You or your business can now get a tax credit while supporting your local hospital and health system at the same time, thanks to Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Lumpkin qualifying for Georgia’s rural hospital tax credit program. This program, also known as Georgia HEART, was established to help rural and critical access hospitals increase their funding and ability to provide care.

“A program like this is vital, especially when so many people are relying on rural hospitals across the state that are struggling or already closing their doors,” says Sonja McLendon, interim president of NGMC Lumpkin. “Northeast Georgia Health System has worked for years to preserve local access to hospital care for Lumpkin County, and this tax credit program has the potential to be a win-win for helping us enhance services and letting local taxpayers decide where their dollars go.”

From January to June, individuals can apply for tax credit up to $5,000 for individuals, $10,000 for married couples or even more for businesses. Starting May 16, Georgia HEART will begin accepting applications for unlimited contributions – which will be awarded on July 1 while tax credits last. Dollars directed to NGMC Lumpkin will go directly to support services and enhancements at the hospital.

“The program’s leaders tell us they expect these tax credits to go extremely fast, so it will be important for people to be ready to apply now for the limited contributions or on May 16 for the unlimited contributions,” says McLendon. “If you’re interested but aren’t sure what next step is right for you, just ask whoever prepares your taxes.”

Individuals and businesses paying Georgia income taxes are eligible to receive a 100% state income tax credit designating those dollars to NGMC Lumpkin through the program. Learn more and apply today at georgiaheart.org.

Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) plans to break ground later this year on a future campus of NGMC Lumpkin along GA-400. The move will mean easier access for more people commuting along the busy highway, especially for 24/7/365 emergency care. The future campus is also planned to provide inpatient care, imaging, a focus on outpatient surgeries and more. Learn more about the plans and other expansion projects at nghs.com/growing.

ABOUT NORTHEAST GEORGIA MEDICAL CENTER

Since 1951, Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has been on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. With hospitals located in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder and Dahlonega, the four NGMC campuses have a total of more than 750 beds and more than 1,200 medical staff members representing more than 60 specialties. NGMC is part of Northeast Georgia Health System, a non-profit that cares for more than one million people across more than 19 counties. Learn more at www.nghs.com.

Atrium Health Navicent invites the community to observe Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month during April by learning more about the risks posed by persistent gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and smoking, and how adopting healthy lifestyle habits reduce esophageal cancer risk.

Esophageal cancer affects the esophagus, which is the long, muscular tube that moves food from the mouth to the stomach. According to the American Cancer Society, 20,640 new cases of esophageal cancer will be diagnosed in 2022, resulting in about 16,410 deaths. The lifetime risk of esophageal cancer in the United States is about 1 in 125 for men and about 1 in 417 for women.

One major risk factor for esophageal cancer is GERD, commonly known as acid reflux or chronic heartburn. GERD is caused when the gastroesophageal valve allows stomach contents to wash backwards, or reflux, into the esophagus, causing injury to the esophageal lining. Persistent acid reflux can lead to a condition called Barrett’s esophagus. If left untreated, Barrett’s esophagus can lead to cancer. An estimated 20 percent of American adults suffer from GERD.

Fortunately, Atrium Health Navicent Heartburn Treatment Center is committed to helping treat those with GERD. Treatment paths include medication, endoscopic procedures and minimally invasive surgery. The goal of treatment is to provide symptomatic relief, to heal esophagitis (if present), and avoidance of complications.

Two other major risk factors include chronic alcohol use and chronic tobacco use. Tobacco use is the most common lifestyle risk factor for developing esophageal cancer in the United States. Atrium Health Navicent Peyton Anderson Cancer Center offers a free, four-week smoking cessation class. The class involves group discussion, social support and guidance in choosing which method of quitting is best for you.

A great way to help decrease your risk for esophageal cancer is through healthy lifestyle choices. People who engage in regular physical activity may have a lower risk of developing esophageal cancer. In addition, a balanced diet that’s high in fruits and vegetables may also help to lower your risk.

