Newspaper Page Text
The Braselton News
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Page 5A
District 2 Public Health to
administer COVID vaccines
to first responders
District 2 Public Health has received its first shipment of
coronavirus vaccine and will begin vaccinating emergency
medical personnel on Monday, December 21.
“Following the Georgia Department of Public Health’s
vaccination plan and recommendations from the Centers for
Disease and Control to first vaccinate frontline healthcare
workers, public health is excited to begin this phase of the
coronavirus response”, said Dr. Zachary Taylor. “Getting a
vaccine to combat this disease and save lives is remarkable.
With news of Modema Vaccine being authorized for emer
gency use, we will now have two vaccines and will be able to
vaccinate more people.”
The district received 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
DOT to ease lane
closures during holidays
The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT)
will suspend construction-related lane closures for the Christ
mas holiday (from Wednesday, December 23, at 5 a.m. to
Sunday, December 27, at 10 p.m.).
Restrictions are also in place for the New Year’s holiday
from 5 a.m. Thursday, December 31 to 5 a.m. Saturday, Jan
uary 2. The statewide lane restrictions allow reduced traffic
congestion during the winter holidays.
“Although traffic volumes were down earlier this year
due to COVID-19, unfortunately, fatalities on our roadways
have been up,” said Georgia DOT State Construction Engi
neer John D. Hancock. “I urge drivers traveling this season
to watch your speed, put down your cell phones, be alert and
make sure you and your passengers buckle-up. Let’s make
sure everyone has a happy holiday.”
While lane closures will be suspended, the department
encourages travelers to exercise caution as work zone crews
may still be in close proximity to highways, and safety con
cerns may require some long-term lane closures to remain in
place. In addition, incident management or emergency, main
tenance-related lane closures could become necessary at any
time on any route.
Georgia DOT advises holiday revelers to avoid drinking
and driving, designate a sober driver in advance or use a ride-
share/taxi service.
“Motorists are also reminded to drive defensively, and ex
ercise extra caution during the season. Slow down and ‘Drive
Alert Arrive Alive,”’ DOT leaders said in a news release. “Al
ways maintain a proper speed that is safe for current roadway
conditions. Remember, as temperatures drop, any amount of
precipitation can freeze and create a hazardous road condition.
Should inclement weather occur during the season, Georgia
DOT is ready to treat the roads with brine, gravel and salt.”
For up-to-date information about travel conditions on
Georgia’s interstates and state routes, call 511 or visit ww-
w.5 llga.org.
State leaders release
fire safety tips
Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King
encourages fire safety during the winter weather months.
“As cold fronts move in and temperatures drop, Geor
gians are digging out winter clothes from basement box
es and plugging in their space heaters for the first time
in months,” said Commissioner King. “Winter weather
can present unique dangers that commonly lead to an in
crease in reported fires this time of year. The following
tips can save lives, prevent property damage, and ensure
fire safety in your home during the winter months.”
The week of Dec. 7-11 has been named Winter Weath
er Preparedness Week by the Georgia Emergency Man
agement and Homeland Security Agency.
King released the following fire safety tips:
• Keep flammable materials like bed-sheets and blan
kets 3-feet away from any heat source.
•Extinguish any fire in your fireplace and turn off any
space heaters when you leave the area or go to bed.
•Ensure your heater is tested by a recognized testing
laboratory, and have your chimney inspected by a profes
sional each year.
• Shop for a heater that has an automatic shut-off if the
heater tips over.
•Plug portable heaters directly into outlets without any
other item on the same circuit.
•Put fireplace ashes in a metal container with a lid and
place the container 10+ feet from your home.
• Keep a glass or metal screen in front of your fireplace
and close the doors to your wood stove.
• Do all you can to make sure “on” switches for fire
places are kept out of a child’s reach.
•Never use an oven to heat your home.
•Leave the heat on and turn your thermostat to 65 de
grees if you leave your home for an extended period.
“Especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,
it’s crucial that Georgians take fire safety seriously so
there is not a strain on local fire stations heading into the
holiday season.” continued King. “Georgians with ques
tions can always check our website for more tips, follow
us on social media, or look at partner agencies like the
U.S. Fire Administration. We’re thankful for GEMA, the
National Weather Service, and the Georgia Department
of Transportation as they promote winter weather pre
paredness this week.”
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WOMEN OF THE YEAR RECOGNIZED
Piedmont Athens Regional presented the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce’s Woman of
the Year program at The Venue on Thursday, December 3. The program honors successful Women in
Business in Jackson County who have made an impact as leaders and who represent Jackson County.
Shown are: (from left to right on front row) Heather Robinson, CEO of Cross and Dot LLC, Woman of
the Year finalist; Tricia Jernigan, chief nursing officer at Northeast Georgia Health System, Woman of
the Year finalist; Tricia Massey, business development specialist and community relations at Piedmont
Athens Regional, Woman of the Year; Amanda Wilbanks, founder of Southern Baked Pie Company and
keynote speaker; Martha Martin, 2008 past award recipient; Gina Roy, assistant county manager at Jack-
son County Board of Commissioners, Woman of the Year finalist; Jennifer Langston, executive director
of Reboot Jackson, Woman of the Year finalist; (back row) Emily Howell, 2011 past award recipient;
April Sorrow, 2019 past award recipient who gave the invocation at the program; Linda Foster, 2016 past
award recipient; Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum, 2018 past award recipient; diAna Kunz Huckins,
2010 past award recipient; Theresa Kenerly, 2013 past award recipient; Jennifer Scott, 2015 past award
recipient; AM Merk, 2017 past award recipient and Dee Lavender, 2009 past award recipient. Not pictured
is Woman of the Year finalist Michele Price, co-owner of Visiting Angels.
