ATV Accidents, Falls from Stands, Snake Encounters Contribute to ER Visits Each Year

As the days grow shorter and the temperatures grow cooler, many Georgians are preparing for an autumn tradition – hunting season. Regardless of the game sought and the weapon of choice, physicians at Navicent Health encourage hunters of all ages to observe proper safety precautions to minimize risk of common hunting injuries.

“Living where we live, often whole families enjoy hunting as a fall pastime. While hunting can be fun, parents and children should take safety precautions, particularly with their weapons and their modes of transportation, and always be aware of their surroundings. Taking a little extra time to ensure safety can prevent potentially life-threatening injuries,” said John Wood, MD, Director of Emergency Care for The Medical Center, Navicent Health and Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health.

Physicians at Navicent Health’s emergency centers typically treat injuries during hunting season that fall into one of four categories – all terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents, accidents with weapons, falls from tree stands and encounters with snakes.

ATV Accidents

ATVs are quick, heavy, and usually travel on unpredictable paths. Minimize risk of accidents and injuries by following these tips:

• Wear proper safety gear, including a helmet, while operating an ATV.
• Choose an ATV that is appropriate for the rider’s size and age – adult ATVs are often too heavy and too fast for an adolescent to safely manage.
• Pay attention to your surroundings.
• Avoid paved roads. ATVs are not intended for streets, and collisions with cars are possible.
• Never operate an ATV while consuming alcohol. 

Weapons Accidents

Whether hunting with a bow or a firearm, it is important to remember the following safety tips:

• Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
• Do not place your finger on the trigger unless you are preparing to take a shot.
• Doublecheck to ensure the bullet’s caliber is appropriate for the firearm.
• Archers should identify a safe background before releasing an arrow. No skyline shots.
• Archers should fully secure arrows before moving, even if they are only repositioning for a better shot.

Stand Falls

Falls from tree stands are a leading cause of injury among hunters. If using a tree stand, bear the following in mind:

• Inspect the ladder steps and tree attachments prior to ascending the stand.
• If the stand is attached to a tree, inspect the tree prior to ascending the stand. The tree should be alive and healthy, without any visible rot or damage.
• Use a safety harness. Hook into the harness prior to leaving the ground and leave it attached until you return safely to the ground.
• Use a haul line to pull your unloaded weapon into the stand. Do not carry a firearm or bow into the stand or attach it to your body.
• Tell a friend or loved one where you will be, and when to expect you home. If an accident occurs, someone should know where to find you.

Avoiding Snake Bites

Forty snake species are found in Georgia, and of those, six types are venomous. Hunters who spend time outdoors will likely run into a snake from time to time. Follow these tips to avoid potentially life-threatening encounters:

• Wear bite-proof boots and chaps.
• Be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Do not place your hands or feet into any area where you cannot see.
• If you encounter a snake, back away slowly. Do not approach or provoke the snake.
• If you or someone you love is bitten, seek emergency medical treatment immediately.

In all instances, adults should always supervise younger hunters.

“While hunting can be a pleasant and enjoyable experience, it poses real risks. These risks can be avoided by taking a few simple measures. Adults should keep these safety tips in mind and train the next generation of hunters to do the same,” said Dennis W. Ashley, M.D., Director of Trauma Services at The Medical Center, Navicent Health.

If an accident or injury occurs, seek appropriate medical treatment. For emergency situations, call 911 or seek care at the nearest emergency center. Navicent Health offers emergency care at the following locations:

• Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, Navicent Health (888 Pine Street, Macon)
• The Medical Center, Navicent Health (770 Pine Street, Macon)
• Medical Center of Peach County (1960 Hwy 247 Connector, Byron)
• Navicent Health Baldwin (821 North Cobb Street, Milledgeville)
• Monroe County Hospital, Navicent Health Partner (88 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Forsyth)
• Putnam General Hospital, Navicent Health Partner (101 Greensboro Rd., Eatonton)

For non-life threatening injuries, visit your nearest urgent care provider. Navicent Health provides urgent care at three Macon-Bibb County locations. Visit ExpressVisit.org to check in at a Navicent Health urgent care center before you arrive.

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 visitwww.navicenthealth.org.

