Squire Dison with the June DAISY Award.

Bush Wealth Management welcomes Bayless as relationship manager

Bayless joins

Bush Wealth as relationship manager

VALDOSTA — Brad Bayless has joined Bush Wealth Management as relationship manager.

In this role, Bayless is responsible for assisting the company’s lead advisors with managing client relationships, building financial plans and presentations, and research.

Bayless is also a member of the firm’s investment committee, which collaborates to determine investment portfolio allocations. He has his Series 65 Uniform Investment Adviser License as well as a Life and Health Insurance license. In addition, he is currently in the process of obtaining his Certified Financial Planner license.

Bayless was born and raised in Valdosta. He attended Valdosta State University, where he graduated from the Langdale College of Business with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. In his spare time, he enjoys being with family, hiking with his dogs, and traveling with his wife, Jasmine.

“We are so thankful to have Brad on our team. There is no doubt our clients will benefit from the advice and value that he provides,” said Kent Patrick, partner in Bush Wealth Management.

Bayless has been helping educators in the local community with their retirement since he graduated college in 2018.

Bush Wealth welcomes Simmons

VALDOSTA — Bush Wealth Management recently announced the promotion of Rob Simmons from associate service advisor to senior client service associate.

This new title reflects Simmons’ dedication to providing red carpet service to Bush Wealth’s clients and their families, as well as his servant leadership attitude not only serving clients but also with his fellow Service Team colleagues, according to a press release from Bush Wealth Management.

Simmons started as an intern with Bush Wealth in 2018 while attending Valdosta State University and graduated with a degree in Marketing in 2018 and his MBA in 2021. He has been an integral part of the Bush Wealth Service Team since becoming full-time in 2020. Simmons is originally from Cordele, and in his spare time serves as director of student ministries at Valdosta First Methodist Church.

Express Care team receives Heroes Award

VALDOSTA — SGMC Health honored its Emergency Department Express Care team as Health System Heroes at its monthly board of directors meeting. The team was honored for their work in implementing Express Care at its main campus which serves as a separate route for ER patients with non-emergent issues.

The Express Care is open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Friday, times that the ER is traditionally very busy, and allows non-emergent patients access to expedited care, the hospital said. Since implementation, approximately 9,000 patients have been treated in Express Care. Through constant operational improvements, the length of time from a patient’s arrival to discharge is averaging less than two hours, SGMC Health said in a press release.

The health system treats nearly 100,000 ER patients each year across its four locations, with the main ER seeing more than half of those. Traditionally, ERs see patients based on their acuity, or the severity of illness or medical condition. As the region’s most sophisticated ER, operating as a Level III Trauma Center, open heart program, and certified Primary Stroke Center, more and more high acuity patients are being served, the press release said.

According to Chief Nursing Officer Cherise Giddens, “As we continue to grow and expand our services to meet the needs of our community, we want to ensure all patients receive timely and appropriate care. This team is a great example of what can happen when you have great leadership with a commitment to providing extraordinary care to all of our patients in their time of need.”

While time is an important metric, the system also measures and monitors patient experience scores, which have also improved significantly. The Express Care model has been so successful that it is being implemented at other locations, such as the SGMC Health Smith Northview Campus.

This fall, SGMC Health will break ground on a new ER facility at its main campus, which includes a designated Express Care unit and larger, more efficient design to support a higher number of patients.

For more information, visit sgmc.org/growth.

SGMC Health honors Dison with DAISY Award

VALDOSTA — SGMC Health recognized Squire Dison with the June DAISY Award for extraordinary nursing. He was honored for his care and compassion for both the patient and their family members.

Dison was nominated by a coworker in Case Management for going above and beyond to assist a family member from out of the country in navigating the hospital.

The nomination reads, “Squire met her at the parking garage and walked her to her mother’s room so she would not get lost.” In addition, as the family member was leaving, Dison again escorted her to her destination. “He not only walked her to the exit but walked her to her car, as it was after dark,” shared the coworker.

“Squire is a shining example of the warm and friendly culture we expect at SGMC Health,” shared Cherise Giddens, chief nursing officer. “His display of human kindness is a testament to his compassionate nursing.”

SGMC Health continues to ask patients and fellow employees to honor nurses they feel go above and beyond in their actions and care. Nominations are reviewed by a committee based on criteria that include compassion, teamwork, leadership, attitude, skills, and knowledge.

DAISY awards are presented monthly in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors. Each honoree receives a certificate commending her or him for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” They also receive a beautiful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa. A special floral arrangement of daisies was generously donated by The Flower Gallery, the local sponsor of SGMC Health’s DAISY Award.

To nominate a nurse for the DAISY award, visit sgmc.org/daisy.