Category Archives: Hospital News

Aiken Regional Medical Centers Earns EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Certification for Superior Energy Efficiency

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On April 12, 2013 Aiken Regional Medical Centers has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR certification, which signifies that the facility performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.

“Aiken Regional Medical Centers is pleased to accept EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” said Scott Ansede, Chief Operating Officer. “Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.”

Earning ENERGY STAR certification highlights ARMC status within the top 25 percent of Healthcare Facilities in the nation with regard to energy performance. Aiken Regional Medical Centers improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to its facilities.

“We have learned how to make thoughtful choices about ways we can use power more efficient.  Aiken Regional Medical Centers has empowered me to make changes to conserve energy and make our patients stay more comfortable,” said Ray Hoyer, Director of Facilities Management.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s industrial facilities is critical to protecting our environment, “ said Jean Lupinacci, Chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch. “From the plant floor to the board room, organizations are leading the way by making their facilities more efficient and earning EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification.”

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 65 different kinds of products, 1.4 million new homes, and 20,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. Over the past twenty years, American families and businesses have saved more than $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from ENERGY STAR.

WALTON REHAB IS OFFICIALLY SOLD TO ALABAMA COMPANY

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 1, 2013 –/PRNewswire/ – HealthSouth Corporation (NYSE: HLS) today announced it has completed its previously announced purchase of Walton Rehabilitation Hospital, a 58-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital formerly owned by Georgia Rehabilitation Institute, Inc., and doing business as Walton Rehabilitation Hospital in Augusta, Ga.  

“The purchase of Walton Rehabilitation Hospital by HealthSouth – our first in the State of Georgia – is another milestone in our strategy of expanding HealthSouth’s rehabilitative outreach to new markets,” said Linda Wilder, president of HealthSouth’s southeast region. “We are pleased to add Walton Rehabilitation Hospital to our nationwide network of rehabilitation hospitals and look forward to providing high-quality inpatient rehabilitative treatment and technology to the residents of the Central Savannah River Area.”

HealthSouth Walton Rehabilitation Hospital will offer high-quality inpatient rehabilitative care including specialized rehabilitation programs treating complex neurological and stroke patients, and will offer the most advanced rehabilitation technology available. HealthSouth Walton Rehabilitation Hospital will remain on the Walton campus, and there will be no interruption to patient care during the transition.

HealthSouth, with this acquisition, owns and operates 101 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals.

About HealthSouth HealthSouth is the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in terms of patients treated and discharged, revenues, and number of hospitals. Operating in 28 states across the country and in Puerto Rico, HealthSouth serves patients through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation satellite clinics and home health agencies. HealthSouth’s hospitals provide a higher level of rehabilitative care to patients who are recovering from conditions such as stroke and other neurological disorders, orthopedic, cardiac and pulmonary conditions, brain and spinal cord injuries, and amputations. HealthSouth can be found on the Web at www.healthsouth.com.

IHOP FLIPS FOR CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER

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Jonathon Azziz, 14, serves short stacks at the Washington Road IHOP on National Pancake Day 2012. Proceeds from this annual Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraiser go to the Georgia Health Sciences Children’s Medical Center.

Augusta, Ga. – IHOP will serve free short stacks all day long on National Pancake Day, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013, in support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. All local proceeds will go to the Georgia Health Sciences Children’s Medical Center, the area’s only children’s hospital.

More than 1,500 IHOP restaurants across the United States, including four in the Augusta-Aiken area, will invite diners to enjoy a complimentary short stack of IHOP’s signature buttermilk pancakes and to consider donating what they would have paid, or more, for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Local participating IHOPs are located at:

•  2525 Washington Road, Augusta

•  3125 Peach Orchard Road, Augusta

•  4361 Washington Road, Evans

• 180 Aiken Mall Drive, Aiken

IHOP’s Pancake Day brought in more than $3,200 for the Children’s Medical Center in 2012.