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Jesup – Two events in the main lobby of Wayne Memorial will highlight the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness next month. On Wednesday, October 9 and Wednesday, October 16, hospital associates will staff the breast cancer education booth in the lobby from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Information about breast cancer, giveaways and pink refreshments will be provided. The public is welcome to stop by and may register for one of two free mammograms to be given away during the month.

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 two-time winner of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year Award.

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GREENSBORO, Ga. – September 25, 2019 – At an event that brought together dozens of community supporters, the St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation recently launched a $3 million capital campaign to raise funds for a state-of-the-art CT scanner, permanent MRI system, a dedicated cardiac stress lab, and a 2,200-square-foot expansion to house them.

The Expanding Technology, Elevating Care Campaign seeks to address the sobering reality that cardiovascular disease is the number one health issue in Greene, Putnam, Hancock, Morgan and Taliaferro counties. Cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke and coronary artery disease accounted for 31.1 percent of deaths in these counties from 2015-2017, more than any other cause.

“Since the day St. Mary’s acquired the hospital in 2012, our goal has been to keep high-quality health care local,” said Good Samaritan President Tanya Adcock. “This campaign will make it possible for us to provide a wide range of enhanced cardiac, stroke and imaging services right here that patients currently have to travel to Atlanta or Augusta to receive.”

“The greater Greene County and Lake Oconee communities have consistently made it possible for St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital to offer services that are extraordinary for a small rural hospital,” said Ansley Martin, foundation director. “It’s because of the incredible generosity of the people here that Good Sam can offer these services. Response to this new campaign is already outstanding. We are confident we can reach our goal, and deeply thankful for the support of so many wonderful people and businesses.”

Adcock noted that the expansion is needed to meet increasing patient volumes. “We anticipated a high rate of growth when we built this hospital in 2013, but the reality has outpaced our most optimistic expectations,” she said. “That’s a wonderful problem to have, but it also means it’s time for our first expansion so that we can continue to meet our community’s growing needs.”

A major part of that growth is in cardiac services. The addition of cardiologist John Layher, MD, of Oconee Heart and Vascular Center full-time to the community has enabled Good Sam to provide inpatient care to more local residents who have cardiac complications. Expanding cardiac diagnostic services at Good Sam will provide him and other area cardiologists with the vital diagnostic tools they need to serve more patients locally.

Specifically, the campaign is raising funds for:

• 320-slice CT system. This state-of-the art system will replace the current 64-slice scanner. It will create more detailed images of the inside of the body faster. The system is so fast, it can capture images of the inside of the heart’s arteries in a single heartbeat. It’s also a more powerful tool in diagnosing stroke and deciding the best treatment option for emergency stroke patients.
• 16 Channel MRI system. Good Sam currently uses a mobile, 8-channel MRI that is available only during normal working hours. Being a mobile unit, patients must leave the climate-controlled building to reach it. The new system will create better images faster, will be housed in an addition to the building, and will have a wider “tube” to increase patient comfort. MRI is especially useful for orthopedic, heart, brain, spine and abdominal imaging without the use of ionizing radiation. Another advantage: by owning and staffing the MRI system itself, Good Sam will have the option to expand service hours as patient volumes continue to grow.
• Cardiac Stress Lab. Currently, Good Sam’s cardiac stress lab is housed in the nuclear medicine room, which limits scheduling for both types of procedures. The new lab will provide separate space for a treadmill, EKG monitoring system, patient stretcher and workroom, allowing Good Sam to schedule twice as many patients for cardiac stress tests and nuclear medicine studies.
• New construction. To accommodate the MRI system and Cardiac Stress Lab, Good Sam will enclose a breezeway and add new rooms to create a 2,200-square-foot addition to the back of the hospital. A major benefit of this expansion is that patients will be able to access the MRI unit without being exposed to the elements.

“Back in 2013, our community raised $8 million to help make Good Sam the most outstanding small hospital in the state,” Adcock said. “We are eternally grateful. More importantly, that generosity has more than paid for itself in lives saved and improved because of the additional capabilities it allowed us to provide. We are confident our community will come through again so that Good Sam can continue to grow and meet the needs of those we serve for years to come.”