New tower, expanded services
planned at NGMC Gainesville
Northeast Georgia Health
System (NGHS) plans to grow
its hospital in Gainesville by
adding a new, multi-story tow
er as early as 2024.
This future tower is part of
Northeast Georgia Medical
Center (NGMC) Gainesville
and will be located next to the
existing North Patient Tower.
Planned improvements in
clude:
• Moving the existing
emergency department to the
ground floor of the new tower
and expanding the department.
• Providing expanded and
convenient access for ad
vanced heart care including
general and interventional car
diology, heart failure treatment,
electrophysiology, structural
heart program, cardiovascular
surgery and more.
•Creating a new helipad on
the roof of the tower for fast
er and more efficient access
to support life-saving trauma,
heart, stroke and surgical care.
• Adding more operating
rooms to expand available sur
geries and procedures to treat
complex stroke, neurosurgery,
cancer and vascular cases.
• Adding more than 150 new
beds for inpatient care.
•Adding a parking deck
with hundreds of new parking
spaces for patients and visitors.
•Adding the ability to care
Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) plans to grow its hospital in Gaines
ville by adding a new, multi-story tower as early as 2024.
for more patients while also
creating an opportunity for
future renovation of the South
Tower.
Timelines may shift depend
ing on potential changes in the
overall healthcare needs of the
community. Between 700-
2,000 workers are expected
to be on-site for planning and
construction at any given time
as the project progresses.
“We’ve started referring to
our future expansion and im
provement projects as ‘Grow
ing the Greater Good,”’ says
Carol Burrell, president and
CEO of NGHS. “That phrase
is a reminder that when we
grow facilities to care for more
patients and expand our clini
cal services, we’re ultimately
reinvesting in the overall health
of our region.
“Any time we add a new
building, it’s a new place where
we are helping people in many
ways - whether it’s providing a
new service, creating new jobs
or simply lifting the spirits of a
community. These projects go
way beyond brick and mor
tar.”
NGMC Gainesville’s emer
gency department is routinely
among the busiest in the state.
Hospital leaders say moving
the department to the future
tower will create a more ef
ficient space to help meet the
growing need for emergency
and trauma care in the com
munity. The expanded space
will also support training
needs for an Emergency Med
icine physician residency pro
gram, which NGMC hopes to
add in the coming year.
While planning for the fu
ture tower is underway, other
improvement projects will
continue.
“We have a team that’s eval
uating ways to improve how
we move patients through
the hospital more efficiently,
while maintaining high-quali
ty care that will get them back
home to their loved ones as
quickly as possible,” says Mi
chael Covert, NGHS chief op
erating officer. “That includes
reducing wait times in all parts
of a patient’s journey, often
starting with the Emergency
Department.”
Hall management information systems director to retire
After 30 years, Hall
County’s Management In
formation Systems director,
James Thomas, plans to re
tire at year’s end.
“When I started, we had
a much smaller team,”
Thomas said. “The use of
email and internet wasn’t
widespread like it is today,
so we had to physically run
wires through departments,
and hook people up to the
internet. We introduced
the web and email to our
employees. That is part of
what has made this such an
interesting career — tech
nology is always changing
and always growing, and
we’re constantly working to
make sure we’re staying up
to speed so that County ser
vices can grow as technolo
gy improves.”
After serving as both
a computer programmer
and systems administrator.
Thomas became the director
of the MIS department.
Thomas’ leadership and
the MIS team’s critical role
within the organization was
never more apparent than
during the recent cyberat
tack experienced by Hall
County earlier this year,
according to a county news
release.
“James knows how to pro
vide leadership to employ
ees during difficult times,”
Hall County Administrator
Jock Connell said. “We
were fortunate to have had
him as we walked through
that challenge, and I know
that we came through that
experience quicker and bet
ter because of a long list
of safeguards and securi
ty measures James and his
team put in place. His strong
leadership will be missed.
Fortunately, James has as
sembled an excellent and
competent team and will be
leaving the department in
very good hands.”
Daniel Sexton, Hall
County MIS Systems Ad
ministrator, will be stepping
into the role of MIS Direc
tor beginning Jan. 1.
“I have had the pleasure
of serving Hall County
Government for more than
16 years, and I look forward
to serving both the employ
ees and citizens of Hall
County in this new role.”
said Sexton.
Connell said Sexton’s un
derstanding of Hall County
Government and his techni
cal expertise will serve the
County well moving for
ward.
“Daniel has been a crucial
member of the team, and he
and James will undoubtedly
make this a smooth tran
sition for all involved,” he
said.
This transition in lead
ership has been guided by
Hall County’s Strategic
Plan.
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