“Those funds were used by our respiratory therapy team to purchase specialized equipment for patients with asthma and other breathing issues,” said Catherine Stewart, CMN Development Coordinator. “The Children’s Medical Center is a not-for-profit hospital, so we are truly grateful for the financial support from our community we receive through special events like National Pancake Day.”

About GHS Children’s Medical Center

The 154-bed Children’s Medical Center is the second largest children’s hospital in the state, providing the highest level of pediatric critical care and neonatal intensive care as well as a wide range of general and complex health care for children.

About IHOP

For 52 years, the IHOP family restaurant chain has served famous pancakes and a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner items for all ages. IHOP strives to offer its guests an affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly service. The first IHOP opened in Toluca Lake, Calif., in 1958. There are currently 1,438 IHOPs across the greater United States. IHOP restaurants are franchised and operated by Glendale, Calif.-based International House of Pancakes, LLC, and its affiliates.

AIKEN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTERS AND CARING FOR CAROLINA HONOR CANCER VICTIMS WITH TREE OF HOPE

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Aiken, SC- Aiken Regional Medical Centers and their Caring for Carolina partners, Maxwell Law Firm and WJBF News Channel 6, are sponsoring the annual Tree of Hope. The event is Thursday, December 6, 5:30pm at the Cancer Care Institute of Carolina located at 111 Miracle Drive in Aiken, South Carolina.

The Tree of Hope honors and remembers loved ones that have battled cancer. During the intimate event the holly tree in front of the Cancer Care Institute will be lit for the first time this year in honor of cancer patients, their families, and friends. The tree will stay lit throughout the month of December.

Any donations from the event go to the Savannah River Cancer Foundation. The foundation, established in 2003, aids cancer patients and their families throughout Aiken, Edgefield, Allendale, and Barnwell counties. To make a donation or learn more, please contact: Savannah River Cancer Foundation at (803) 649-LIFE (5433) or email at srcforg@yahoo.com.

FORMER MULLINS LAB ANNOUNCES NEW SERVICE

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The Clinical Pathology Laboratories of the Southeast now draws and process blood within an hour and is called a “Stat Lab” within the dozens of centers across the country. It is located in the former  Mullins Lab near the Health Department on 1520 North Leg Road.

There are other CPLS intake centers in Evans, Wheeler Road, and in Aiken. For more information go to www.cplse.com

CPLS purchased Mullins lab and all of the offices several years ago and operates dozens of facilities across the U.S

CPC TO OPEN 7TH LOCATION

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 The buzz is the Center For Primary Care has acquired land near the new Wal-Mart in Grovetown and will build it’s 7th location there. Construction is expected to take more than six months and the doors should open this summer.

Dr. Paul Fischer, the founder of CPC will be the lead doctor at the new facility and his physician daughter is going to take over his reins at their Belair Road location.

CPC’s other locations include South Augusta, off Wheeler Road, North Augusta, Aiken, Belair Road, and Jimmy Dyess Parkway at CPC Crossroads(across from Beasley).

     Dr. Fischer received national attention about 20 years ago when as a MCG researcher-he  took on “big tobacco” and won a federal lawsuit that prohibited tobacco companies to use characters like “Joe Camel” to market cigarettes to the younger generation.

Doctors Hospital Launches Digital Baby Billboard Program

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COURTESY: Doctor’s Hospital

(Augusta, GA) – A picture can say a thousand words, and now some parents who deliver their baby at Doctors Hospital will be able to share their new baby’s picture with all of Augusta.

“We think this is a great way for families to celebrate the birth of their new baby in a unique way,” says Annette Repko, RNC, BSN, Director of Women’s Services at Doctors Hospital.

The way the free program works is that every day a new baby born at the Clyde A. Burgamy, M.D., Center for Women, will be featured for 24 hours at a time.  The billboard features the baby’s picture as well as his or her first name. The baby featured will have already been discharged from the hospital, giving both mom and dad the chance to enjoy having their little one welcomed to the community.