To learn more or make a donation, please contact Ansley Martin, Foundation Director, at 706.389.3926. All donations to St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Foundation benefit Good Sam and are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

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Wayne Memorial Hospital and the Bone & Joint Institute of South Georgia bring robotic-arm assisted total knee replacements to rural Georgia with the addition of Stryker’s Mako System. This highly advanced robotic technology transforms the way joint replacement surgery is performed, enabling surgeons to have a more predictable surgical experience with increased accuracy.

The demand for joint replacements is expected to rise in the next decade. Total knee replacements in the United States are estimated to increase by 673 percent by 2030.

“With Mako, we can provide each patient with a personalized surgical experience based on their specific diagnosis and anatomy,” said Dr. J. Matthew Valosen of the Bone & Joint Institute of South Georgia. “Using a virtual 3D model, Mako allows surgeons to create each patient’s surgical plan pre-operatively before entering the operating room. During surgery, we can validate that plan and make any necessary adjustments while guiding the robotic-arm to execute that plan. It’s exciting to be able to offer this transformative technology across the joint replacement service line to perform total knee replacements.”

The Mako Total Knee application is a knee replacement treatment option designed to relieve the pain caused by joint degeneration due to osteoarthritis. Through CT-based 3D modeling of bone anatomy, surgeons can use the Mako System to create a personalized surgical plan and identify the implant size, orientation and alignment based on each patient’s unique anatomy. The Mako System also enables surgeons to virtually modify the surgical plan intra-operatively and assists the surgeon in executing bone resections.

“We are proud to offer this highly advanced robotic technology in our area.  Our patients no longer have to travel to access the latest medical advancements,” said Dr. Jay Cook of the Bone & Joint Institute of South Georgia.  “The addition of Mako to our orthopaedic service line further demonstrates our commitment to provide the community with outstanding healthcare,” added hospital CEO Joe Ierardi.

The Bone & Joint Institute of South Georgia provides comprehensive orthopaedic care using the most technologically advanced equipment.  Featuring on-site x-ray services, open MRIs accredited by the American College of Radiology, and eight healthcare providers, BJI serves over 18 Southeast Georgia counties with offices in Jesup, Baxley, Hinesville, and Waycross.

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 two-time winner of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year Award.

Image 1: Drs. Valosen (left) and Cook (right) inside one of the Operating Rooms at Wayne Memorial with the MAKO robotic knee system

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Southeast Georgia Health System hosted a topping off ceremony on Friday, Sept. 20, to celebrate the structural phase completion of its new surgical services and inpatient tower. Following a brief ceremony, a white steel beam, adorned with an American flag, a small evergreen tree and hundreds of signatures, was lifted into place at the top of the new Inpatient Tower.

A topping off, or sometimes called a topping out, ceremony has European origins but is also part of American construction and building culture. Originally, structures were created out of timber and the last beam added was adorned with a small tree. The tree symbolized the structure going up without a loss of life and is a symbol of good luck for future occupants.

A modern topping off also includes an American flag—a tradition that dates back to 1919 and started by U.S. steel ironworkers during the “American Plan Period,” showing loyalty to flag and country. The steel beam is usually painted white and includes the signatures of the construction workers and those attending the ceremony. Its white color symbolizes the skilled craftsmanship and labor to create the beam and construct a building.

“Today’s event represents a major milestone of our Master Renovation and Expansion Project, which remains on schedule to receive our first patients in the fall of 2021,” said Michael D. Scherneck, president & CEO. “I would like to thank our medical staff, team members, volunteers and donors for sharing our vision of being the region’s health care provider and employer of choice. And I am especially grateful for the foresight and support provided by the Glynn-Brunswick Memorial Hospital Authority and the Southeast Georgia Health System, Inc. board of directors. It takes bold leadership on their part to address the needs of today and to balance that with the long-term needs of our community.”

The Health System began the $140 million Master Renovation and Expansion Project of its Brunswick Campus in 2018. With more than 70,000 square feet of new construction and more than 100,000 square feet of renovations, the project will help to ensure the Brunswick hospital can continue to meet health care needs as the communities it serves grow and patient volumes increase.

“We’ve seen dramatic growth in patient volumes in recent years, and we’re dedicated to providing the services our communities need,” said Robert C. Turner, chair of the Southeast Georgia Health System, Inc. Board of Directors. “State of the art facilities like this are clearly what’s needed. And, along with the construction happening now, new advanced technologies and treatments will expand the services we currently offer.”

