St. Mary’s Health Care System has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines^®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines that are based on the latest scientific evidence.

St. Mary’s has received the Stroke Gold-Plus quality achievement award 11 years in a row and has been named to the Target: Stroke Honor Roll nine years in a row, elevating its achievement to Honor Roll Elite for the first time.

St. Mary’s earned the awards by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions

“St. Mary’s is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients through our ongoing implementation of the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Montez Carter, St. Mary’s President and CEO. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

At the same time, St. Mary’s received the Association’s Target: Stroke^SM Elite recognition. To qualify for this honor roll, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke. Ischemic stroke is the most common kind of stroke, affecting about 80 percent of stroke patients. It happens when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked, interrupting blood flow to brain tissue. Up to 2 million brain cells can die each minute unless blood flow can be restored with clot-busting medication or mechanical thrombectomy, a procedure that physically removes clots from large blood vessels, that is available at St. Mary’s in conjunction with neurosurgeon Neil Woodall, MD.

St. Mary’s additionally received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90 percent of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.” Diabetes is a common condition that can damage blood vessels if not well managed, leading to complications such as heart attack and stroke.

St. Mary’s has also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.

“We are pleased to recognize St. Mary’s Health Care System for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

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About St. Mary’s

St. Mary’s Health Care System is a faith-based, not-for-profit health care ministry whose mission is to be a compassionate and transforming healing presence in the communities it serves. Part of Trinity Health, St. Mary’s puts special focus on neurosciences, cardiac care, orthopedics, general medicine, general surgery, women’s and children’s health, and care for older adults. St. Mary’s includes hospitals in Athens, Lavonia and Greensboro, as well as a multi-practice medical group, a retirement community, outpatient care facilities, graduate medical education, and a region-wide home health care/hospice service. St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens is a certified chest pain center, a gold-plus hospital for stroke care, and was named Georgia’s Large Hospital of the Year in 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2018 For more information, visit St. Mary’s website at www.stmaryshealthcaresystem.org.

About Get With The Guidelines^®

Get With The Guidelines^® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines^®is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with tools and resources to increase adherence to the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 9 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org/quality.

South Georgia Medical Center presented the Greater Valdosta United Way with 5,000 reusable cloth masks as part of its 10K Mask Challenge. The hospital’s Foundation launched the fundraising appeal in July, seeking to raise enough funds to purchase 10,000 masks to distribute to community members in need. The Foundation reached its goal in August making the purchase possible.

SGMC will distribute the remaining 5,000 masks to a variety of community organizations and locations who serve those in need.

“We are pleased to announce that we have reached our goal and are overwhelmed with the response of participation. Over 75 donors, individuals and businesses, stepped up during this short time frame and helped us fill this need with their monetary support. Our community truly knows how to give back,” said Elizabeth Vickers, SGMC Foundation Executive Director.

“We are honored to partner with SGMC to distribute masks out in the community through our partner agencies. We want to keep the spread of COVID down and allow the economy to recover,” said GVUW Chief Executive Officer Michael Smith. “SGMC is a great partner of ours and we are proud of their leadership in keeping South Georgia safe.”

The rate of new positive covid-19 cases in Lowndes County has declined in recent weeks and SGMC believes this can be attributed to the community acting responsibly to prevent the spread. This includes wearing a mask while in public places or when social distancing cannot be maintained.

Approaching the Labor Day holiday, SGMC encourages everyone to remember the acronym WWW- Wash your hands, Wear your mask, and Watch your distance.

For more information on the SGMC Foundation or to view a list of donors, visit sgmcfoundation.org.

Senior Care Center Visitor Cottages Keep Families Connected 1:27 pm

In difficult times, necessity becomes the mother of invention. Southeast Georgia Health System’s Senior Care Centers in Brunswick and St. Marys have taken that to heart. Outside of each facility stands a collection of diminutive white cottages, each featuring a covered porch.

