SGMC names Wound Center director

VALDOSTA – South Georgia Medical Center named Danna “Dee” Simpson as the program director of the SGMC Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center. 

Simpson started with SGMC in April, hospital officials said in a statement.

The SGMC Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center is located at 2330 N. Ashley St.

In this new position, Simpson will oversee all operations and be responsible for achieving clinical, operational and financial results at the center which is a member of the Healogics network and offers state-of-the-art treatment practices and protocols to reintroduce the body’s innate ability to heal.

“I am excited to bring my passion for helping patients and growing awareness of advanced wound care capabilities to this position,” Simpson said. “The medical field is an exciting, rapidly evolving environment, where the well informed decisions made by medical professionals can transform our patients quality of life and provide hope for healing.”

Simpson holds a bachelor’s in arts and economics from the University of Alabama and a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Central Florida.

Simpson is married to Larry and together they have six children.

SGMC’s Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center offers leading-edge treatments including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, negative pressure therapies, bioengineered tissues and biosynthetics.

Chronic wounds affect more than 8 million patients in the U.S. and the incidence is rising fueled by an aging population and increasing rates of diseases and conditions such as diabetes, obesity and the late effects of radiation therapy.

For more information visit, sgmc.org.

Hardy brings new vascular options to S.Ga.

VALDOSTA – Dr. David Hardy, vascular surgeon at South Georgia Medical Center, has only been in Georgia for a few months and is already expanding access to vascular and surgical interventions available to patients throughout the region, hospital officials said in a statement.

Hardy comes to Valdosta from Cleveland Clinic where he practiced for the last three years. But he’s no stranger to Georgia, he grew up in the Peach State and received his medical degree and served his residency, post-doctoral fellowship, surgical internship and surgical residency at the Medical College of Georgia. 

Hardy then completed his subspecialty training with a fellowship in vascular and endovascular surgery at Cleveland Clinic.

Hardy recently performed South Georgia’s first TransCarotid Artery Revascularization, hospital officials said. 

“TCAR is a clinically proven, minimally invasive and safe approach for treatment of carotid artery disease and prevention of stroke, especially for high surgical risk patients,” they said.

Carotid artery disease is a buildup of plaque in the two main arteries in the neck that supply oxygen-rich blood to the brain. If left untreated, carotid artery disease can often lead to stroke; it is estimated to be the source of stroke in up to a third of cases, with 427,000 new diagnoses of the disease made every year in the U.S. alone.

“TCAR is an important new option in the fight against stroke, and is particularly suited for patients we see in our region who are at higher risk of complications from carotid surgery due to age, anatomy or other medical conditions,” Hardy said.

TCAR is unique in that blood flow is temporarily reversed during the procedure so that any small bits of plaque that may break off are diverted away from the brain, preventing a stroke from happening, hospital officials said. A stent is then placed inside the artery to stabilize the plaque, minimizing the risk of a future stroke.

“This is just one of many unique procedures Dr. Hardy’s expertise brings to the operating table,” hospital officials said.

“Another fascinating surgery that’s now being performed at SGMC is the anterior lumbar interbody fusion. This surgery requires a neurosurgeon and a vascular surgeon. SGMC neurosurgeon Dr. Kimberly Mackey has already performed seven ALIF surgeries since Dr. Hardy’s arrival.”

ALIF is a spine surgery that involves approaching the spine from the front of the body to remove all or part of a herniated disc from in between two adjacent vertebrae in the lower back, then fusing or joining together, the vertebrae on either side of the remaining disc space using bone graft or a bone graft substitute.

“The ALIF approach is advantageous in that, unlike the posterolateral approaches, the back muscles remain undisturbed,” Mackey said.

Another advantage is that placing the bone graft in the front of the spine places it in compression, and bone in compression tends to fuse better.

A much larger implant can be inserted through an anterior approach, and this provides for better initial stability of the fusion construct, hospital officials said.

According to SGMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Dawson, SGMC is committed to being the region’s destination for specialty care that can’t be responsibly performed elsewhere. 

“We are organizing a team of the very best physicians, which include both Dr. Hardy and Dr. Mackey, and as a result we continue to see expanded capabilities and enhanced patient outcomes,” Dawson said.

“My favorite part of the job is taking care of patients,” Hardy said. “I consider it a privilege to be able to build relationships with my patients and treat their chronic medical problems to ultimately help them enjoy a better quality of life.”

Hardy said he is excited to be back in Georgia and at SGMC. 

“The people here are phenomenal and the facilities are state-of-the-art — it just feels right,” he said. 

SGMC has the area’s only hybrid operating room in South Georgia, hospital officials said.

Hybrid operating rooms combine the most advanced operating room and medical imaging technology, which is especially helpful in treating patients with complex aneurysms, circulatory issues in the lower extremities and carotid artery disease — situations where expert imaging is beneficial.

As a vascular surgeon, Hardy performs aorta surgery, including re-operations and high-risk re-operations; aneurysm repair, including minimally invasive and open aortic aneurysm repair and visceral aneurysm surgery; minimally invasive and open surgery for peripheral arterial disease; aortic dissections; dialysis access; treatment for carotid artery disease; thoracic outlet syndrome; iliac and vena cava management; and spine access.

