Thursday, March 11, 2021 marks one year since South Georgia Medical Center received confirmation of its first positive COVID-19 patient and entered the battle against the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. As a public show of support for its healthcare workforce and to honor the lives lost, SGMC launched 30 days of light.       

For 30 days, the Dasher Memorial Heart Center will don a blue glow, the color of hope to many, as a display of respect to for the unprecedented strength and resilience shown by SGMC’s workforce. This display of hope could not come at a more appropriate time, as access to vaccinations continues to increase across the region and COVID-19 hospitalizations steadily decline.  

“We begin a new year with a renewed spirit filled with hope,” said SGMC President and Chief Executive Officer Ronald E. Dean. “We encourage all healthcare workforce members wherever you are and all communities of people throughout South Georgia to take a moment to reflect on this past year and its impact on our lives, but especially how much stronger we have become, united together to battle perhaps the most challenging healthcare conditions in a lifetime, to secure the health and wellbeing of our communities of people. A truly remarkable effort by each and every one throughout the region.” 

While SGMC celebrates the 1,500 inpatients who have been treated and discharged by the SGMC team and thousands more who received life altering COVID-19 ambulatory care, Dean says it’s equally important that we remember and memorialize those who lost their lives from COVID-19. SGMC’s main water feature on the corner of Patterson Street and Pendleton Drive, will feature 275 solar lights, each light representing a life of an inpatient lost during their hospitalization.   

Dean shared the team is extremely grateful for the support received from the community which has included kind words, thank you cards, meals, and more. “Our work against COVID-19 is not over, yet we have a hope for a brighter tomorrow because of the remarkable work of so many who serve as a part of our health delivery system.”  

SGMC encourages citizens to take a moment over the next 30 days to drive by the facility to observe this display of remembrance, support and hope.   

For more information on SGMC, visit sgmc.org. 

On Wednesday, March 10, Tanner Health System provided COVID-19 vaccines for staff from Carroll County Schools, Carrollton City Schools, Oak Mountain Academy and Oak Grove Montessori.

“Tanner Health System’s partnership has been instrumental in allowing us to offer our employees the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine promptly,” said Scott Cowart, superintendent for the Carroll County School System. “We are fortunate to have tremendous support from our community to keep our students and staff safe and healthy while also providing premier in-person instruction.”

In all, more than 1,000 school staff received their first of two doses of COVID-19 vaccine at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton.

“Our school systems are essential in our efforts to get back to normal,” said Loy Howard, president and CEO of Tanner. “Our schools do so much not only for our children, but our families in general. We’re proud to be able to offer this level of protection for our local educators. It’s our goal to vaccinate everyone in our community. As soon as we receive vaccine, we open vaccination clinics. Ultimately, we want to provide a vaccine for everyone in our community who wants one.”

Next week, the health system plans to host a vaccination event in Bremen for Bremen City Schools staff.

The vaccination effort follows Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s March 8 decision to expand vaccination to school staff. For about two months, Tanner has been working to provide as many vaccines as possible to healthcare workers and Georgia residents age 65 and older, in accordance with state guidelines.

“Tanner has gone above and beyond to accommodate our local school systems with a simple, no-hassle process that made the large-scale vaccination logistics easy to navigate on our end,” said Dr. Mark Albertus, superintendent for Carrollton City Schools. “It alleviated a lot of anxiety and stress on our teachers, staff and the parents who trust us to keep their children safe. This is a community partnership at its finest.”

In addition to vaccinating educators, Tanner provided first and second doses to those 65 and above. Tanner will continue to plan upcoming vaccination clinics as supply allows. The health system relies on the state to determine how much vaccine it receives.

More on Tanner’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts can be found at tanner.org/vaccine.

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Through the Georgia Rural Health Tax Program, Georgia HEART, Wayne Memorial recently received $10,000 via Windham Brannon, LLC. Pictured are Hospital Chief Financial Officer Greg Jones (left) and Windham Brannon Healthcare Advisory Business Development Director Chris Andersen (right) at the check presentation.

The state of Georgia’s rural hospitals have long been facing a financial crisis, jeopardizing the access of rural Georgians to adequate health care. As a result in 2016, the Georgia General Assembly passed, and Governor Nathan Deal signed into law, Senate Bill 258. This piece of legislation awards Georgia income tax credits to individual and corporate taxpayers who contribute to qualified rural hospital organizations located in Georgia.

“We aim to make a difference for healthcare providers because we know that, ultimately, we are serving patients and their communities. Everyone will be a patient at some point in their life, which is something we take to heart,” Danielle Epps, healthcare advisory practice co-leader at Windham Brannon said.

