Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus Named Small Hospital of the Year
Contact: Cynthia Robinson, Media Relations
crobinson@sghs.org, 912-466-7012
BRUNSWICK, Georgia: Oct. 16, 2009 – The Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus was named “Small Hospital of the Year” at the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals’ (GACH) 26th Annual Conference held Oct. 14-16 at the Southern Pines Conference Center at the Callaway Gardens Resort at Pine Mountain, Georgia. The Camden Campus won the honor in the small hospital category (150 beds or less.)
Southeast Georgia Health System was presented the award for providing quality patient care to Camden County and the surrounding area through its outstanding services and continuing support for the local community.
“The Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus is an outstanding example of how a small, community hospital can provide excellent care,” said GACH President Monty M. Veazey. “Their compassionate and professional patient care services have made the Camden Campus a tremendous asset to their community. They have made great strides over the last several years in improving health care services to their area and I am very pleased to present this honor to them.”
“This is a tremendous honor and we are very pleased that GACH has named us the Small Hospital of the Year,” said Howard W. Sepp Jr., FACHE, vice president, Camden Campus administrator. “This recognition was made possible by the vision of our Authority Board and the hard work and dedication of our team of professionals who are committed to providing the best health care possible. I feel that I speak for our entire team when I say we feel privileged to be entrusted with the health and well being of our community and are grateful to have earned their trust and support.”
The Camden Campus was honored for continuing positive community relations on the heels of significant transformations, including the opening of a 90,000-square-foot expansion to the campus in March 2009, the largest such health care project in Camden County. This expansion included the conversion to all private rooms, the addition of new operating rooms, new Maternity Care Center, new Cardiopulmonary and Radiology departments, and a greatly expanded Emergency Care Center. Additionally, the former hospital building on the Camden Campus was completely renovated this summer to further expand services, including transforming the former Emergency Care Center into a much-larger Outpatient Rehabilitation Care Center. The completion of both projects has greatly improved access to services and provides a more comfortable environment for patients and visitors.
The award also recognized the new services that have been added to the Camden Campus, including digital mammography, a specialized women’s rehabilitation program, and an aquatic therapy program in partnership with area business, Divers’ Den.
The Camden Campus was also cited for continuing its long history of supporting community initiatives, such as the building of a 7,000 square foot facility for the Veteran Administration on the Camden Campus, enabling area veterans to receive primary care services at home instead of traveling to Florida. Additionally, the Campus donated space and support for the establishment of a Rape Crisis Center in Camden County and partnered with the University of Florida to coordinate care for acute myocardial and stroke patients which corresponds to better patient outcomes.
Another long-term project recognized by GACH in presenting the award is the Camden Campus’ support of the Coastal Medical Access Project (CMAP), which provides free medical care to employed adults from 13 Southeast Georgia counties who are uninsured or underinsured. The Health System as a whole has donated more than $1 million to CMAP and is committed to donate $250,000 to them annually. Additionally, the Camden Campus provides clinic space for CMAP in Kingsland. Health System physicians and nurses also volunteer their time to serve CMAP patients and this year the Camden Campus’ certified diabetes educator, Evelyn Tatum, RN, was selected as their Volunteer of the Year.
GACH also noted that the Camden Campus and the Health System are also major supporters of Hospice of the Golden Isles, a not-for-profit full-service organization dedicated to serving the five-county region comprising Glynn, Brantley, McIntosh, Camden and Charlton counties in Southeastern coastal Georgia. The Health System provides donations, laundry services, office space and equipment, as well as speakers and support for Hospices’ Physician Expert Lecture Series, and is a big supporter of their major fundraising campaign-Lights of Love.
About the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals
The Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals has been working for the best interests of community not-for-profit hospitals and Georgia's health care consumers since its founding in 1982. The Alliance's mission is to foster goodwill among community health care professionals; to advocate the enactment of sound laws, rules and regulations affecting community hospitals; to conduct and disseminate research and to share ideas that improve the health care delivery system in Georgia.
About Southeast Georgia Health System
Southeast Georgia Health System is a not-for-profit health care system with multiple locations and services. The Health System has served the residents and visitors of the beautiful Golden Isles of Coastal Georgia and surrounding areas of Southeast Georgia since 1888. Headquartered in the historic port city of Brunswick, the Health System serves the health care needs of residents from eight counties in Southeast Georgia - Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn, Long, McIntosh, Pierce, and Wayne. For more information call 912-466-7000 or visit www.sghs.org.
