Georgia Hospital Association

Nurses face a range of emotions, dealing with ups and downs from one minute to the next. Through it all, nurses like Ashley Cown of Eastside Medical Center care for patients with unwavering love and compassion. Hear Ashley describe the emotion of treating a husband and wife, both patients on the same floor of the hospital, in the early days of COVID-19. #NursesWeek2021 #ThankAHospitalHero

Today begins National #NursesWeek2021, and we are looking back to early 2020, when the country was in the throes of COVID-19. This mystery virus had come without warning and spread frighteningly fast. The worst part was that, to stay safe, everyone had to isolate from loved ones. Hospitals were forced to limit visitors to keep patients and staff as safe as possible and stop the spread of COVID-19. During those times, they developed innovative ways to help patients stay connected with loved ones. Michelle Dobbs, nurse at Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital, is one example of this creative compassion. #ThankAHospitalHero

You've probably heard that the #COVID19Vaccine causes side effects for some. However, these effects are usually mild and don't last long. The end result is serious protection from a potentially deadly virus. Everyone ages 16 and up can the vaccine at no cost! Protect yourself and your loved ones. Sign up for your shot today! https://myvaccinegeorgia.com/

A touching tribute from the Masters Tournament honoring our COVID-19 Heroes! We are eternally grateful for what they’ve done for us this past year and what they do each day. https://www.masters.com//wa/2021-04-11/1618108756262.html

Georgians ages 16 and up are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine! Please register at www.myvaccinegeorgia.com.

On the last day of #DonateLifeMonth, we are proud to highlight another of our hospitals with a transplant program. Emory University Hospital (Emory Healthcare) performed 475 transplants in 2020. We thank them for saving lives and helping honor those who have saved lives through the gift of donation. Register to be an organ donor today! LifeLink of Georgia Donate Life Georgia https://www.donatelifegeorgia.org/register/

#DoctorsDay! We salute the inspiring physicians in our hospitals who have treated communities with the utmost compassion while battling a pandemic. We also now celebrate doctors' ability to receive and administer the #COVID19Vaccine!

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released updated nursing home visitation guidelines, taking into consideration the impact of #COVID19 vaccination. The Georgia hospital community continues to have grave concerns regarding certain provisions within House Bill 290, specifically those related to in-person physical contact. As CMS guidelines continue to change to allow additional and appropriate in-person contact from family members and support persons, the ne...ed to remain flexible and vigilant is crucial to maintaining the safety of patients, residents, staff, and the community. Under this new guidance, HB 290, if passed, would not be CMS compliant if a facility needed to temporarily restrict outside guests in order to control disease spread of COVID-19. GHA supports alternative language that clearly allows patient visitation and support that is compliant with federal guidelines while also respecting the critical need for families and loved ones to be together during a public health state of emergency. https://www.cms.gov///visiting-love-ones-nursing-home.pdf See more

Did you know everyone age 16 and older in the U.S. is now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine? Every day we’re closer to defeating this pandemic. #WeCanDoThis

April is #DistractedDrivingAwareness Month. In 2015, a seven-vehicle wreck caused the tragic deaths of five nursing students in South Georgia. The driver who claimed the five lives while injuring others was texting while driving. In 2018, GHA supported the passage of Georgia’s Hands Free Law, and we are now proud to join the Abbie Deloach Foundation in our commitment to drive #HandsFreeforAbbie. Take the pledge: https://abbiedeloachfoundation.com/hands-free-for-abbie

By now, you probably know that GHA loves a month with a color! Happy #StPatricksDay from our green-wearing staff! We are so lucky to have our fabulous, hard-working hospital members!

Union General Hospital, Inc. CNO Julia Barnett couldn't have said it better. To all the front line workers and hospital staff all over the state, thank you is not sufficient, but we will still express our gratitude. #ThankAHospitalHero Video by Cahill Productions, LLC

Care and compassion for fellow staff is an essential component in the continuing fight against #COVID19. Union General Hospital, Inc. CNO Julia Barnett tells the story of Sharon, a med-surg nurse who volunteered day after day to care for covid patients to help other staff minimize their exposure to the virus. Sharon, we are grateful for all the front line workers like you. #ThankAHospitalHero Video by Cahill Productions, LLC

We this advice from the Georgia Department of Public Health: Super Bowl, not super spreader! -Gathering virtually or only with people in your household is the safest way to watch the game -BYO food and drinks -Outside is better than inside -Don’t forget to #MaskUpGa!

Abi Knight, nurse manager at Tanner Health System, describes the connection she feels to other nurses and the joy of seeing patients recover after battling the COVID-19 virus. #ThankAHospitalHero Video by Cahill Productions, LLC

Congratulations to Augusta University Health on its #GHAPatientSafetyAward! The hospital won third place in the Hospitals with Greater Than 300 Beds category for its project, Decreasing Door-to-Needle Times in Acute Stroke Patients. These dedicated staff members successfully decreased the time between patient arrival and administration of Alteplase, a medication used to treat ischemic stroke!

Our statement regarding the Georgia DPH's suspension of vaccine supply. No GHA-member hospitals have been penalized for COVID-19 vaccine misuse.

Another #GHAPatientSafetyAward winner! Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital was the third-place winner in the Josh Nahum Infection Prevention and Control category for its project that decreased hospital-onset infections: As Easy As A, B, C.diff: A Comprehensive Approach to Reducing C.difficile Infections." Big congratulations to you all and thank you for working to keep patients safe! #ThankAHospitalHero