each specific transplant center compared to an average transplant center.

• CIBMTR’s 2024 report tabulated patient survival following transplantation at 172 adult and pediatric transplant centers for the reporting cycle of Jan. 1, 2020-Dec. 31, 2022.
• Patients at Northside had an 82.6% one-year survival rate, placing the program in the top 95th percentile for risk-adjusted survival outcomes.
• Northside operates the largest allogeneic BMT center in Georgia and one of the largest in the Southeast.
• It’s also the only center in Georgia to achieve outcomes statistically superior to predicted rates, and one of just 12 U.S. centers (less than 10% of all centers) to earn this designation in the latest reporting cycle.

What they’re saying:

• Dr. Kent Holland, Northside’s BMT program director: “Northside BMT’s survival results are unprecedented in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplant and are the result of exceptional patient-focused quality of care.”
• Dr. Asad Bashey, director of clinical research for Northside’s BMT Program: “Northside’s BMT Program has shown, once again, that its achievement of the very best survival results possible following allogeneic transplantation is not a fluke but a result of extraordinary investment over nearly two decades to processes and practices that produce such results.”
• Jack Miller, a leukemia survivor treated at Northside: “My family put their faith in Northside’s BMT program because of its incredible reputation; if you need high-quality care in Georgia, it’s available here.”

Learn more about the BMT Program at Northside.

• HX Achievement Award for Serious Safety Event Rate Reduction – SGMC Health Main and Smith Northview
• HX Achievement for Zero Harm Award – SGMC Health Lanier
• HX Achievement for Zero Harm Award – SGMC Health Berrien

Lung cancer is an especially difficult type of cancer to detect early, part of why it is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. and around the world. St. Mary’s is now on the leading edge of faster, safer lung cancer detection with the addition of the Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy System from Intuitive, the same company that created the da Vinci surgical robot.

In partnership with Dr. Eduardo Martinez and Athens Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine (APSM), St. Mary’s acquired the Ion system in November 2024. After the required period of testing and training, Dr. Martinez and Dr. Nick Fox, also of APSM, have performed 23 Ion procedures at St. Mary’s, which is the first hospital in the Athens area to offer this state-of-the-art technology in the fight against cancer.

Patients who have a suspicious lung nodule need definitive answers quickly, both for peace of mind and so that treatment for cancer can begin sooner, when it’s most likely to be effective. With traditional methods, patients with a suspicious nodule may have to wait months for a follow-up CT to find out if the nodule has grown, or may need multiple biopsies, which can add more time to the patient’s journey. The Ion greatly shortens the amount of time needed to reach a diagnosis.

The Ion is a minimally invasive system that reaches the lungs through the windpipe and requires no incisions. It uses ultra-thin, ultra-maneuverable tubes called catheters that can collect samples from lesions in all 18 segments of the lung with great precision. It can even collect samples from hard-to-reach lesions in the periphery of the lungs, which is where more than 70 percent of lung cancer nodules occur.

Here’s how it works: A few days before the biopsy, St. Mary’s team takes 3D CT scans of the patient’s chest to determine the precise location of suspicious nodules. The pulmonologist then uses the Ion’s computing power to map the best route through the lung’s elaborate bronchial system to reach the nodules from inside the body. During the Ion procedure, the pulmonologist is assisted by the robotic system to carefully navigate a catheter to each target nodule and collect samples for analysis. It’s done under twilight anesthesia, and the patient can go home the same day.

The biopsy procedure is a follow-up for suspicious symptoms or a screening exam that uses low-dose CT imaging. If a patient has symptoms, their physician can  refer them for CT testing. Patients without symptoms can also be tested without a physician referral through St. Mary’s Low-Dose Lung Cancer Screening Program. This program is available at all three St. Mary’s hospitals and at St. Mary’s Outpatient Diagnostic Center on Daniells Bridge Road, Athens. Patients ages 50-77 years with a history of smoking can schedule a screening by calling 706-389-2700, with next-day appointments often available.

To learn more, call Athens Pulmonology at (706) 549-5560 or visit www.stmarys-health.org.

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The American College of Cardiology has recognized Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients with chest pain. HMC was awarded Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary PCI based on a rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 730,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. The most common symptom of a heart attack for both men and women is chest pain or discomfort. However, women are more likely to have atypical symptoms. Other heart attack symptoms include, but are not limited to, tingling or discomfort in one or both arms, back, shoulder, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, cold sweat, unusual tiredness, heartburn-like feeling, nausea or vomiting, sudden dizziness and fainting.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is also known as coronary angioplasty. It is a non-surgical procedure that opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack.

Hospitals that have earned ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation have proven exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms and have primary PCI available 24/7 every day of the year. As required to meet the criteria of the accreditation designation, they comply with standard Chest Pain Center protocols and are equipped with a robust hypothermia program for post-cardiac arrest treatment. These facilities also maintain a “No Diversion Policy” for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

“Hamilton Medical Center has demonstrated its commitment to providing the Dalton and surrounding communities with excellent heart care,” said Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award Hamilton with Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation.”

Hospitals receiving Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation from the ACC must take part in a multi-faceted clinical process that involves: completing a gap analysis; examining variances of care, developing an action plan; a rigorous onsite review; and monitoring for sustained success. Improved methods and strategies of caring for patients include streamlining processes, implementing of guidelines and standards, and adopting best practices in the care of patients experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Facilities that achieve accreditation meet or exceed an array of stringent criteria and have organized a team of doctors, nurses, clinicians and administrative staff that earnestly support the efforts leading to better patient education and improved patient outcomes.

The ACC offers U.S. and international hospitals like HMC access to a comprehensive suite of cardiac accreditation services designed to optimize patient outcomes and improve hospital financial performance. These services are focused on all aspects of cardiac care, including emergency treatment of heart attacks.

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