“Unfortunately, the symptoms of esophageal cancer – difficulty swallowing, chest pain, bleeding and weight loss – may only be present after the disease has reached an advanced stage,” said Dr. Jay Anderson, a gastroenterologist practicing at Atrium Health Navicent Gastroenterology & Hepatology.” To help reduce your risk, avoid tobacco use and avoid or minimize alcohol intake. Also, if you suffer from GERD, be sure to have regular visits with your primary care physician who may refer you to a specialist for additional treatment.”

For more information about the Atrium Health Navicent Heartburn Treatment Center, call 478-633-4373 or 478-633-8771. To register for smoking cessation classes, call 478-633-3000. To find a doctor, visit www.NavicentHealth.org and click “Find A Doctor.”

About Atrium Health Navicent Atrium Health Navicent, the leading provider of health care in central and south Georgia, is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Providing more than 1,000 beds and offering care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region, Atrium Health Navicent provides care for health care consumers’ through an academic medical center; community, pediatric and rehabilitation hospitals; urgent care centers; physician practices; diagnostic centers; home health; hospice and palliative care; and a life plan community. Atrium Health Navicent is dedicated to enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. For more information, please visit www.NavicentHealth.org.

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The American College of Cardiology has again 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 in March based on rigorous virtual 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 have streamlined their systems from admission to evaluation to diagnosis and treatment all the way through to appropriate post-discharge care and recommendations and assistance in patient lifestyle changes.

“Hamilton has demonstrated its commitment to providing the Northwest Georgia area 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 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 other administrative staff that earnestly support the efforts leading to better patient education and improved patient outcomes.

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“Tanner United With Ukraine” Supports Doctors Without Borders

Tanner Health System physicians, nurses, staff and community have donated nearly $10,000 to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières to provide aid and medical supplies to Ukrainian healthcare providers working under grave conditions. A month into the war in Ukraine, hospitals and aid workers in Ukraine are being targeted by artillery and airstrikes.

The World Health Organization estimates that there have been 82 attacks on hospitals, ambulances and doctors in Ukraine causing 72 deaths and 43 injuries. This prevents access to essential care already strained by shortages of food, water and medical supplies.

Increased attacks on healthcare facilities across the country have caused serious injuries to patients and healthcare workers, and damaged or destroyed healthcare facilities. Thousands have been forced to go without first aid, as well as routine care such as maternal and child health care, complex care for cancer, stroke or kidney dialysis, and treatment for infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and tuberculosis.

On April 4, a team from Doctors Without Borders met with health authorities at an oncology hospital also treating wounded in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv. The cancer hospital came under fire from explosions that also targeted a nearby pediatric hospital. The team was unhurt but witnessed injuries and at least one person killed.

“Tanner United With Ukraine” was launched to support the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières Emergency Relief Fund, which addresses the mental, emotional and physical well-being of the people living on the front lines of conflict. The fund has helped deliver essential staff and medical supplies to Ukraine and the surrounding region.

“From physician to physician, and medical organization to medical organization, Tanner is proud to be part of the worldwide effort to help ease suffering and provide essential medical aid to the Ukrainian people,” said Loy Howard, president and CEO of Tanner. “We invite our entire community to join us in helping to address this urgent need for healthcare and medical supplies.”

Concerned community members are invited to join Tanner in supporting the people of Ukraine by visiting the “Tanner United With Ukraine” page on the Doctors Without Borders website at https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/secure/tanner.

Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) was recently recognized for medical excellence and patient safety quality by CareChex®. HMC was ranked in the top 10 percent in the nation in three categories for 2021.

The awards are based on a comprehensive quality scoring system that compares inpatient quality performance across general, acute and non-federal U.S. hospitals.