Participation in the Georgia HEART program is limited to Georgia rural hospitals that meet certain qualification criteria established in the law. These include population size (50,000 or less, excluding military personnel), tax-exempt status or public hospital authority management, acceptance of Medicare and Medicaid, and a minimum annual provision of indigent or uncompensated care. In order to qualify, rural hospitals must also file a five-year plan with the Georgia Department of Community Health.

“We are certainly grateful for this donation. The Georgia HEART program has been a blessing to us as well as our fellow rural hospitals throughout the state,” Jones said. Wayne Memorial is one of 14 Georgia hospitals to receive a $10,000 donation from Georgia HEART via Windham Brannon. See the full list.

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Wayne Memorial Hospital, whose mission is to provide high quality health care services to all patients, built a state-of-the-art facility in 2007. It is the third largest employer in Wayne County with 500 employees, 84 beds and is a three-time winner of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year Award.

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South Georgia Medical Center recently completed a $6 million upgrade of its two linear accelerators. Located in the Pearlman Cancer Center, the versatile linear accelerators deliver customized external beam radiation treatments to cancer patients. These units are an essential part of cancer treatment with two-thirds of Pearlman’s patients receiving radiation therapy at some point during their care.

Dr. John Devine, Medical Director for Radiation Oncology, said, “The Elekta Versa HD linear accelerators provide additional capabilities, such as stereotactic radiosurgery, volume modulated arc therapy, and surface guided radiation therapy including deep inspiration breath hold.”

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) ensures high definition dynamic treatment of complex or challenging cancers with submillimeter accuracy. Volume modulated arc therapy (VMAT) speeds up the treatment delivery time.

The new accelerators use Vision RT Surface Guided Radiation Therapy (SGRT), a technique that includes a three-dimensional camera system to project a laser map on the patient’s skin surface to detect any position changes during treatment. When movement is detected, the accelerator automatically pauses the radiation treatment.

“The goal is to treat the tumor with a high dose of radiation while protecting the surrounding vital organs and tissues,” Devine said.

According to Shahidul Pramanik, Medical Physicist, the upgrade took approximately a year to complete. Each accelerator weighs nearly 9 tons and is housed separately in a specially constructed vault. An up-grade of this magnitude is needed every 10-12 years, which is the expected life-span of the sophisticated equipment.

“At the center of every cancer fight is a patient,” said Laura Jones, Chief Therapist and Dosimetrist. “It’s always exciting to have the most advanced technology to offer our patients, because they are our friends and family.”

Janna Luke, Director of the Pearlman Cancer Center, said, “We pride ourselves in being the region’s leader in comprehensive cancer care. This investment further supports that mission as patients can receive the latest and greatest cancer treatment closer to home.”

Pearlman serves a 15-county area, treating nearly 2,000 patients each year. Pearlman has performed approximately 100,000 treatments through the linear accelerator and more than 250,000 radiation oncology procedures in the last decade. The center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and the American College of Radiology.

Purchase of the linear accelerators was made possible by the philanthropic support of the SGMC Foundation.

To learn more about the Pearlman Cancer Center, click here.

Pictured: SGMC Medical Physicist Shahidul Pramanik and Dr. John Devine, Medical Director for Radiation Oncology, showcase one of the two new linear accelerators located in the Pearlman Cancer Center.

Today, St. Mary’s Health Care System will begin its observance of the first anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic by planting hundreds of white flags on the lawns of its hospitals in Athens, Lavonia and Greensboro. The flags will recognize the nearly 1,500 inpatients with COVID-19 who have received care at the three hospitals over the past year.

“With this observance, we mark a somber anniversary for our world, our nation, our communities, and our healthcare ministry,” said St. Mary’s President and CEO Montez Carter. “As we plant these flags, we invite our colleagues and our communities to reflect on how this year has impacted all of us and to look ahead to the promise of better times to come.”

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020.

“Last March, we watched the pandemic spread around the world. We knew it would get to our communities, too,” said Sacred Heart Hospital President Jeff English. “When the first surge hit, our communities did a great job of flattening the curve, which was tremendously important because the virus was so new, no one on earth really knew how to fight it. We have developed much better treatments since then, but it’s still vital that people continue to follow masking and social distance guidelines. We’re not out of the woods yet.”

“Our whole system ramped up in those early days and we’ve been giving it 110 percent every day since then,” said Good Samaritan Hospital President Tanya Adcock. “When the summer surge came and went, we hoped we were through the worst of it, but then the post-Thanksgiving surge hit and kept getting worse and worse right through Christmas and into January. It was heartbreaking. Our faith in each other and in God was the only thing that got us through it. I pray we never see anything like it again.”

