VALDOSTA — Despite a vote for city-appointed members to resign, the Hospital Authority of Valdosta/Lowndes County met this week without resignations.

No authority members stepped down from their positions. The authority continued with business as usual.

In a vote of no confidence last month, Valdosta City Council voted in favor of a request by Councilman Robert Yost who asked for the resignations of the four city-appointed members of the Hospital Authority that governs South Georgia Medical Center.

Yost asked for the resignations because of issues the authority has faced regarding transparency — including findings by the Office of the Attorney General it violated the state’s Open Meetings Act — complaints from residents and South Georgia Medical Center staff, etc.

Though City Council selects several members to the authority, the city has no power to enforce the call for resignations.

Authority members also heard a recommendation to reopen the southside clinic.

South Georgia Medical Center Chief Operating Officer Heath Evans said reopening the clinic will reduce the number of residents who use the emergency room for primary care. 

Evans recommended reopening the clinic from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, but the clinic would eventually expand its hours to 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m. seven days a week, he said. 

The authority announced the nominees to replace authority member William Cowart who will be retiring. 

Suzan Prince, Larry Tobey and Ben Copeland were nominated for the position. 

Chief Nursing Officer Tamara Jackson announced three new policies for her nurses including a “strict” new dress code, a time and attendance policy and a cell phone policy.

The policies will take effect Jan. 1, she said. If a nurse is not in dress code, he or she will be sent home without pay. If the other two policies are broken, the repercussions will include a verbal warning, a written warning, suspension and eventually termination. 

General Surgeon Jared Sanders, who started a couple of months ago, was introduced to authority members. 

He earned his medical doctorate from the Mercer University School of Medicine and completed his surgical residency at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. 

“I’m thrilled to be back here in the area,” Sanders said. “This is definitely were we want to raise our kids and settle in.”

The SGMC Hospital Authority meets 8 a.m. the third Wednesday of the month in the executive board room in the hospital.

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1256.