Health System Expands COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Hours, Postpones Elective Surgeries and Limits Hospital Visitation

With the number of positive COVID-19 patients increasing every day at its Brunswick and Camden Campus hospitals, Southeast Georgia Health System nurses and physicians are pleading with the community to get vaccinated.

“We’re tired, and we’re at our wits’ end,” says Jan Jones, R.N., BSN, director, Patient Care Services, Southeast Georgia Health System. “As soon as a patient is discharged from our critical care unit, or worse, is deceased, there’s another patient to put in that bed. It’s like a revolving door that we can’t stop.”

Similar to most hospitals across the nation, Southeast Georgia Health System is reporting a sharp rise in COVID-19 hospitalized patients. Health System leadership attributes the increase to the more contagious delta variant, low vaccination rates and relaxed safety measures.

“This summer we were starting to feel some relief with our COVID-19 patient census hovering between four to eight patients in early July,” says Michael D. Scherneck, president and CEO, Southeast Georgia Health System. “People began to relax. They stopped wearing masks and social distancing. Even though the CDC recommended that unvaccinated people continue to wear masks, you rarely saw anyone wearing one. Yet, as of today, our community’s vaccination rate is less than 40%, and we need to reach 70% to achieve herd immunity.”

Due to the increased patient volumes and growing positivity rates in the community, the Health System has reinstated visitor restrictions, limiting patients to one visitor per day.

“We regret having to limit visitors, and we realize the impact it has on our patients and their families. But our primary concern is the health and well-being of our team members and patients. We must protect them from possible exposure,” says Scherneck.

The Health System is also postponing some elective surgeries, particularly those that require an overnight stay.

“With such a high census of COVID-19 patients, we’ve had to convert regular patient rooms into coronavirus rooms,” says Alan K. Brown, M.D., chief medical officer. “More importantly, we need the nursing staff to be available to care for COVID-19 patients.”

Brown adds, “We had hoped the vaccine would bring us the relief we all so desperately need, especially our nurses. It’s very hard and disheartening for our health care teams to be going through this again. People need to get their vaccine. While it’s true that there’s still a chance of contracting the virus after being vaccinated, the vaccine reduces the risk of becoming seriously ill and being hospitalized. The vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective and it’s free. There’s no reason to delay getting a vaccine.”

Jones agrees, “This surge isn’t like the ones we experienced last year. The delta variant is much more contagious and it’s impacting much younger patients, even those who don’t have chronic health issues. It’s so sad when we have to put a 20 or 30 year old on a ventilator. We just need people to realize that this virus doesn’t discriminate. You can be young and healthy and still end up hospitalized in a critical care bed. Please get the vaccine to protect yourself and others.”

The Health System offers free COVID-19 vaccines to everyone age 12 and older at its Brunswick and Camden campuses; dates and addresses are listed on the Health System’s website at sghs.org/covid19-vaccine. Individuals with questions about COVID-19 symptoms can call the Health System’s free screening hotline at 912-466-7222.

About Southeast Georgia Health System
Southeast Georgia Health System is a not-for-profit health system comprised of two acute care hospitals, two long term care facilities, two comprehensive Cancer Care Centers and multiple specialty care centers, including orthopaedic and spine care, joint replacement, breast care, maternity, outpatient rehabilitation, sleep management and wound care. The Brunswick Campus Cancer Care Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and offers the only CyberKnife^® M6 with MLC technology in Georgia. Additionally, the Southeast Georgia Physician Associates medical group includes more than 160 providers working in 20 different medical specialties at more than 50 locations. The Health System is part of Coastal Community Health, a regional affiliation between Baptist Health and Southeast Georgia Health System forming a highly integrated hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. For more information, visit sghs.org.

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South Georgia Medical Center will host a COVID-19 vaccination drive-thru event at its Smith Northview Campus on Saturday, Aug. 7 from 9am-3pm. All unvaccinated persons 12 and older are encouraged to visit the site to receive their free COVID-19 vaccine.  

SGMC has seen a dramatic increase of COVID-19 positive hospitalizations over the past weeks, with the majority of those patients being unvaccinated.  According to SGMC officials, there have been a small percentage of break through cases, however, those individuals are less likely to require hospitalization and seem to recover more quickly. 

“Although we have already administered more than 36,000 vaccinations since December of 2020, Lowndes county is still only at 27 percent fully vaccinated. The Delta variant is here and more transmissible. With schools starting back, we want to make it as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated before the Fall,” said Director of Infection Prevention Scarlett Rivera. 

“Vaccinations are our best line of defense and we want to encourage all populations to protect themselves and those around them by getting vaccinated,” said Rivera. 

