The Valdosta Chamber and program sponsor Renasant Bank named South Georgia Medical Center the Corporation of the Quarter.

The Corporation of the Quarter award was created by Renasant Bank with the Valdosta Chamber to recognize larger Chamber businesses with 36 or more employees who prioritize community involvement and have an employee-centric culture. Nominees are anonymously nominated, and a panel of local business owners review applications to select the winners.

South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC) is a not-for-profit medical system dedicated to being the leader in improving the health, wellness, and quality of life in the community since 1955.

With 418 licensed beds, more than 600 providers, and 2,600 employees, SGMC, its campuses, and affiliates provide a broad range of high-quality healthcare services. SGMC has four hospital campuses and serves 400,000 residents across a 15-county service area. In addition, the health system has grown substantially over the last couple of years to include nine primary care clinics and twenty-seven specialty care locations.

SGMC was established to care for the sick and injured, regardless of sex, race, creed, color, nationality, handicap, or disability. A self-supporting medical system, SGMC proudly provides care for the sick and injured without local tax support. Because SGMC is publicly owned and operated, any earnings are reinvested back into the system’s facilities and services. This also allows SGMC to fund valuable outreach and education programs that benefit local students, seniors, the uninsured, and many others.

The health system is one of the largest economic generators for our region, creating almost 10,000 jobs due to its presence and approaching a $1 billion annual economic impact.

“Throughout the pandemic, SGMC staff rallied to ensure adequate care was available to our community, whether it be testing, infusions, vaccinations, or hospitalization. This sometimes required individuals to take on additional roles, shifts, and duties to ensure there was never a void,” Marketing Director Erika Bennett said.

Organization leadership recognized this effort with various incentives, including a performance payout, extra Paid Time Off contributions, free meals, and more. SGMC also consistently conducts market reviews for its pay structure and raised its minimum wage rate in 2021.

SGMC prides itself in giving back to the community, last year alone providing $40.6 million in uncompensated care to the region in the fiscal year of 2019.

“Each year, SGMC supports community partners and nonprofits through dozens of sponsorships. Not only does the health system give back, but also our employees volunteer and donate to local nonprofits. For example, employees participate in the United Way Day of Caring each year and donated $51,787 to the organization in 2020. Employees also volunteer with the Salvation Army, Food Bank, and local schools to name a few. In the fiscal year of 2021, employees volunteered more than 14,000 hours at various agencies and organizations throughout the community,” Bennett said.

Additionally, SGMC supports the Partnership Health Center (PHC) to provide primary healthcare access for uninsured adults (18 to 64 years old) with incomes below 300 percent of the federal poverty level guidelines. The PHC medical staff includes three full-time and four part-time mid-level providers, delivering primary and preventive care, chronic disease management, urgent care, dental, and pharmaceutical services to economically disadvantaged adults.

In the past 14 years, PHC has expanded its operation from one small facility with a limited staff to three buildings—including a dental clinic—and 35 employees. In 2020, the PHC provided 15,363 in-person and telehealth visits and distributed more than $13 million in free medications.