For Medical Excellence, HMC was recognized in the following categories:

• Top 100 in the nation for Interventional Coronary Care
• Top 10 percent in the nation for Interventional Coronary Care
• Top 10 percent in the region for Interventional Coronary Care
• Number one in the market for Interventional Coronary Care

For Patient Safety, HMC was recognized in the following categories:

• Top 10 percent in the state for Cancer Care
• Number one in the market for Cancer Care
• Top 10 percent in the state for Cardiac Care
• Number one in the market for Cardiac Care
• Number one in the market for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Top 10 percent in the state for Heart Attack Treatment
• Number one in the market for Heart Failure Treatment
• Number one in the market for Interventional Coronary Care
• Number one in the market for Major Neuro-Surgery
• Top 10 percent in the nation for Orthopedic Care
• Top 10 percent in the state for Orthopedic Care
• Top 10 percent in the nation for Sepsis Care

Since 2009, Quantros has compiled the CareChex ratings to provide an objective quality review of all hospitals and health systems in America, with ratings for Safety and overall Medical Excellence at the national, state and regional level. The CareChex awards are based on a rigorous review of patient complications, readmissions, mortality, AHRQ patient safety indicators and inpatient quality indicators.

The vast data sets don’t include any self-reported or survey data, and results are tested for statistical significance, resulting in clearer, more accurate performance differentiation across 39 clinical categories in both Medical Excellence and Patient Safety.

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Mothers who deliver their babies at South Georgia Medical Center will now have the opportunity to publicly bank their umbilical cord blood, at no cost, in a heroic effort to help patients with life-threatening diseases.    

Cord blood, which is normally discarded by most following delivery, can be used to save lives by effectively treating more than 80 diseases. Life-threatening conditions such as leukemia, sickle cell disease, and Hurler syndrome have all seen successful treatment with stem cell transplants.  

SGMC is partnering with the LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank, a public nonprofit cord blood bank licensed by the FDA. Donated cord blood that meets eligibility criteria will be listed on the Be The Match Registry®, the world’s largest donor registry. These units are then available to transplant centers and patients in need around the world.   

“What better way to welcome your child into this world, than by choosing to donate something that is otherwise discarded, to help enhance the lives of others,” says Debbie Smith, SGMC Women & Children Nurse Manager.  

LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank is a program of LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, the sole provider of blood to SGMC since 2016. 

“We are thankful to SGMC for their commitment to helping save lives through the collection of cord blood,” said Kim Kinsell, President and CEO of LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. “They are giving new mothers the opportunity to potentially help patients facing some of the most challenging and complex diseases.” 

SGMC is committed to women’s health throughout the region and continues to deploy the latest technology and develop cutting-edge programs for women and infants. SGMC’s Birthplace has the region’s only Level IIB Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with two neonatologists and the area’s only OB hospitalist program and OB emergency department. SGMC is one of only three hospitals in Georgia to offer AngelEye Health, a secure video surveillance to connect families with their newborns.  

SGMC delivers more than 2,000 babies annually. For more information on any of these programs, visit sgmc.org. 

South Georgia Medical Center announced its continued support and investment in the Partnership Health Center at the March meeting of the Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County, Georgia. Since 2006, SGMC has invested nearly $8.5 million in the organization, which offers low-cost medical and dental care to the area.  

The PHC provides primary care, urgent care, pharmacy assistance, education programs, chronic disease management, telehealth visits, and specialist referrals for its patients.  

“We are pleased to continue our support for the Partnership Health Center and their integral role in the local healthcare community,” said SGMC President and Chief Executive Officer Ronald E. Dean. “Partnership Health Center creates access to quality, affordable health care for those that need it, regardless of their ability to pay.” 

Each year, the PHC continues to increase its patient volumes, with nearly 20,000 visits just last year. This includes follow-up care for discharged hospital patients, non-emergent walk-ins, and other patients who use PHC for their primary healthcare needs.  The PHC has two clinics in Valdosta, a medical clinic, located at 520 Griffin Avenue, as well as a dental clinic at 203 Woodrow Wilson Drive.  

SGMC Family Medicine physician, Dr. Laura Guadiana Sanchez, currently serves as the Medical Director, and there are 16 clinical staff and 11 administrative staff at the clinic.  

This year’s renewal grant from SGMC will continue to help fund the majority of the Partnership’s day-to-day operations, including weekend hours. “Our goal is to increase awareness and encourage people to use the PHC as an alternative to the Emergency Department for non-emergent care,” said John Sparks, PHC Executive Director.  

