SGMC Health honors Hulsey with DAISY Award
SGMC Health recognized Lindsey Hulsey with the July DAISY Award for extraordinary nursing. She was honored for her compassionate and heartfelt care provided to a patient and his family members.
Hulsey was nominated by a coworker in Palliative Care who witnessed the impact Hulsey had on the patient.
The nomination reads, “Lindsey had been caring for the same patient for two weeks. While caring for him, she spoke with him about his life, his hobbies, and he told her many stories. She formed a strong connection with him.”
Unfortunately, the patient received a poor prognosis and he and his family had made the decision to move to comfort care only. However, the patient valued the care Hulsey provided so much that he postponed comfort care until Hulsey was working again so that she could be with him during his last moments. He even asked her to join the family at his bedside.
Her colleague shared that Hulsey took it upon herself to never leave his side: comforting him with a smile, administering medications, weaning his oxygen, and providing emotional support to the family. He passed away within a few hours with absolute comfort due to her attention and care. She was so gracious, stating that it was all because the other team members had assumed the care of her other patients so she could focus on him.
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.
Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce holds ribbon cutting for the Emotional Wellness Center of Valdosta
The Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce proudly celebrated the ribbon cutting of its newest member, the Emotional Wellness Center of Valdosta, a leading provider of mental health services dedicated to supporting the emotional well-being of the community.
The Emotional Wellness Center of Valdosta officially opened its doors in July 2019. Founder and owner Kelly Jones stated, “After the pandemic, the mental health and substance abuse crisis that our community and society was facing dramatically increased the need for the expansion of services beyond what I could individually provide, so EWCV faced a need to grow.”
Since its inception, Emotional Wellness Center of Valdosta has expanded significantly, welcoming two additional therapists to the practice, with the most recent joining this January.
This month marks five years since EWCV’s opening, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony symbolizes a renewed commitment to the community.
EWCV offers a wide range of services, including therapy for individuals healing from traumatic experiences, guidance for navigating life’s challenges, compassionate care for children and adolescents, support for substance use disorder recovery, and mentorship for psychology and counseling students and graduates.
Centrally located in Valdosta, within walking distance of Valdosta State University, EWCV is easily accessible to students, faculty, local businesses, and community members.
As a women-owned and operated small business, EWCV has forged strong partnerships within the community, including a collaboration with Bridgeway Recovery Center, a local addiction recovery facility. This partnership aims to expand awareness and support for those seeking long-term recovery from substance use disorders.
For more information about the Emotional Wellness Center of Valdosta and its services, please visit ewcvaldosta.com or contact Kelly Jones, (229) 588-2266.
Operating room team honored as SGMC Health System Heroes
SGMC Health honored several members of its surgical services team as health system heroes at its monthly board of directors meeting. The team was honored for their attention to detail and quick actions while caring for a pediatric patient who experienced malignant hyperthermia (MH), a rare life-threatening reaction to anesthesia.
Honorees included anesthesiologists James Warren, MD, Kevin Kenworthy, MD, nurse anesthetist Pete Shae, OR Manager Samantha Dean, and post-operative nurses Takara Lopez, Sara Whitaker, and Kali Fussell.
In this particular case, the patient received anesthesia for imaging. After the scans, a nurse noticed the patient’s temperature was rapidly increasing. She quickly activated MH protocol and the team went into action to treat the condition, which is believed to occur in about 1 in every 100,000 surgeries.
According to SGMC Health Director of Surgical Services Jessica Musgrove, “The patient’s family was extremely grateful to the team for their attentiveness, knowledge, and quick actions taken to save this child. We are happy to report that the patient recovered very well and was home the next day!”
The team received a standing ovation from those in attendance.
To learn more, visit sgmc.org/recognition.