The blessing of the flags at St. Mary’s in Athens will begin at 1 p.m., after which colleagues will plant approximately 850 flags on the front lawn. At Good Samaritan, the blessing of the flags – about 250 – will also begin at 1 p.m. And at Sacred Heart, the blessing of about 400 flags will begin at 2 p.m. The public is welcome but onsite parking may not be available. Photos and videos will be taken of the events and shared publicly.

Each observance will pay special respects to the lives claimed by the pandemic.

“Combined, more than 130 patients have passed away at our hospitals of COVID-19,” Carter said. “These deaths have been tragic for the families and hard on our dedicated and compassionate staff, who not only provide exceptional care but also serve as the eyes, ears, hands and hearts of family members who cannot be with their loved ones while they are in the hospital.

“There are countless stories of nurses facilitating Zoom calls, printing and hanging up pictures, helping patients record voice messages, and moving beds so patients could wave to loved ones through the window,” he noted.

Support from the community has been extremely successful in helping staff cope with the extraordinary stresses presented by COVID, according to Foundation Director Ansley Martin.

“The outpouring of love from our communities has been overwhelming,” she said. “We have received thousands of cards from school children, goodie bags from churches, and full meals from restaurants and local businesses. There is no telling how many prayers and expressions of support we have been gifted. We are so thankful.”

Worldwide, Johns Hopkins University reported Tuesday that more than 117 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 2.6 million people have died, including more than 524,000 in the United States. In Georgia, the Department of Public Health on Tuesday reported some 830,000 confirmed cases over the past year, with more than 56,800 hospitalizations, and 15,600 confirmed deaths statewide.

“These numbers are mind-numbing. They are simply too big to process,” said St. Mary’s Vice President Mission Services Julie Carter. “But behind each and every one of them is a human being, and behind each of those people are family members and friends who are directly impacted by their illness or death. We are so thankful we now have three safe and effective vaccines that hold the best promise of ending this pandemic.”

“Our return to normalcy depends on enough people developing immunity that COVID essentially stops spreading,” said St. Mary’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jason Smith, noting that more than 31 million Americans are now fully vaccinated. “Vaccination offers a way to reach ‘herd immunity’ that, unlike natural infection, doesn’t put millions more people at risk of severe illness or death.”

In a message to all St. Mary’s colleagues on Tuesday, President Carter concluded with this: “Thank you for all you have done and continue to do. You inspire me. Your dedication to St. Mary’s and Trinity Health is a blessing. Your compassion for our patients brings joy to my heart. You have been – and continue to be – a light in the darkness. Together, we will put this pandemic behind us. God bless you, our ministry, and those we serve.”

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The South Georgia Medical Center Foundation received a $175,000 grant from the Roots and Wings Foundation to support AngelEye, the new technology recently installed in the SGMC Birthplace. AngelEye cameras allow families to check on their babies 24/7 through secure livestreaming video over a computer, phone or tablet. The application also has a one-way patient update tool that allows doctors and nurses to send vital updates and precious moments through a text, photo, or video recording.

The grant will fund the software and 32 live-streaming video cameras installed in the SGMC Birthplace. The cameras are located across various departments including Labor & Delivery, Nursery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Surgery and select Post Partum rooms.

The Roots and Wings Foundation supports access to high quality, affordable, safety net healthcare, including maternal and perinatal health, family planning, and mental health. SGMC is committed to women and infant’s health throughout the region and is excited to deploy the latest technology with the help from this generous organization.

“On behalf of The Roots and Wings Foundation’s board and staff, we are excited to support SGMC Foundation and to be a partner in your work,” says Shana Dall’Osto, Executive Director of Roots and Wings Foundation.

“We are very grateful to receive this funding which will allow SGMC to deploy the latest technology and help families stay connected to their little ones,” says Elizabeth Vickers, Executive Director of SGMC Foundation.

Now more than ever, virtual technology is often the only source keeping families connected in the most critical of moments. The SGMC Foundation is asking for donations to help sustain this service as well as funds to help purchase more cameras. To donate, please visit www.sgmcfoundation.org/AngelEye.

The Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Act approved today by the Georgia House of Representatives includes $180,000 to support Southeast Georgia Health System with the initial planning work to establish a Graduate Medical Education (GME) program for resident physicians.

“Rural hospitals in Georgia are experiencing major doctor shortages, especially primary care physicians,” stated Michael D. Scherneck, president and chief executive officer for Southeast Georgia Health System. “Our Health System has been actively recruiting physicians for more than fifteen years and we believe a residency program is a natural next step to begin to ‘grow our own’ physicians for the community, furthering our ongoing recruitment efforts.”

