(Greensboro, GA) – The Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals (GACH)
honored Gary R. Colberg, FACHE, President and CEO of Southeast Georgia
Health System (SGHS) in Brunswick, as its 2011 CEO of the Year.
Every year at its annual conference, the GACH recognizes the contributions
of a CEO who has helped push their hospital to be successful, while continually
focusing on innovative options for their institution to provide more community
benefits. In short, the GACH honors the hospital leader who uses their
skill and constructive imagination to see how much they can give for a
dollar, instead of how little.
“At a time when our hospital leaders are facing more challenges than
ever before, the importance of recognizing and encouraging forward thinking
CEOs like Gary Colberg has never been greater,” said GACH President
Monty Veazey. “We know how hard Gary works and the challenges he
faces,” continues Veazey, “we think the public should know
too and that is why the Alliance recognizes him as our 2011 CEO of the
Year.”
This year, the Alliance honored Colberg for his leadership in helping SGHS
thrive financially and improve qualitatively in the face of a downturned
economy. During his tenure, SGHS has expanded its capabilities, to include
a new, comprehensive Orthopedic and Spine Center and a state-of-the-art
Cancer Care Center that includes a CyberKnife program, of which there
are only two in Georgia and only 222 in the world. Gary Colberg has also
facilitated a drastic financial transformation, from a $13.5 million deficit,
to an $11.1 million profit, in his first year alone.
Outside of the Southeast Georgia Health System’s success, this CEO
provides broad support within his community. Colberg contributes to numerous
professional and community organizations, including the Institute of Health
Administration Advisory Board at Georgia State University, adjunct professor
at Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University
and as past President for his area Boy Scouts of America. His achievements
were chronicled in David Herdlinger’s book, Healing a Hospital,
which describes the Health System’s six-year financial, business
and community turnaround.
In receiving the honor, Colberg thanked the GACH and committed himself
to continued innovation and philanthropy benefiting SGHS and his community.