“Because of the pandemic, it was necessary to restrict visitors at the Senior Care Centers for the safety of our residents,” said Gary Trullinger, administrator of the Senior Care Center-Brunswick. Trullinger worked with the Health System’s leadership to launch the concept. “Up till now, family and loved ones have connected with residents through window visits and with the use of a tablet for Skype calls. The Visitor Cottages can restore some normalcy by providing a private, safe and climate controlled space to reunite and spend quality time together.”

Each cottage allows two visitors to spend time with their elderly relative in a safe, private atmosphere. Residents enter through a back entrance, which has a wheelchair-accessible ramp and door. Visitors enter in the front door under a covered porch.

“Isolation was already one of the biggest challenges for long term care and elder care facilities prior to COVID-19,” said Rhondia Grant, LNHA, administrator, Senior Care Center-St. Marys. “COVID-19 made an already challenging situation worse with mandated shelter in place orders eliminating regular family visits for the past six months. While the Brunswick and St. Marys Senior Care Centers connect families through FaceTime and Skype, some families find the technology challenging. So the Visitor Cottages are a very exciting approach to helping our residents and their loved ones adapt to our ‘new normal.’”

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, a protective plexiglass shield divides the climate controlled sitting area but stops short of the ceiling. “It’s easier for residents to hear their visitors through a thin plexiglass shield than through a window,” said Chasitee Chambers, activities specialist, referring to the window-to-window visits Senior Care Center residents have participated in since March.

Window visits have several drawbacks, weather being one. Visitors must stand outside in the hot sun and rainstorms can cancel a much-anticipated visit.

“Some residents have difficulty hearing visitors through the window. Others with cognitive decline get confused and tell their family to come inside,” Chambers said.

Cozy, Comfortable and Safe

Extra safety precautions aside, a cottage visit is like chatting in a living room. “The cottages are a lot more comfortable and personal than a window-to-window visit,” Trullinger said.

Family and friends can call the Center to schedule a visit with their loved one. For now, visits are scheduled in 15-minute increments to give all residents an opportunity to use the cottages and to allow time for cleaning between visits. The Senior Care Center-Brunswick has four cottages; St. Marys has two.

A Sense of Well-Being

“Making residents feel loved and cared for has always been our goal; that’s especially important now, because their mental state affects their physical state. We want to make their experience here the best it can be. The cottages are one more way to keep residents connected with families,” Chambers said. The cottages are small, but Chambers hopes they will have a big impact on the residents’ well-being. Many residents are already excited, which makes Chambers feel supported by the Health System’s efforts. “It’s a great place to work,” she said.

Her gratitude extends to the community, as well. “We have had an outpouring of gifts, mail and support from the community. Our residents are always so excited when they receive the gifts and cards.”

If you would like to brighten a resident’s day, contact the Senior Care Centers at 912-265-8528 in Brunswick or 912-882-4281 in St. Marys to ask how you can help.

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, three immediate care centers, five family medicine centers and numerous employed physician practices. The Health System has multiple outpatient specialty care centers, including the only CyberKnife^® M6 Program in Georgia, and a Cancer Care Center accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. 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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The Stroke Program at South Georgia Medical Center was recognized, yet again, for excellence in stroke treatment. The hospital was just awarded the 2020 Get with the Guidelines- Stroke GOLD PLUS award from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association for the seventh consecutive year.

The award recognizes SGMC’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

Additionally, SGMC received the Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, SGMC met quality measures developed with more than 90% compliance for 12 consecutive months for its “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

SGMC is also the only hospital in South Georgia with an Advanced Certification as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.

Georgia is in the center of what is called the “stroke belt,” the region in the southeastern United States with an unusually high incidence of stroke. Because of this, SGMC committed nearly a decade ago to make stroke care a priority. The hospital welcomed Dr. Brian Dawson, a stroke neurologist, in 2011 to launch and develop an enhanced patient care protocol known as Code Stroke. 

SGMC began participating in the Get with the Guidelines program in 2012, receiving Bronze the first year, Silver Plus the next year, and Gold Plus recognition every year since.

“From the consistent hard work of many remarkable professionals over the years, SGMC has developed and maintained one of the best stroke programs in South Georgia. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve as the region’s Joint Commission Accredited Primary Stroke Center,” said Dr. Brian Dawson, Chief Medical Officer.