According to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, more than 22% of Georgia’s family medicine and internal medicine physicians are nearing retirement age. Of more concern, rural communities often face significantly higher shortages of physicians than urban areas.

The legislative delegation representing Glynn and Camden counties spearheaded advocacy for the funding which was added in the House budget. “We know family medicine and internal medicine physicians are in short supply in our community,” noted Representative Don Hogan (R-St. Simons Island), dean of the delegation. “This funding is a first step to help alleviate that issue.”

“Having a pipeline of primary care physicians in our community is so important,” said Representative Buddy DeLoach (R-Townsend). “I am honored to support funding for the Health System to complete a feasibility study and analysis of adding a primary care residency program to our community.”

All medical school graduates must complete a period of residency training to be licensed to practice medicine. During residency, doctors learn skills and techniques specific to their chosen specialty under the supervision of attending physicians and serve as part of a care team. Medical workforce research finds that physicians frequently select a future practice location within the state or community in which they complete their residency.

“We anticipate that any residency program offered would be three years in length and focused on primary care, which includes both family medicine and internal medicine,” Scherneck said.

The Health System’s affiliated physician practice group, Southeast Georgia Physician Associates, is comprised of more than 140 physicians that serve Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn and McIntosh counties. “Our physicians are dedicated and excited about teaching the next generation of physicians,” added Scherneck. “Our talented group of physicians and staff position us well to take on graduate medical education. We already host undergraduate medical education rotations, and we know the academic enterprise improves the quality and reach of our services and our skills.”

“A medical residency program would not only provide additional primary care physicians in our community, it would also promote economic development through an increase of high-paying jobs. I’m proud of the work the Health System has done to make this a reality,” said Representative Steven Sainz (R-Woodbine).

“I cannot thank our local delegation and the Georgia House of Representatives enough for supporting this funding,” Scherneck said. “We look forward to working with the Senate and the Governor’s office to have the funding finalized.”

Senator Sheila McNeill (R-Brunswick) expressed optimism about the funding: “I look forward to supporting the Health System’s funding request in the Senate and the opportunity to have a graduate medical education program for physicians in our community.”

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 140 providers working in 20 different medical specialties at more than 50 locations. In 2020, the Brunswick Campus was rated High Performing in COPD and Heart Failure by the U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit sghs.org.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Criteria to Expand on March 8

BRUNSWICK, Georgia: March 4, 2021 – Southeast Georgia Health System has available COVID-19 vaccine appointments for residents meeting current eligibility criteria at their Brunswick and Kingsland Vaccine Clinics. Appointments can be scheduled online at sghs.org/covid19-vaccine.

Brunswick Campus, Linda S. Pinson Conference Center

2415 Parkwood Drive, Brunswick

Saturday, March 6, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Wednesday, March 10, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Camden Community Recreation Center

1050 Wildcat Drive, Kingsland

Monday, March 8, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Friday, March 12, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Based on guidelines established by Governor Kemp on Dec. 30, 2020, individuals 65 years old and older, their caregivers, health care workers and emergency first responders are eligible to receive the vaccine.

Effective March 8, an expanded group of individuals may receive a COVID-19 vaccine.  Additional guidance has been provided by the Governor’s office regarding the expansion on March 8 to (1) Adults with intellectual and development disabilities and their caregivers; (2) parents of children with complex medical conditions or who are at high risk of COVID complications; and (3) teachers and childcare staff meeting certain criteria.  Below is the additional guidance provided:

1. Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Their Caregivers

Intellectual disability is characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills. This disability orginates before the age of 22.

A developmental disability is a physical or mental impairment that happens before the age of 22, is expected to last a lifetime, and impacts at least three activities of daily living. Activities of daily living include self-care; receptive and expressive language; learning; mobility; self-direction; capacity for independent living; and economic self-sufficiency.

2.   Parents of Children with Complex Medical Conditions or who are at high risk for COVID complications: 

• Malignancies requiring active treatment
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including organ transplant (bone marrow or solid organ) within 2 years
• Critical congenital heart disease
• Asthma (moderate to severe)
• Sickle cell disease
• Diabetes
• Obesity (BMI >95th index-for-age percentile)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Significant neurologic injury or condition (hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, traumatic brain injury, congenital anomaly) with functional/developmental impairment (e.g. cerebral palsy, developmental delay or disability, prematurity, mitochondrial disease)
• Technology dependence (e.g. BiPAP, trach)

3. Pre-K, K-12, and DECAL Licensed or Exempt Childcare Programs Educators and Staff

Those receiving the vaccine must be available for a second dose 21 days later for the Pfizer vaccine or 28 days later for the Moderna vaccine. Individuals receiving the vaccine must provide a form of identification, and should wear a shirt that provides access to their upper arm. Masks are required when in a Health System facility. Following the vaccination, recipients will be required to remain in an observation area for 15 minutes to ensure they do not experience any adverse reaction.