Hardy is married with three children and said he enjoys watching his children compete in their swimming events.

To learn more, visit sgmc.org.

Wiregrass names top employees 

VALDOSTA – Wiregrass Georgia Technical College recently recognized two employees for their dedication, hard work, and leadership skills by the faculty and staff of the college. 

Wiregrass employees annually nominate a staff member and a supervisor for their exemplary performance on the job, college officials said in a statement. The nominations are narrowed down by a committee, and the finalists are interviewed by a panel of judges to decide who will be honored.

Trevecca Doggett, adult education services administrative assistant, was awarded the ninth James A. Bridges Vanguard Award for the staff member of the year. She is described by her peers as one who goes above and beyond to help students, faculty, and staff. 

One nomination for Doggett stated, “She does a tremendous job. She is willing to take on any task and does so with professionalism and courtesy. When we moved online, she took on the task of implementing virtual enrollment for adult education. This allowed the program to be one of the first in the state to offer this to students.” 

As the department assistant for adult education services, she provides overall clerical support for adult education services and unit employees in the northern region.

Doggett said her job never feels like “work.” 

“My favorite part is testing day,” she said. “When students come back from the Testing Center, we all anxiously wait for their test scores to come in and then we celebrate together. That is an amazing feeling.” 

She said being a Wiregrass Tech alum, she enjoys helping students enroll into credit programs once they obtain their high school equivalency, and she loves sharing with them about student activities such as SkillsUSA and Student Government. 

“The best part, however, is when students return to tell us what they are doing and to see how proud they are of themselves, that’s priceless,” she added. 

She has worked at Wiregrass for almost five years.

The James A. Bridges Vanguard Award was created in honor of former Valdosta Technical College president, James A. Bridges. Bridges served the people of Valdosta and Lowndes County for 40 years, first as the vocational director of Valdosta High School, and then as president at Valdosta Tech. 

During his tenure, Bridges provided leadership as Valdosta Technical Institute became Valdosta Technical College. A strong believer in work ethics, he was the co-author of Georgia’s renowned work ethics curriculum. Thanks to his leadership, work ethics is not only taught at every technical college in Georgia, but also at post-secondary institutions all over the world.

Shelia Thomas, director of financial aid, was awarded the ninth Lewis I. Brinson, Sr. Leadership Award for the supervisor of the year. 

One nomination for Thomas stated, “She leads in a manner that can best be described as servant leadership. She leads in a calm, inspiring and genuine way, with completely open communication to all employees. She demonstrates responsibility to the employees and the college, with an emphasis on service – service to students and the other college departments.” 

Serving Wiregrass as the director of financial aid, she is responsible for coordinating the student financial assistance function for the college, which includes preparing and maintaining active and inactive financial aid program files and records; preparing and analyzing financial aid award reports; and providing guidance and advice regarding grant and scholarship policies and processes, VA awards, vocational opportunities, educational requisites and state policy. 

Thomas started her career with the State of Georgia at Ben Hill-Irwin Technical Institute in August 1994 as the New Connections to Work coordinator for single parents and displaced homemakers. Her career progressed to East Central Technical College as an admissions career planner and then to financial aid director. 

She was selected as the financial aid director for Wiregrass Georgia Technical College during the 2010 merger of ECTC and Valdosta Technical College.

After 27 years in technical education, Thomas has worked with thousands of students as they pursue their chosen occupation and graduate to high skilled jobs, college officials said. 

Thomas said as director of financial aid, her position is mission critical. Helping students access the financial aid options to help finance their education is vital to their success at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College. 

“Without financial aid assistance, an overwhelming majority of Wiregrass students would not be able to attend or complete their educational goals,” college officials said. “The work that she and her dedicated, hard-working staff do directly contributes to students realizing their dream of providing a better life for their families.”  

Although the daily workday consists of many after-hours worked, the passion to help Wiregrass students is the driving force. As a 10-year Air Force veteran, Thomas said she understands what it means to be dedicated to the mission.

Thomas’ technical education journey has been further enhanced as she had the privilege of working with her father, Sammie L. Wilcox Jr., who was the masonry instructor at Ben Hill-Irwin Technical Institute for more than 23 years. 

When asked what advice she would give to future applicants, she replied, “Great experiences await you in technical education. You can achieve your dreams. Be dedicated to the work. You can go further at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, and it is so worth the journey.”

This award was named in honor of Lewis I. Brinson Sr. for his “visionary leadership, his unquestionable integrity and his passion for technical education,” college officials said. 

Brinson was the founding director (president) of Ben Hill-Irwin Tech. The World War II veteran taught in the Ben Hill County School System for 20 years. During those 20 years, he served as the vocational director at Fitzgerald High School. 

“Based on his integrity and outstanding leadership qualities, in 1968 the board of directors of Ben Hill-Irwin Tech selected Mr. Brinson to serve as the first director of the school, a position he filled for the next 15 years, retiring in 1983,” officials said. 

Brinson was responsible for overseeing the construction of what is now the 100 through 400 wings of the Charles Harris Learning Center, as well as hiring the original faculty and staff of the college.

For more information about Wiregrass programs or the adult education services, visit www.wiregrass.edu. Wiregrass is currently accepting new students for fall semester; classes start Aug. 19.