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.