BRUNSWICK, Georgia: Feb. 10, 2009–The Georgia-Coastal Plains Region
of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), recently presented
Southeast Georgia Health System President & CEO Gary R. Colberg, FACHE,
the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award. Tom Sands Jr., FACHE, regent
for Georgia-Coastal Plains, ACHE Region 2, presented this annual award
during the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) annual membership
meeting Wednesday, Feb. 4 at the Hyatt Regency in Buckhead.
The Coastal Plains Region of ACHE encompasses most of Georgia from the
city of Macon east and south. Each year the Region presents the award
to a senior-level healthcare executive who has demonstrated outstanding
leadership by contributing to the development of others in the healthcare
profession, as well as being a positive influence in his or her community.
“Gary is the consummate coach and mentor, who endeavors to develop
his team and advance any organization with which he has been involved,”
says Health System Vice President Marjorie A. Mathieu, RPh, FACHE, who
nominated Colberg for the award. “At the Health System, he planned
and implemented the formation of an Outpatient Care Center, to include
consolidated medical and radiation oncology services which were previously
unrelated both physically and organizationally. The result has been a
world-class cancer program. When Gary arrived at the Health System in
early 2001, the organization had just experienced a significant reduction
in force and was financially troubled. Just one year later, a multi-million
dollar deficit had been converted to a surplus, with no reduction in services
offered.”
In addition, Colberg is very active in the community and currently serves
on the boards of the GHA, The Coastal Bank of Georgia, College of Coastal
Georgia Foundation, Georgia Association of Community Hospitals, Institute
of Health Administration at Georgia State University, and Georgia Regional
Healthcare Network. He is also president of the Okefenokee Area Council
of the Boy Scouts of America, a member of the Brunswick Rotary Club, and
is serving his second term of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce,
Mathieu adds.
ACHE is an international professional society of more than 30,000 healthcare
executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare
organizations. ACHE is known for its prestigious credentialing and educational
programs and its annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws
more than 4,500 participants each year.