SGMC will be administering the Pfizer vaccine and interested individuals can pre-register online at sgmc.org, call 229-433-1068, or simply visit the SGMC Smith Northview Campus located at 4280 N. Valdosta Road in Valdosta on Saturday, Aug. 7 from 9am-3pm. 

Atrium Health Navicent is partnering with schools in Baldwin and Wilkinson counties to vaccinate eligible students, school staff and their families against COVID-19 during special vaccination events this week.  

Vaccinations will be offered at:

• Wilkinson County High School – Thursday, July 29, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Baldwin County High School – Friday, July 30, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Vaccines have been approved for use in individuals aged 12 and older. To sign up, contact Wilkinson County High School at (478) 946-2441 or Baldwin County High School at (478) 453-6429.  A parent or guardian must accompany minors to vaccine appointments.

“With students soon returning to in-person classes, Atrium Health Navicent is proud to partner with our schools to provide this critical protection to students, school staff and their families,” said Atrium Health Navicent President and CEO Delvecchio Finley. “With the presence of the Delta variant in Georgia and a recent increase in cases, it’s extremely important that we each do all we can to slow the spread of this deadly pandemic and vaccination has been proven to be safe and effective in preventing severe infection.”

Dr. Aaron Geter Jr., Superintendent of Schools for the Wilkinson County School District, said he is excited to join hands with Atrium Health Navicent to provide vaccinations to the Wilkinson County community.  

“Our focus is to enter this school year in the safest manner possible.  We appreciate their help and support to make sure that our community is as safe as possible,” Geter said.

Atrium Health Navicent is proud to have partnered with the Baldwin County School District to provide public COVID-19 vaccination services at last week’s Back-To-School Bash and for another event on Friday.

“The Baldwin County School District is excited to partner with Atrium Health Navicent, once again, to provide COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines to our students 12 years and older and their families,” said Baldwin County School Superintendent Dr. Noris Price. “This vaccination event is a great opportunity to provide more of our students with the chance to receive an additional layer of protection against the coronavirus.”

Vaccinated individuals and those waiting to be vaccinated are encouraged to continue to practice COVID-safe behaviors including wearing a mask in public, social distancing and frequent hand washing.

About Atrium Health Navicent

Atrium Health Navicent is the leading provider of healthcare in central and south Georgia and is committed to its mission of elevating health and well-being through compassionate care. Atrium Health Navicent provides high-quality, personalized care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region. As part of the largest, integrated, nonprofit health system in the Southeast, it is also able to tap into some of the nation’s leading medical experts and specialists with Atrium Health, allowing it to provide the best care close to home – including advanced innovations in virtual medicine and care. Throughout its 125-year history in the community, Atrium Health Navicent has remained dedicated to enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. It is also one of the leading teaching hospitals in the region, helping to ensure viability for rural health care for the next generation. For more information, please visit www.NavicentHealth.org.

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Atlanta Magazine recently announced its 2021 Top Doctors list, which includes many physicians who are part of Northeast Georgia Health System. The list, created in partnership with Castle Connolly Top Doctors, is determined after a rigorous screening process of online nominations from licensed physicians across the United States.

Click here to see a complete list of Atlanta Magazine’s 2021 Top Doctors.

For more information about physicians at Northeast Georgia Health System, or to schedule an appointment, visit nghs.com/doctors.

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Wayne Memorial Hospital is offering the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to those 18 and older on Friday, August 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in its main conference room. The public may enter through the front doors of the hospital or the side entry at the cafeteria patio. There is no charge and no need for an appointment. Masks should be worn.  The Moderna vaccine is a two-dose process, with the second dose several weeks later. The hospital is located at 865 South First Street in Jesup, Georgia.

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The Delta variant has already caused COVID-19 surges in other states, and it’s here in Georgia now. Thankfully, the difference between these surges and what we saw last year is the fact that we have access to a better weapon in the fight: the COVID-19 vaccine.

Next week, Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) is hosting an event to distribute the vaccine to those 12 years of age and older who still need the shot, and NGPG is encouraging you to sign up now.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Event

Wednesday, July 28

8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Corporate Plaza

3137 Frontage Road

Gainesville, GA 30504

Schedule an Appointment

The rate of positive COVID-19 test results is on the rise, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health – just as it was before each of our three previous surges. If you’ve been waiting to make sure the vaccine is safe before you get the shot, rest assured that more than 4.6 million have gotten the vaccine in Georgia alone.

Unfortunately, more than half of our state still isn’t vaccinated, and that leaves us all vulnerable to another crippling spike. The vaccine is the weapon we didn’t have in the fight before, and we need everyone who is eligible to protect themselves so our businesses can remain open, our children can return to school and our communities can continue to recover.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine and where you can receive your shot, visit nghs.com/covid-19/vaccine-updates.

