Archive for August 2019

ICYMI: Phoebe creates more than 200 new jobs

Press Release courtesy of Phoebe Putney Health System

Albany, Ga. – Phoebe Putney Health System’s new budget includes funding for 207 new jobs, bringing its estimated 2020 employment to 4,539, a 4.8% increase over 2019’s level.  “We’re fortunate that our volunteer board members and our leadership team have managed Phoebe’s finances extremely well over the years.  Because of that fiscal responsibility, we are in a position to invest more in our people, programs and facilities to improve the level of care we are able to provide the people of southwest Georgia,” said Scott Steiner, Phoebe President & CEO.

The new employees will represent a payroll increase of more than $10 million.  “That will have a huge impact on our region’s economy.  It’s equal to a major new industry opening a facility in our area.  For decades, Phoebe has been one of the primary engines driving southwest Georgia’s economy, and we will continue to be,” Steiner said.

Phoebe is investing in new jobs across its health system.  Most of the jobs are clinical positions needed because of Phoebe’s market growth, but they also include positions such as guest relations representatives to better meet the needs of patients when they are in the hospital and after they are discharged, as well as personnel to staff a state-of-the-art education and training simulation lab Phoebe will construct on its main campus.

“Many of the services we are expanding or adding address gaps in our communities or target underserved populations.  Our primary goal with this job growth is to improve access to quality care for people throughout southwest Georgia, so they don’t have travel far from home to get the healthcare they need,” Steiner said.

Phoebe’s budget for fiscal year 2020 also includes investments in current employees, including $4.6 million in pay increases.  That 3% overall increase includes raises and market-based compensation adjustments.

“Forbes Magazine recently named Phoebe one of the best employers in Georgia.  We offer outstanding benefits, competitive pay and a fulfilling work environment.  One of our newest benefits is the ability to help nurses pay off their student loan debt each month while working at Phoebe,” said Tony Welch, Phoebe Chief Human Resources Officer.  “We have also built a strong new recruitment team to amp up our efforts to recruit highly-skilled and capable candidates at all levels of our organization.”

Anyone interested in working at Phoebe can learn more about available positions and apply for jobs by visiting www.phoebehealth.com/careers.

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High School Football Round-Up: Week 1 Review and Week 2 Preview

Click the arrow above on the left to listen to this week’s episode of the High School Football Round-Up Podcast.

Week 1 of the Georgia high school football season has come and gone. Here’s what you’ll hear on Episode 2 of the High School Football Round-Up Podcast on the Southwest Georgia Network:

-Lee County’s shutout win over Dougherty in a rain-shortened Hamp Smith Classic.

-A brief recap of season-opening wins for Monroe and Westover.

-Justin Rogers winning his debut as Colquitt County’s new head coach.

-Other Week 1 action.

-Games of Interest for Week 2.

-Follow the Southwest Georgia Network at southwestgeorgianetwork.com
-On Twitter @swganetwork.
-Also available at anchor.fm and other “podcatchers”. 

Follow the Southwest Georgia Network on Twitter @swganetwork.

High School Football: Week 1 Scoreboard-2019 Debut

Editor’s Note: Welcome to the debut of the “Weekly High School Football Scoreboard for the 2019 season”, a quick look at the final scores of various high school football games throughout the Southwest Georgia Network coverage area. So, without further ado, here are the scores for Week 1, in alphabetical order, with the winning team marked in BOLD type.

Last updated at 3:17 p.m. EDT on Monday, August 26, 2019.

GHSA Scores–Week of August 23, 2019

Thursday, August 22

*Baconton Charter 40, Pataula Charter 6

*-(Game completed on Saturday, August 24, 2019, after a 48-hour weather delay.)

Friday, August 23

Bainbridge 47, Seminole County 7

Brooks County 63, Mitchell County 50

Cairo 45, Thomasville 21

(Syrupmakers avenge last year’s 15-14 loss to the Bulldogs to go to 1-0.)

Crisp County 29, Americus-Sumter 14

Fitzgerald 46, Bacon County 3

Irwin County 43, Berrien 7

Lowndes 69, Drew 6

Monroe 45, Jordan 13

Pelham 32, Macon County 6

Terrell County 12, Chattahoochee County 6

Thomas County Central 45, Early County 20

Turner County 42, Worth County 21

Valdosta 55, Maynard Jackson (Atlanta) 7

Warner Robins 24, Tift County 10

Westover 47, Cook 16

(Patriots score 33 unanswered points after trailing 9-0 en route to a season-opening win.)

Saturday, August 24

Colquitt County 17, North Gwinnett 6

(Justin Rogers wins his debut as the Packers head coach.)

Lee County 28, Dougherty 0

(Hamp Smith Classic at Albany State University. The remainder of the game was called with 8:43 to play in the 2nd quarter due to inclement weather.)

GISA/GAPPS Scores–Week of August 23, 2019

Brookwood (Thomasville) 14, Westwood 7

Sherwood Christian 38, Fullington 0

Southwest Georgia Academy 50, Abbeville Christian (Ala.) 20

Terrell Academy 34, Westfield 7

Tiftarea 43, Creekside Christian 7

Follow the Southwest Georgia Network on Twitter @swganetwork.

High School Football Round-Up: 2019 Preview & Debut

The all-new logo for the High School Football Round-Up Podcast
Photo by Walter L. Johnson II

In the 2019 debut episode of the High School Football Round-Up Podcast, host Walter Johnson previews the upcoming high school football season, from coaching changes to team outlooks, and everywhere in between.

Offseason Coaching Changes

-How the Dougherty Trojans are looking to re-build under their third (new) head coach in three years under Johnny Gilbert.

-Colquitt County Packers: The impact that the firing of veteran Rush Propst and the hiring of Justin Rogers will have on the perennial South Georgia powerhouse.