According to Dawson, through an enhanced partnership with community neurologists Drs. Mahmood Eisa, Bipin Patel, Hernan Posas, and Vipul Parek, and neurosurgeons Drs. Kimberly Mackey and Hitham Khalil, SGMC intends to keep taking neurological care to the next level.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

For more information on stroke treatment and capabilities at SGMC, visit sgmc.org.

The Medical Center, Navicent Health (MCNH) has received the Get With The Guidelines^®-AFIB Silver Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association and Heart Rhythm Society guidelines for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AFIB).

Get With The Guidelines-AFIB was developed to assist healthcare professionals to provide the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for patients with AFIB, an irregular heartbeat that can lead to stroke and other complications.

MCNH earned the award for meeting specific quality achievement measures at a set level for a designated period. These measures include proper use of medications and aggressive risk reduction therapies such as safe anticoagulants to prevent stroke. Also evaluated is the use of medications to stabilize the heart rate and rhythm and other medications needed to treat additional heart disease. Before they are discharged, patients also receive education on managing their condition and stroke risk, counseling if needed, and plans on follow-up care.

“The Medical Center, Navicent Health is dedicated to providing the highest standard of care for heart patients, including those with AFIB. Research has shown there are benefits to patients who are treated at hospitals that have adopted the Get With The Guidelines program, including lower risk of rehospitalization and reduced mortality rates. Using this program also allows us to track and measure our success in meeting internationally-respected clinical guidelines,” said Patrice Walker, MD, Chief Medical Officer for MCNH.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 2.7 million adults suffer from atrial fibrillation.  The condition accounts for about one-third of hospitalizations for cardiac rhythm disturbance and is associated with a five-fold increase risk of stroke. Proper AFIB treatment can reduce these risks.

Symptoms of AFIB include irregular heartbeat, heart palpitations, lightheadedness, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain. People of European ancestry are more likely to be affected by AFIB than other races and ethnicities. Other risk factors include age, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and smoking. AFIB may be managed with medication to control the heart rhythm and rate and certain lifestyle changes to control risk factors. Surgical options are also available.

About Navicent Health
Navicent Health, the leading provider of healthcare 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, Navicent Health provides care for healthcare 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. Navicent Health 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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It may surprise you to learn that prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in American men, behind only lung cancer. It doesn’t have to be. With early detection, prostate cancer is very treatable. In fact, more than 3.1 million men have survived their diagnosis, thanks to screenings that led to early intervention.

To improve the health and longevity of our community, Southeast Georgia Health System will offer free prostate cancer screenings in Brantley, Camden, Glynn and McIntosh counties during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month this September.

The early stages of prostate cancer usually show no symptoms, which underscores the importance of screenings. Eventually, the disease can lead to symptoms such as frequent urination (especially at night), being unable to urinate, difficulty starting or stopping urination, weak or interrupted urine flow, painful or burning urination, erectile dysfunction, painful ejaculation, blood in urine or semen, and chronic pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips or upper thighs. Prostate cancer can also numb or weaken the legs or feet or cause a loss of bladder or bowel control.

The key to defeating prostate cancer is early detection. “Statistics show that if found and treated early, the relative survival rate for prostate cancer is quite high. In fact, if the cancer is localized, meaning it has not spread beyond the prostate, the five-year survival rate is nearly 100 percent. This proves that screenings save lives,” says David Kranc, M.D., Ph.D., a board-certified urologist at Southeast Georgia Physician Associates–Urology.

The Health System’s free screenings include a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. This test detects elevated proteins produced by the prostate. A physician will review the PSA results to see if additional tests are needed.

Risk factors for prostate cancer include:

• Being 50 or older
• Being African American
• Family history
• Having the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene
• Having Lynch syndrome, a form of colorectal cancer
• High consumption of calcium (supplements or dietary)
• Obesity

“If cancer is found, there are many treatment options offered at the Health System, from ‘watchful waiting’ for slow-growing cancers, to surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or immunotherapy. We also have CyberKnife, an advanced radiation therapy that directly target cancer cells without harming surrounding healthy tissue,” says Kranc.