Even after receiving the vaccine, it remains extremely important to continue following safety protocols. Wear a mask, social distance, wash hands frequently and avoid large gatherings. Updated vaccine information is available on the Health System’s website at sghs.org/covid-19.

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 140 providers working in 20 different medical specialties at more than 50 locations. For more information, visit sghs.org.

Last week Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that beginning March 8, the eligibility for Georgians to receive a COVID-19 vaccine will be expanded. This expansion will include workforce in licensed or exempt childcare programs, Pre-K, and K-12 education; adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers; and parents of children with complex medical conditions.

South Georgia Medical Center currently offers vaccinations at three campuses in Valdosta, Nashville and Lakeland, Georgia and has appointments available at this time for qualified individuals.

Recognizing that teachers and their support staff are at work during the current available vaccination times, SGMC will host a special Saturday event on March 13, from 8am to 5pm, to provide a convenient option for educators to receive their vaccine. The event will be held at SGMC’s main campus drive thru COVID-19 vaccination site.  

“We are extremely excited about the expansion of the COVID-19 eligibility guidelines,” said Director of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Scarlett Rivera, RN. “Our teachers and educational support staff play such an important role in our children’s wellbeing and everyone at SGMC is grateful to be able to offer this tool to more people to help create a community of immunity.”

SGMC is advising that educators and support staff pre-register online to secure their appointment time and expedite the vaccination process which takes approximately 15-20 minutes.

To receive their vaccination, individuals must meet the eligibility qualifications and show valid identification at their appointment.

As of March 1, SGMC has administered vaccines to nearly 13,000 community members. Appointments are available for eligible individuals which also include Georgians age 65 and older and their caregivers, law enforcement, firefighters and other first responders (Phase 1a+), residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, health care workers, and emergency medical personnel.

To schedule an appointment visit sgmc.org.

​Until last November, Gene and Jane Mitchell, married for 51 years, had seldom been apart. Their union has produced four children, 14 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and a legacy of togetherness that was abruptly interrupted by an automobile wreck last year.

Mrs. Mitchell was admitted to Floyd Medical Center at a time when COVID-19 numbers were rising and hospital visits were limited to help protect individuals like the Mitchells, who were at risk of severe complications should they contract the virus.

The Mitchells were able to celebrate the big holidays together as she recuperated first on Floyd’s Inpatient Rehabilitation floor and later at Polk Medical Center’s Subacute Care unit, with Mr. Mitchell driving daily from Shannon to Cedartown to visit with his wife, but Mrs. Mitchell’s injuries eventually required her to be transferred to a nursing home. COVID-19 quarantines and strict visitation rules meant that, for the first time in their long marriage, Gene and Jane couldn’t be together.

As January gave way to February, the outlook for spending Valentine’s Day together didn’t look too promising. But, a need for additional surgery, a new visitation policy and the thoughtfulness of a Floyd employee, conspired to reunite the couple just in time for that very special couple’s day.

Jane was readmitted to Floyd’s orthopaedic nursing floor on Friday, Feb. 12 for tendon repairs, and Gene could at long last join his wife at her hospital bedside. Tammy Hanks, a unit secretary cross-trained as a certified nursing assistant (CNA), quickly made friends with the couple, learned their story and saw an opportunity to play a special kind of Cupid role this Valentine’s Day. She enlisted a co-worker to stage a conversation outside Mrs. Mitchell’s door with singular goal in mind.

Tammy and her co-worker talked about Valentine’s Day and discussed where their significant others should take them out to eat. Professing unfamiliarity with restaurants in the area, Tammy asked Mr. Mitchell where they should go. He suggested Outback Steakhouse – the final piece of information Tammy needed to execute her plan.

Determined to make Valentine’s Day special for the reunited couple, she arranged for a steak dinner and a signature appetizer to be delivered to their hospital room on Valentine’s Day.

The Mitchells were overjoyed and completely surprised by Tammy’s efforts on their behalf. They rang the nurse call light when they had finished their meal and told Tammy they needed some help. She went to check on the couple, whose “need” was to tell her they had thoroughly enjoyed their meal and to express their appreciation for her extra special effort to help them to celebrate their 51st Valentine’s Day together.