In addition to a new patient entry canopy, the expansion of the Emergency Care Center (ECC) will add 15 exam and treatment rooms for a total of 50, including two trauma rooms. To accommodate the new rooms, the ECC will expand by more than 12,000 square feet. Renovations to the remaining 22,900 square feet will provide better patient and staff flow.

“Our sincere appreciation to the Thomas & Mildred Beach Trust for their generous gift of $4.7 million to help pay for the enhancements to the Emergency Care Center,” said Scherneck.

The expansion of the second floor (overlooking Parkwood Drive) will accommodate the new Surgical Services Tower, with 16 new operating rooms, endoscopy suites, a post-anesthesia care unit, and pre- and post- recovery bays. The existing Surgery Department renovations will accommodate new Central Sterile Processing and support areas.

The new inpatient floor will include 32 private, spacious patient rooms, each of which will include a window. Patient room design features will maximize privacy for the patient and family, visually and acoustically, and promote patient independence. Nursing station designs will minimize travel distances between rooms, increase observation/visual control and improve communication.

The project also includes plans to renovate many of the existing inpatient rooms on the St. Simons Tower to increase space, comfort and privacy.

To accommodate the increased square footage and additional patient care services areas, more energy efficient upgrades to the Central Energy Plant and a new mechanical penthouse are included in the expansion. Entrances and parking will be updated as well, including a new main entry to the Health System, a two-story lobby and covered parking at the Parkwood Drive entrance.

“Southeast Georgia Health System has transformed in the last 25 years into one of the best health care systems in the state, and this project is the next step in that evolution, really a revolution, of building one of the finest hospitals in Georgia,” said Valerie A. Hepburn, Ph.D., chair of the Glynn-Brunswick Memorial Hospital Authority. “A health care system is the center of economic development and prosperity in a community. You don’t attract new businesses, you don’t attract retirees, you don’t retain and grow organizations without a great health care system. So we’re central to what makes Glynn County and Brunswick, and our neighbors in Camden, Brantley, Charlton, McIntosh and Wayne, really thrive.”

The Master Renovation and Expansion Project is possible through tax-exempt revenue bonds and the generosity of donors. In addition to the Thomas & Mildred Beach Trust $4.7 million to help pay for the ECC expansion, the Health System Foundation committed $4 million to the project and is conducting a 20-20 Vision Campaign with a goal of raising an additional $4 million, for a total of $8 million. To date, more than $5 million has been raised, which includes a $500,000 donation from the Health System’s Volunteer Services.

“We’re really excited about the future of our health system,” Scherneck said. “This project is an example of our commitment to meeting the future needs of our community.”

Scherneck added, “A special thank you to our construction team for working diligently day in and day out to minimize the level of disruptions and noise that our patients experience. Their accomplishments are noteworthy, particularly in light of the interruption caused by Hurricane Dorian. And I would also like to thank them for maintaining appearance of the worksite and being respectful of our neighbors.”

For more information about the 20-20 Vision Campaign, visit //sghs.org/give or wearethefoundation.org, or call 912-466-3360.

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^® Program in the region and one of only four in Georgia, and a Cancer Care Center accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. For more information, call 855-ASK-SGHS (855-275-7447) or visit sghs.org.

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Hamilton Medical Center, part of Hamilton Health Care System, recently began using a procedure called EKOS to treat pulmonary embolisms (PE), allowing patients to receive the advanced care close to home. Hector Dourron, MD, and Michael Hartley, MD, have performed the procedure.

“We’re very proud to be using this advanced technology at Hamilton,” said Jeff Hughes, cardiovascular service line administrator. “It elevates our capabilities and allows the patient to stay close to home and close to family.”

EKOS, or EkoSonic^® Endovascular System, is the only endovascular device cleared by the FDA for the treatment of pulmonary embolism, a blockage in an artery in the lungs.

Pulmonary embolism affects as many as 600,000 people annually and carries a high rate of mortality.  It is a condition where one or more clots break off or travel from existing venous clots in the legs or arms and travel in the circulation, getting trapped in the lung, where they block the ability of blood to get oxygen in some areas of the lung. 