“For patients with localized prostate cancer and who are a surgical candidate, we use the da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System which offers patients a number of significant benefits over traditional open surgery,” explains Kranc. “Survival, continence, and potency rates have been excellent in those undergoing surgery using the Robot.”

Men age 40 and older, or those with any risk factors, are encouraged to participate in the free screening. Test results will be mailed to each participant. Due to COVID-19, appointments and social distancing are required to help keep everyone safe. The screening schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, Sept. 8, 4–7 p.m.

Brantley Family Medicine Center, 21300 Hwy. 82, Ste. C, Waynesville

McIntosh Family Medicine Center, 1022 Miller Lane SW, Darien

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 4–7 p.m.

Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus, 2000 Dan Proctor Dr., St. Marys

Thursday, Sept. 10, 4–7 p.m.

Southeast Georgia Health System Outpatient Care Center, 2500 Starling St., Brunswick

For more information or to make an appointment, call 855-ASK-SGHS (855-275-7447).

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, three immediate care centers, five family medicine centers and numerous employed physician practices. The Health System has multiple outpatient specialty care centers, including the only CyberKnife^® M6 Program in Georgia, and a Cancer Care Center accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. 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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Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

HMC earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

“Hamilton is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines–Stroke initiative,” said Meagan Darnell, Stroke Program coordinator. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

Additionally, HMC received the Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll awards. To qualify for the Stroke Honor Roll Elite recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treatischemic stroke. To qualify for Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90 percent of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

“We are pleased to recognize Hamilton Medical Center for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and executive vice chair of Neurology, director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates.”

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

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Southeast Georgia Health System Wound Care Center physicians, leaders and clinicians recently gathered to celebrate the Robert A. Warriner III, M.D., Clinical Excellence Award. The Wound Care Center has scored in the top 10 percent of eligible Healogics® Wound Care Centers® on the Clinical Excellence measure, which is the Comprehensive Healing Rate weighted by wound mix. This is a way to measure the heal rate for every patient that comes through the clinic door. The Wound Care Center was awarded this prestigious honor by Healogics, the nation’slargest provider of advanced wound care services. Named for Dr. Robert A. Warriner III, a pioneer in wound care and the former Chief Medical Officer for Healogics, only 57 centers in the country received this award.

“We are proud to have received this award, as it exemplifies the dedication our specially trained team has in ensuring the best possible outcomes in wound healing for our patients,” says Eric Segerberg, M.D., board-certified general surgeon and medical director of the Wound Care Center. “We are committed to providing our patients with leading-edge technology and offering treatments that can help heal and get patients back to their best health.”

Southeast Georgia Health System Wound Care Center is a member of the Healogics network of over 600 Wound Care Centers®. The Wound Care Center offers highly specialized wound care to patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections and other chronic wounds which have not healed in a reasonable amount of time. Leading-edge treatments at the Wound Care Center include negative pressure wound therapy, total contact casting, bio-engineered tissues, biosynthetic dressings and growth factor therapies. The Wound Care Center also offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which works by surrounding the patient with 100 percent oxygen to help progress the healing of the wound.

“One of the biggest challenges in healing wounds is when people wait too long to seek treatment. When people seek treatment early, we have the ability to heal that wound much faster and the outcomes are more favorable for the patient,” explains Meredith Reilly, director, Wound Care Center. “This award validates that we have met the highest standards for quality care and patient satisfaction.”

For more information about the Southeast Georgia Health System Wound Care Center, visit sghs.org/woundcare or call 912-466-5350.

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. 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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Virtual Behavioral Health Integration Available to Midstate Residents

MACON, GA (Monday, August 24, 2020) – When Charlotte-based Atrium Health and Macon, Ga.-based Navicent Health announced their strategic combination in January 2019, one primary objective of the partnership was to improve the depth and breadth of services offered to healthcare consumers in the Georgia market, particularly in the area of virtual care.

At that time, the two health systems announced that Atrium Health would invest capital and work with Navicent Health’s clinical experts to enhance services, particularly implementing innovative treatment models like virtual care and telepsychiatry to create the next generation of behavioral healthcare for Georgians. Now, one year into their combination, that goal has become a reality.