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St. Mary’s Health Care System and the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership are welcoming 12 new physician residents to the Internal Medicine Residency Program (IMRP) this summer.

The new residents began practicing at St. Mary’s on July 1 under the supervision of advanced resident physicians and physician faculty from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and area community-based teaching faculty.

Residents are medical school graduates who are working toward full licensure as independent physicians. Residency is a three-year program with increasing levels of independence. It’s the final stage in their internal medicine education. At the end of the three-year program, they will take their licensure exam (“Boards”) and then either go into practice or continue into training for a specialty.

The IMRP is accredited to host up to 37 residents. They provide supervised inpatient care at St. Mary’s Hospital on Baxter Street and outpatient care at Community Internal Medicine of Athens on Oglethorpe Avenue. In addition, third year residents spend two months in a rural healthcare setting, providing inpatient care at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro.

“Our Internal Medicine Residency Program offers a wide range of experiences,” said Lela Ward, MD, Program Director. “From critical care and inpatient units to a rural outpatient clinic, our residents have a diverse range of practice opportunities that will prepare them well as they further their careers.”

The IMRP Class of 2024 started on July 1. They and their medical college are:

• Laasya Cherukuri, MD, medical degree from Rangaraya Medical College
• Yoonhee Choi, MD, medical degree from Eulji University College of Medicine
• Vinh Dong, MD, medical degree from American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
• Rahim Fazal, MD, medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine
• Lauren Holland, DO, medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Alexandria Hoy, MD, medical degree from University of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Kevin Moriles, DO, medical degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Caroline Musa MD, medical degree from Washington University of Health and Sciences
• Juan Vigo, MD, medical degree from University of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Manal Zafar, medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

They are joined by Shelby Sweat, DO, a preliminary year resident who will practice for a year with the IMRP before continuing her training in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Dr. Sweat earned her medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

This year’s Chief Residents are Dr. Jamila Pham and Dr. Joshuam Ruiz Vega, recent graduates of the residency program who will be staying with the IMRP for an additional year. The Chief Residents act as liaisons between faculty members and residents, serve as mentors, and help design and create educational activities, in addition to providing patient care.

“We are thrilled to have this new group of physicians join our residency program.  Their backgrounds, achievements and connections to Georgia will be an asset to our program and community for years to come,” said Dr. Ward.

Program leaders also are celebrating the success of the outgoing Class of 2021. Of the 10 graduating residents and recently departed former Chief Resident, four will remain in Georgia to practice or will continue their medical education at Emory University. Of those four, two will stay in the Athens area: Dr. Pham and Dr. Ruiz Vega as Chief Residents at St. Mary’s Hospital.  The other two will be practicing as hospitalists in Rome and Moultrie, Georgia.

“This is tremendous that four of our residents will be staying in Georgia as we continue to combat the physician shortage,” said Shelley Nuss, MD, Campus Dean and Designated Institutional Official of the AU/UGA Medical Partnership.

The IMRP is a joint effort by the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership and St. Mary’s, the program’s Major Participating Site. The program’s goal is to address the physician shortage in Georgia.

“Being the site of the first medical residency program in Northeast Georgia continues to be a tremendous honor for St. Mary’s,” said Jason Smith, MD, St. Mary’s Chief Medical Officer. “Residents bring new energy and enthusiasm into our clinical areas. At the same time, working with these new physicians is exciting for our medical staff. We welcome our sixth class of residents and are looking forward to working side-by-side with them over the next three years to further raise the bar for clinical excellence at St. Mary’s and across Northeast Georgia.”

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South Georgia Media Center has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry Silver Performance Achievement Award for 2021. SGMC is the only hospital in the region and among only eight in the state of Georgia and 132 nationwide to receive the honor.

The award recognizes SGMC’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that SGMC has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

SGMC has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain  ̶   MI Registry for four consecutive quarters during 2020 and performed with distinction in specific performance measures. Participation in the registry encourages hospitals to use their data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients. The Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry also empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients.

“We have implemented patient-centered strategies with many disciplines in order to meet the criteria for this award,” states Dr. Doug Luke, Chief of Cardiology at SGMC. “The cardiovascular team, which includes cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and mid-level providers, have contributed to this achievement. The Hospitalist group, private medical physicians, and nursing staff from all areas, as well as cardiac rehab services, cath lab and outpatient cath lab prep and recovery staff, EPIC team, and medical records staff have all been vital to our successes. Our NCDR data abstractors have been instrumental in showing us our strengths, and where we have room for improvements that will benefit our patients. We are excited to receive this recognition of our collective work, and look forward to continuing to improve heart attack care for this community.”