“Many parents love this program because their neighbors and friends can drive by the billboard and see the new addition,” says Repko.

In addition to the billboards, Doctors Hospital features the “Baby of the Day” on its website, www.doctorsdelivers.com.

“We have a lullaby bell that we push every time a baby is born at our hospital so we are always looking for new ways to celebrate with the family and this is just another way to help share parents’ joy,” says Repko.

Digital Baby Billboard Locations:

  • Lewiston Rd @ I-20
  • I-520 between Wrightsboro Road & Wheeler Road exits
  • Washington Raod @ N. Belair Rd.
  • Washington Road, east of Alexander Drive
  • Fury’s Ferry, west of Baston Road
  • 3664 Wheeler Road at Sandwich Tavern (back side of board)

HEALTHSOUTH CORP. : HEALTHSOUTH EXECUTES LETTER OF INTENT TO PURCHASE WALTON REHABILITATION HOSPITAL IN AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Oct. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — HealthSouth Corporation (NYSE: HLS) today announced it has executed a letter of intent to acquire Walton Rehabilitation Hospital, a 58-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital owned by the Walton Rehabilitation Health System located in Augusta, Georgia.

“Walton Rehabilitation Hospital has a long history of providing high-quality care. The purchase of Walton Rehabilitation Hospital by HealthSouth will uniquely position the hospital to continue its well known and respected legacy as a premier provider of physical rehabilitation long into the future,” said Linda Wilder, president of HealthSouth’s southeast region. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to retain the Walton Rehabilitation Hospital name and serve the Central Savannah River Area.”

“The result of combining a high-quality regional rehabilitation hospital with the resources of the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals is a clear and focused commitment to preserve and extend access to Walton Rehabilitation Hospital’s high standard of care for Augusta and the entire Central Savannah River Area,” said Dennis Skelley, president and chief executive officer of Walton Rehabilitation Health System. “We are excited about how this decision will bring financial strength and advanced capabilities (including a fully integrated electronic medical record system) to Walton Rehabilitation Hospital in the years to come. The sale of the 58-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital to HealthSouth allows Walton Foundation and Walton Community Services to focus on its mission of providing community health services, specifically independent and assisted living opportunities for persons with disabilities.”

“Although HealthSouth has rehabilitation hospitals in 27 states, including four that share a border with Georgia, we do not currently have a presence in the state of Georgia,” said Wilder. “The acquisition of Walton Rehabilitation Hospital will allow HealthSouth to serve a new market, complement HealthSouth’s existing network of rehabilitation hospitals, and be an important start to the continued growth of that network in Georgia.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions as well as review by the Georgia Attorney General’s office and the Georgia Department of Community Health. The parties are hopeful the transaction will be finalized during the first quarter of 2013.

About Walton
Walton Rehabilitation Health System is a Joint Commission Accredited provider of physical medicine and rehabilitation throughout the Central Savannah River Area. Services range from inpatient to outpatient programs to community re-entry, assisted living, pain management, and affordable housing opportunities for persons recovering from brain and spinal injuries, stroke, amputation and pain. Walton includes Walton Rehabilitation Hospital, Walton Outpatient Therapy Center, Walton Community Services, Walton Pain Center, Walton Behavioral Medicine Center, Walton Foundation for Independence and partners with Walton Options for Independent Living.

About HealthSouth
HealthSouth is the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in terms of patients treated and discharged, revenues and number of hospitals. Operating in 27 states across the country and in Puerto Rico, HealthSouth serves patients through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation satellite clinics and home health agencies. HealthSouth’s hospitals provide a higher level of rehabilitative care to patients who are recovering from conditions such as stroke and other neurological disorders, orthopedic, cardiac and pulmonary conditions, brain and spinal cord injuries, and amputations. HealthSouth can be found on the Web at www.healthsouth.com.