Working together, the partners have established the virtual behavioral healthcare integration (vBHI) program at outpatient clinics throughout the midstate. Healthcare consumers visiting Navicent Health’s outpatient clinics, and in need of behavioral healthcare, may be referred directly to a behavioral health professional, in a non-stigmatic fashion, and participate in a real-time virtual care visit while at their physician’s office, with no need to make a second appointment or delay care. Through virtual health technology, the patient and physician in Georgia can consult with the behavioral healthcare provider in North Carolina, and receive a real-time assessment, diagnosis and treatment plan.

“One of our primary concerns, not just at Navicent Health but throughout the state, is the stunning lack of behavioral health options for Georgians. Atrium Health is renowned for their method of providing real time behavioral care in their outpatient clinics, and one of our goals from the beginning was to bring those services – together with Atrium Health’s depth of knowledge – to Georgians. We are pleased with the initial success of this program, and look forward to assisting many who have needed care, but haven’t had the option until now,” said Dr. Ninfa M. Saunders, President and CEO of Navicent Health.

Currently, the system is averaging three referrals per provider per month. To date, almost 250 patients have been referred to the program. vBHI is currently provided at the following clinics, with more to come in the near future:

• Central Georgia Family Medicine (120 N. Lee Street, Forsyth)
• Family Health Center, Navicent Health (3780 Eisenhower Pkwy, Macon)
• Primary Care Associates Baldwin, Navicent Health (2803 North Columbia Street, Milledgeville)

The addition of vBHI is but one of a number of virtual health initiatives that Navicent Health and Atrium Health plan to implement in order to dramatically improve access to high-quality, reasonably priced care and elevate hope and healing for healthcare consumers in the Georgia market. The announcement of the vBHI program follows the announcement of the virtual critical care and virtual patient observation programs.

In the attached photo: Atrium Health and Navicent Health have established the virtual behavioral healthcare integration (vBHI) program at outpatient clinics throughout central Georgia. Healthcare consumers visiting Navicent Health’s outpatient clinics, and in need of behavioral healthcare, may be referred directly to a behavioral health professional and participate in a real-time virtual care visit while at their physician’s office, with no need to make a second appointment or delay care.

About Navicent Health
Navicent Health, the leading provider of healthcare 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, Navicent Health provides care for healthcare 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. Navicent Health is dedicated 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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Hamilton Medical Center began seeing patients in its new internal medicine clinic on Aug. 17.

The clinic is a component of Hamilton’s new internal medicine physician residency program. Eighteen resident physicians will be treating patients at the clinic, under the supervision of an attending physician. The attending physicians are Daniel Grace, MD, Sarbjit Masson, MD, and Deidre Pierce, MD, program director.

“Patients who use this clinic will receive the benefit of two physicians treating them,” said Pierce. “There will be a lot of collaboration, which benefits each patient.”

Resident physicians have graduated from medical school and are involved in on-the-job training in a specialized area of medicine.

“Our residents are going to offer a unique perspective,” Pierce said. “They’re dedicated to treating and further educating their patients and themselves and serving the community that is supporting their training.”

Services provided at the clinic are geared toward these physicians becoming the primary care physicians for the patients they serve. This includes services like prevention, diagnosis and treatment of internal diseases of all types. Typical visits are for physical examinations, diabetes management, hypertension (high blood pressure) treatment and other general healthcare services.

Internal medicine is a discipline of specialists trained broadly and extensively to meet the healthcare needs of most adults. Internists combine knowledge of basic medical science with the humanistic (focus on human welfare, values and dignity) aspects of medicine.

The focus for Hamilton’s resident training is to provide unsurpassed service, with an emphasis on safety and quality outcomes. Hamilton’s training program features a learning environment that fosters leadership, ingenuity and creative solutions to complex health problems.

“We hope Hamilton’s internal medicine clinic will be a significant benefit for many people in this area who may not yet have a primary care doctor,” said Pierce. “Our goal is to help our patients have great continuity of care and to ensure the best quality of life possible.”

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