EHS Named GA Small Hospital of the Year

PHOTO: Left to right: Monty Veazey, President and CEO, Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals; Dr. Fran Witt, President and CEO, Effingham Health System; presenter Matt McClure, Synovus Market Executive Northeast Atlanta; and LaMeisha Hunter Kelly, Executive Director of Strategic Business Development and Governmental Relations, Effingham Health System.

Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals names Effingham Health System 2022 Small Hospital of the Year

The Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals named Effingham Health System as our 2022 Hospital of the Year at their Annual Conference on October 13, 2022. The Alliance represents 104 not-for-profit hospitals in Georgia.

“I am pleased to announce that Effingham Health System was named 2022 Small Hospital of the Year for their focus on providing top-notch patient care, and expanding their vital healthcare services into their community with innovative Telemedicine programs,” said Alliance President and CEO Monty Veazey.

“Effingham Health System’s innovative partnership with the Effingham County Board of Education to offer telehealth services in local schools demonstrates Effingham Health Systems commitment to their community and promotes better health outcomes for their patients,” said Veazey.

“For their constant pursuit of excellence in caring for their patients, and their commitment to outreach across their community, I am pleased to present the 2022 Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year to Effingham Health System,” said Veazey

Effingham Health System, based in Springfield, is located about 30 minutes north of Savannah, and includes a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital, a CMS five-star 105-bed skilled nursing facility, three rural health clinics, a primary care and occupational medicine clinic, and four specialty practices, all serving southeast Georgia under the leadership of President and CEO Dr. Fran Witt. Dr. Witt’s leadership was recognized this past year when she was included in Modern Healthcare’s Top 50 Clinical Executives and was among the 75 Black healthcare leaders to know, published by Becker’s Hospital Review.

So far this year, Effingham Health System’s focus on providing top-notch care to their patients has led to the receiving the American Heart Association (AHA) Get With The Guidelines “Gold Plus” Stroke Certification and the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) Bronze National Quality Award for their long-term care center. In 2021, EHS received the AHA “Silver Plus” Stroke Award and also received designation as a Level Three (3) Emergency Cardiac Care Center.

Effingham Health System began the first telemedicine program in the greater Savannah area in partnership with the Effingham County Board of Education. EHS TELEMED brings patient care into schools for faculty, staff, and student care without their having to leave the school grounds. After starting at Guyton Elementary and Springfield Elementary, the program expanded to reach all elementary and middle schools in Effingham County.