EKOS is intended to treat sub-massive pulmonary emboli, which make up 45 percent of pulmonary embolism cases.  In sub-massive pulmonary emboli, the right side of the heart has a difficult time pumping blood and can quickly become larger than the stronger left side of the heart, which, if not treated, can cause the right side of the heart to fail.  EKOS, used in conjunction with a thrombolytic drug, dissolves clots and restores healthy heart function and blood flow. EKOS also allows the physician to use a much smaller dose of clot busting medication, making treatment much safer by greatly reducing bleeding risk.  EKOS can also be used in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

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The Georgia Society for Healthcare Marketing and Public Relations (GSHMPR) recently awarded its annual healthcare marketing and public relations awards. South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC) received three awards in this statewide contest for its marketing efforts.

SGMC received the Gold Target Award in the “Radio” category for its “March Madness Vasectomy” campaign, Silver Target Award in the “Digital/Online” category for the health system’s “Know, Then Go” campaign and Silver Target Award in the “Television” category for its “Dear Community” campaign.

Entries in this year’s competition were judged based on creativity, layout and design, functionality, message effectiveness, production quality and overall appeal. Georgia hospitals submitted entries in 26 various public relations, marketing, design and advertising categories ranging from Social Media Marketing to Print Advertising.

“We are honored that an outside agency of our peers has recognized the efforts of our team,” said Erika Bennett, Director of Marketing. “We are specifically proud of executing the ‘Know, Then Go’ campaign which is still active. This campaign educates and guides patients to choose the most appropriate care based on the acuity level of their injury or illness.”

To learn more about that campaign, visit knowthengosgmc.org.

The purpose of GSHMPR is to increase understanding and support of health care institutions and their services through the stimulation of ethical public relations and marketing methods and to strive to raise levels of knowledge and standards in health care marketing and public relations.

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Hamilton Medical Center, part of Hamilton Health Care System, recently became the first in the U.S. to use PrisMax, an advanced kidney therapy system to treat critically ill patients.

Developed by Baxter International, the technology was designed with real-world input from more than 650 healthcare providers around the world, the PrisMax system offers innovative technology used in the intensive care unit (ICU) to treat patients with acute kidney injury (AKI), which can be life-threatening.

“Hamilton is excited to be using this new technology,” said Elwyn Clark, DO, medical director for critical care at Hamilton. “This system will help up us provide advanced care for patients who are critically ill and keep them close to their families and support systems.”

PrisMax is a type of continuous renal replacement therapy, designed for patients who have injuries to or problems with their kidneys but are too sick to undergo regular dialysis. “This therapy can spread dialysis treatment out over 24 hours instead of three to four hours, making it much more gentle for the patient,” said Clark.

PrisMax includes new digital health features that allow hospitals to connect the system to electronic medical record (EMR) platforms. This enables straightforward integration of information from PrisMax to the EMR, allowing ICU nurses to spend less time manually documenting treatment data, while reducing the risk of transcription errors.

“I am impressed by the collaborative and close coordination of care between intensivists and nephrologists at Hamilton,” said Brian Tufts, Baxter’s U.S. lead for Acute Therapies. “The Hamilton team is truly bringing world-class care to a community setting in northern Georgia and Baxter is proud to support their leading patient care approach with our products and services.”

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After a successful first five years, a statewide cancer research consortium has been awarded a six-year grant expected to result in more than $11 million in funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to enroll even more Georgians in important clinical trials.

The Georgia NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) is a collaboration between the two largest community oncology clinical trial programs in Georgia: Northside Hospital Cancer Institute in Atlanta and the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion at St. Joseph’s/Candler in Savannah, and the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia CORE) in Atlanta.

NCORP began in 2014 to conduct multi-site cancer clinical trials and cancer delivery studies in their communities. From 2014-2018, approximately 30,000 patients nationwide were enrolled in NCI clinical trials through the NCORP sites.

The Georgia NCORP partnership is one of only 32 Community Sites selected to receive cancer research funding from the NCI for the next six years. Since 2014, Georgia NCORP has enrolled 2,530 cancer patients in clinical trials. It is one of only 10 NCORP networks to receive ‘High Performance” status from the NCI.

“The National Cancer Institute created NCORP as a comprehensive community and academic initiative to provide access to cancer trials, including cutting edge treatment trials, precision medicine, symptom control, cancer prevention, as well as cancer care delivery research, to individuals in their own local communities,” said Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s Dr. Guilherme Cantuaria, who has served as the principal investigator for this partnership since its inception in 2014. “These studies will have great potential for improving cancer outcomes and reducing disparities in care. We are especially proud that the NCI selection team evaluated the Georgia NCORP capabilities as outstanding.”