At the PHC, all income levels are accepted. The sliding fee discount applies to incomes below 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The PHC serves uninsured individuals between the ages of 18 and 64. To learn more about the eligibility guidelines and other information, please call 229-245-0020. 

South Georgia Medical Center recently provided a donation of Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan®, to the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office. 

Narcan is a prescription medicine used to treat overdose from opioids, including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications. It quickly blocks the effects of the drug and restores normal breathing within a matter of minutes. There are three types of naloxone treatment available: nasal spray, injectable, or auto-injectable. 

Following a recent influx of overdoses in Nashville, Georgia, Deputy Mike Register of the sheriff’s department informed Selena Brady, SGMC Berrien Campus Director of Nursing, that their department no longer received the life-saving drug from the state. This was causing delayed treatment by first responders in the field. 

Brady immediately started making calls to see how the health system could partner with the agency and help. As a result, SGMC was able to provide an initial donation of 50 doses of Narcan to the deputies. 

“When Deputy Register told me that an accidental overdose could have been prevented by his officers, I wanted to make sure that they were equipped with every tool at their disposal to be able to save a life,” shared Brady. “It is a collaborative effort to ensure the health and safety of our local communities, and we are proud to partner together.” 

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the opioid epidemic has gripped the population since 1999, as overdose deaths have continued to climb. Overdoses surged immediately after the emergence of COVID-19. 

The CDC recommends that people who are at increased risk of opioid overdose or those who have a loved one who is struggling with opioid use disorder carry Narcan with them to prevent overdose death. 

Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) will host an in-person “For Her” women’s event on Thursday, April 21, 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Dalton Convention Center.

For Her registration opened April 1.

“We’re excited to host this event again, and be able to have it in person,” said Rachel Ogle, community outreach manager for Hamilton.

Screenings for the event will include: cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose, thyroid, hearing, skin cancer check and breast exam (physical breast exam).

The event will also include mini massages, acupuncture, food, health and wellness vendors, giveaways and door prizes.

Carol Gruver, MD, cardiologist, will provide a special session on “Women and Heart Disease.” During the special session, Cheryl Baucom, open-heart patient, will present her inspirational story.

All activities, services and giveaways will be available while supplies last and time permits. Those who registered and attend the event will receive a free gift.

If you would like to attend this event and need assistance with interpretation services and/or auxiliary aids, please indicated when registering. Hamilton Health Care System follows social distancing and CDC guidelines. Masks are required.

To register, please visit HamiltonHealth.com/ForHerEvent or call 706-272-6114.

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As COVID-19 cases decline dramatically across the country, South Georgia Medical Center is seeing its COVID-19 inpatient numbers near zero.  

At its highest peak in August 2021, SGMC had 113 positive COVID-19 patients. As of March 28, 2022, SGMC had only three positive inpatients and reported zero percent testing positivity rates three times in the past week.  

Studies have shown a significant decrease in annual routine wellness visits and preventative screenings for cancers such as breast, lung, prostate, and colon during the initial onset of the pandemic. Primary care visits and screening tests are vital to diagnosing medical issues in their earliest stages when they are most treatable.  

“Because of COVID-19, the population has understandably fallen out of the habit of getting routine preventative care,” said internal medicine physician Dr. Tommy Hobby at SGMC Valdosta Medical Clinic. “We encourage patients to make their health a priority, particularly while we are in a lull from COVID cases, and schedule a visit with their provider.” 

Hobby emphasized that medical screenings, even simple blood pressure checks, can save lives and are the best tools available to detect and treat medical conditions early. 

Patients are encouraged to schedule a visit with their physician or primary care provider to discuss which screenings are right for their health needs. If you do not have a primary care physician, SGMC’s primary care network includes 10 locations throughout Lowndes, Berrien, and Lanier counties. To find a physician near you, visit SGMC’s online directory at sgmc.org/primarycare.  

SGMC also operates urgent care services at its Smith Northview Campus which treats non-emergent illnesses and injuries on a walk-in basis, seven days a week. 

To learn more visit sgmc.org.