-Other coaching changes.

Team Previews

-Lee County Trojans (Back-to-Back GHSA Class 6A State Champions)

-Dougherty County (Albany) Teams

-Dougherty Trojans

-Monroe Tornadoes

-Westover Patriots

-Albany Area Private School Teams

-Deerfield-Windsor Knights (GISA)

-Sherwood Christian Eagles (GICAA)

Other Southwest Georgia Teams

-Bainbridge Bearcats (Defending GHSA Class 5A State Champions)

-Pelham Hornets

-Worth County Rams

-Cairo, Crisp County, Early County, et. al. 

Opening Week Games

-Cook at Westover

-Lee County vs. Dougherty (at Albany State University)

-Monroe at Terrell County

-Turner County at Worth County

-Other Games of Interest

Conclusion

-Follow the Southwest Georgia Network at southwestgeorgianetwork.com

-On Twitter @swganetwork.

-Also available at anchor.fm and other “podcatchers”. 

Follow the Southwest Georgia Network on Twitter @swganetwork.

ICYMI: First case of West Nile Virus reported in Southwest District

Press Release courtesy of the Southwest Georgia Public Health District

CAMILLA—The first human case of the season of West Nile Virus has been confirmed in a Mitchell County resident, according to officials with Southwest Health District.

“The resident is an elderly adult male with underlying health conditions who is currently hospitalized,” said District Epidemiologist Jacqueline Jenkins.

Georgia typically sees six to 10 cases of the infection each year. August is peak season for West Nile Virus in the state.

Jenkins said the area where the resident resides has been assessed by an environmental health team for mosquito breeding sites and a vector control specialist is sampling the area for disease-carrying mosquitoes.

The best protection against West Nile Virus is to avoid being bitten by mosquitos that carry the potentially dangerous infection, said Southwest Health District Health Director Dr. Charles Ruis.
Ruis offered tips for protection against mosquitoes:

*  Apply insect repellent. DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and IR3535 are effective repellents recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

*  When possible, wear long sleeves, long pants and socks, particularly at dawn and dusk and in mosquito-prone areas.

*  Eliminate standing water in gutters, planters, toys, wheelbarrows and old tires.  A mosquito needs only a few drops of water in order to breed and lay eggs.

 *  Trim tall grass, weeds, and vines to discourage mosquitoes.

*  Ensure window and door screens fit tightly to keep mosquitoes out of the home.

Ruis added that 80 percent of the people infected with West Nile Virus experience no symptoms. “It has no noticeable effect on them,” he said.

“About 20 percent of infected people will experience symptoms such as headache, fever, fatigue, joint pain and weakness,” he said. “The majority of those will make a complete recovery within a few days.”

But about one percent of people infected with West Nile Virus will develop severe symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches and mental status changes. Ruis added, “Uncommonly, the outcome is death.”

West Nile Virus cannot be transmitted from person to person. “Further, humans are considered dead-end hosts where West Nile is concerned,” Ruis said. “This means that even a mosquito cannot bite an infected human and transmit the virus to another human, in contrast to the Zika virus.”

Those most at risk of severe illness from West Nile Virus include those with pre-existing medical conditions and older adults.

For more information about West Nile Virus, visit www.cdc.gov or contact your county health department.

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Related Post: Southwest District taking early action against West Nile Virus

ICYMI: Phoebe sets new budget

Press Release courtesy of Phoebe Putney Health System

Albany, Ga. – The Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital (PPMH) Board of Directors on Wednesday approved a $570 million budget for fiscal year 2020 that includes key investments in Phoebe’s workforce and paves the way for major enhancements that will improve service for patients in southwest Georgia.

“Despite continued financial pressure resulting from the lack of Medicaid expansion in Georgia, growing labor expenses and continued increases in drug costs, our hospital has improved quality of care while adding and growing services for all of southwest Georgia.  Our board approved a comprehensive FY2020 budget that will allow us to implement new strategic priorities as we continue to grow and work to better meet the needs of the communities we serve,” said Brian Church, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer.

The budget includes an overall 3% increase for merit and market adjustments.  “Healthcare employees have many options in today’s job market.  We have to offer outstanding benefits and competitive pay to ensure we are attracting and retaining the best people for our organization.  This budget puts particular focus on increasing wages for market sensitive positions to help us maintain a high-quality workforce,” Church said.

The budget also funds $41 million in capital improvements.  Of that, $9 million is set aside for strategic projects that will be announced in the coming months, following the completion of an ongoing strategic planning process designed to set new priorities for Phoebe Putney Health System.  Other major expenditures in the capital budget include $3 million for operating room upgrades, $3 million for a new simulation lab for training and education, and $1.25 million for a new helipad that is part of an effort to earn level II trauma center designation from the state.

Phoebe will remain one of Dougherty County’s largest property taxpayers, expecting to pay taxes and voluntary payments in lieu of taxes totaling more than $950,000 in the new fiscal year.  The budget also includes funding to expand specialty services including orthopaedics, cardiology, rheumatology, dermatology, plastic surgery and trauma surgery.

“We believe this budget strikes the right balance between fiscal responsibility and the need to invest in people and facilities,” said PPMH Board Chairman Dr. John Culbreath.  “We are committed to providing Phoebe employees the benefits they deserve and the tools they need to perform at their best, and we are committed to making sure we offer the best possible care to our patients.  This budget will help us achieve those goals.”

Under the new budget, the hospital’s estimated employment will be 2,931, an increase of 27 full-time equivalents (FTEs) over last fiscal year.  Annual payroll and benefits total $265 million.  The Georgia Hospital Association estimates Phoebe’s annual economic impact at $1.27 billion dollars.

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