“The Georgia NCORP team was one of the most effective groups in the nation at enrolling patients into national clinical trials,” said H.A. Zaren, co-principal investigator for the partnership and medical director at the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion at St. Joseph’s/Candler. “It demonstrates the dedication that the entire team has toward improving cancer outcomes and the optimism that people in Georgia and the nation will have even better treatments to fight cancer. This second grant will help many people, especially minority patients and the medically underserved.”

Georgia NCORP provides Georgians with access to state-of-the-art cancer prevention, screening, control, treatment and post-treatment trials within their own communities. There are more than 100 oncology clinical providers in 41 different locations throughout the state, as well as the clinical trial leadership and research services of Georgia CORE.

“GA NCORP is a unique collaboration that has enhanced the quality of cancer care in Georgia by expanding access to clinical trials,” said Nancy M. Paris, president and CEO of Georgia CORE, which is a non-profit leader in improving the quality of cancer care through clinical research and education. “With new NCI funding we will build on the strengths of committed doctors and cancer centers to deliver research and personalized treatments to those most vulnerable — rural, racial, and ethnic minorities; children and the elderly. Georgia CORE is honored to be a partner in this exemplary statewide effort.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia is ranked 25^th in cancer incidence and 23^rd in cancer deaths in U.S. – and cancer remains the second leading cause of death in Georgia. Among the state’s males, prostate cancer accounts for 30 percent of new cancer cases, with the highest concentration in southwest Georgia. Among the state’s females, breast cancer represents 30 percent of all new cancer cases, with the highest concentration in metro Atlanta. Lung cancer is the second most common among both males and females and is diagnosed most frequently in rural Georgia.

Clinical trials are research studies that involve people. These studies test new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, or treat diseases. People who take part in cancer clinical trials have an opportunity to contribute to scientists’ knowledge about cancer and to help in the development of improved cancer treatments. They also receive state-of-the-art care from cancer experts.

Four additional key cancer programs and Georgia CORE research network affiliates were selected to participate in the Georgia NCORP partnership based on their leadership and track record in community-based oncology research: John B. Amos Cancer Center in Columbus; Harbin Clinic in Rome; Peyton Anderson Cancer Center, Navicent Health in Macon; and Cancer Services at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

Patients with cancer or increased risks of cancer in Georgia will have access to NCI-funded clinical trials through their cancer physicians at a participating NCORP network site. Through the NCORP network, community physicians will be able to collaborate with the NCI Clinical Trials Network Research Bases (NCTN) and Lead Academic Participating Sites (LAPS) on the development of research studies that impact patients in their communities.

For more information about Georgia NCORP, visit: gancorp.org.

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St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^®for community hospital accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with Joint Commission performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe, high-quality patient care.

Sacred Heart Hospital underwent a rigorous onsite review earlier this year. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with state-of-the-art national standards spanning areas such as emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership effectiveness, and policies and procedures.

The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help health care organizations measure, assess and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“As a private accreditor, The Joint Commission surveys health care organizations to protect the public by identifying deficiencies in care and working with those organizations to correct them as quickly and sustainably as possible,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital for its continuous quality improvement efforts in patient safety and quality of care.”

“The Joint Commission is the nation’s foremost healthcare accrediting agency,” said Sacred Heart President Jeff English. “Joint Commission accreditation gives our patients and community confidence that our hospital is meeting or exceeding the highest standards for safety and quality in America. I could not be prouder of our employees, physicians and volunteers for making our ongoing accreditation possible.”

St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital is a full-service, not-for-profit community hospital in Lavonia, Ga., that is part of St. Mary’s Health Care System and a member of Trinity Health. Sacred Heart Hospital is licensed for 56 beds and features inpatient and outpatient surgical services, emergency services, medical/surgical inpatient nursing care, critical care, a mother-baby unit, advanced diagnostics, rehabilitation services, sleep disorders center, wellness center, and an occupational health service. Learn more at www.stmaryssacredheart.org.

For more information about The Joint Commission, please visit The Joint Commission website.

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