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that almost 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.

SGMC’s Dasher Heart Center offers an extensive heart and vascular program with seven cardiologists, three cardiothoracic surgeons and a vascular surgeon. SGMC has also been recognized by the American Heart Association with the 2020 Get with the Guidelines Gold award for inpatient hospital resuscitation.

For more information visit sgmc.org.

Spending time outdoors is a great way to be physically active, reduce stress and have fun, but too much unprotected exposure to the sun can be dangerous.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, an invisible type of radiation that comes from the sun, tanning beds and sunlamps. UV rays can damage skin cells.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your skin from too much UV exposure and lower your skin cancer risk:

• Stay in the shade as much as possible, under an umbrella, tree or other shelter.
• Use sunscreen and wear protective clothing when you’re outside, even if you’re in the shade. Sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher should be applied in a thick layer on all exposed skin. The higher the SPF, the more protection the sunscreen offers. Be sure to reapply at least every two hours and after swimming, sweating or toweling off. The use of sunscreen is not recommended for babies under 6 months old. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that infants be dressed in protective clothing and kept in the shade.
• Wear a hat that has a brim that shades your face, ears and the back of your neck. If you wear a baseball cap, protect your ears and the back of your neck with clothing, sunscreen or staying in the shade.
• While sunglasses protect your eyes from UV rays and reduce the risk of cataracts, they also protect the skin around your eyes from sun exposure. Sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays offer the best protection. Wrap-around styles block UV rays from coming in from the side.

“If you’ve had three major, blistering sunburns in your lifetime – just three – you’re at an increased risk of skin cancer. Plan ahead by applying sunscreen before you leave home and don’t forget to reapply often,” said Dr. Paul Dale, Chief of Surgical Oncology for Atrium Health Navicent and Medical Director of the Peyton Anderson Cancer Center, Atrium Health Navicent. “If you’re concerned about a mole or another spot on your skin, see your primary care doctor. Moles that itch or change shape, size or color should be examined as soon as possible. The earlier we identify cancer, the better we can treat it.”

About Atrium Health Navicent

Atrium Health Navicent is the leading provider of healthcare in central and south Georgia and is committed to its mission of elevating health and well-being through compassionate care. Atrium Health Navicent provides high-quality, personalized care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region. As part of the largest, integrated, nonprofit health system in the Southeast, it is also able to tap into some of the nation’s leading medical experts and specialists with Atrium Health, allowing it to provide the best care close to home – including advanced innovations in virtual medicine and care. Throughout its 125-year history in the community, Atrium Health Navicent has remained dedicated to enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. It is also one of the leading teaching hospitals in the region, helping to ensure viability for rural health care for the next generation. For more information, please visit www.NavicentHealth.org.

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South Georgia Medical Center held a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce on June 28 to celebrate its new partnership with Healogics and the subsequent enhancement of SGMC Wound Care and Hyperbarics. 

SGMC partnered with Healogics, the nation’s leading provider of advanced, chronic wound care services to enhance the treatment options available for people living with chronic, non-healing wounds.  

According to SGMC Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer Randy Smith, “It is very clear that patients in our area can benefit from the advanced therapy and we are proud to be able to offer it. Wound care is something that many people don’t consider until they have a wound that is not healing right. Our center will give patients comfort that their wounds are going to heal properly reducing their risk of a more serious wound problem.” 

It is estimated that chronic wounds affect 6.7 million people in the U.S. and that number is rising, fueled by an aging population and increasing rates of conditions such as diabetes, obesity and the late effects of radiation therapy.  If left untreated chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb. 

Part of the new advanced therapy includes Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) which speeds up healing of carbon monoxide poisoning, gangrene, stubborn wounds, and infections in which tissues are starved for oxygen. HBOT is administered via one of two hyperbaric chambers available at the center. The chambers allow patients to breathe in pure oxygen in air pressure levels 1.5 to 3 times higher than average, filling the blood with enough oxygen to repair tissues. Patients who are not responding to traditional treatments or experiencing radiation wounds from cancer treatments, traumatic or surgical injuries, and carbon monoxide poisoning may qualify for HBOT.  

Danna Simpson, Program Director, states, “Having Hyperbaric Therapy here in our community offers patients an opportunity for treatment that can do more than heal their stubborn wounds, it can save their life.” 

SGMC Wound Care and Hyperbarics is located at 2330 N. Ashley Street in Valdosta.  Healogics is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and has a nationwide network of over 600 Wound Care Centers®. For more information visit sgmc.org.