SGMC honors charge nurse 

VALDOSTA – South Georgia Medical Center honored Tim Sirmans, charge nurse, as the hospital hero for October.

Sirmans has been with SGMC for 24 years and was recognized by a patient’s family for his professionalism, knowledge and kindness, hospital representatives said in a statement.

During the height of the last COVID-19 influx of patients, SGMC received many transfers from other states that no longer had bed availability. One of those patients was from Troy, Alabama. Sirmans went above and beyond to communicate with this patient’s family who was more than 200 miles away and ensure the patient received appropriate care, hospital representatives said.

The patient’s son wrote, “Tim called me the minute he arrived and let me know how my dad was doing and who was going to do his surgery.” The patient became very confused after the surgery and Sirmans advocated for his son to be able to come and stay with him.

“Tim is an asset to SGMC. He is professional, polite, knowledgeable, and most importantly, he is a very caring person,” the son noted.

Upon receiving the recognition, Sirmans said, “It’s easy to take medication out of the Pyxis but it’s even easier to medicate from the heart.”

Sirmans received a standing ovation during a Hospital Authority of Valdosta/Lowndes County meeting.

For more information, visit sgmc.org.

Partners in Health cuts ribbon

VALDOSTA – The Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Ebony Hillmon Scruggs DNP, FNP-C, the new owner of Partners in Health Management.

“The ribbon was a symbol of new beginnings and the continued vision of the beloved and greatly missed Janie McGhin NP-C, CDE,” chamber representatives said in a statement. 

“I am taking over the clinic that was established by Mrs. McGhin and plan to continue to serve the needs of this population,” Scruggs said.

At Partners in Health Management, certified diabetes educators provide self-management education, training and support to individuals living with diabetes and people at high risk. Through a patient-focused educational program, it helps clients learn how to manage their condition better, whether they are newly diagnosed or in need of self-management tools.

“PHM is unique because it is owned and operated by a nurse practitioner focusing on primary care,” chamber representatives said. “They believe in addressing the person as a whole and provide individualized plans to optimize compliance, which involves mental health checks.”

Its mission is to provide quality primary care and comprehensive diabetes management through patient-focused education to achieve optimum health status.

“I love serving the community and genuinely enjoy educating, listening and caring for my patients. Each individual is different and I pay close attention to identify their needs and how I can help them become a healthier version of themselves. As they say, if you enjoy what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,” Scruggs said.

For more information, contact Scruggs, (229)-474-4101.

  

SGMC operations, ambulatory services director named

VALDOATA – Don Luke has been named South Georgia Medical Center administrative director of operations and ambulatory services.

Luke has been with SGMC for more than 25 years, hospital officials said in a statement. He started with SGMC as a phlebotomist and then moved to manager of pathology services. In 2017, Luke was promoted to director of operations for the Smith Northview Campus and began working on the ambulatory service line task-force in June of this year.

In his new position, Luke will facilitate the management of “key services in accordance with policies and procedures and current federal, state and local standards, guidelines and regulations that govern hospital facilities to assure each patient receives the necessary nursing, medical and psychosocial services to attain and maintain the highest possible care,” hospital officials said.

Luke said he is excited about the opportunity as he has always wanted to serve SGMC and the community he calls home.

“South Georgia Medical Center offers a wide variety of outpatient services with remarkable service line leaders. I will work with those leaders to help identify and remove barriers, making our services more accessible to the people of South Georgia and North Florida,” Luke said.

Luke graduated from Valdosta State University with a bachelor’s in business management and a master’s of business administration with a focus in health care.

Luke is a member of Leadership Lowndes Class of 2021. He is married to Janna and together they have a blended family with two adult children and two boys at home.

For more information visit sgmc.org.