Newspaper Page Text
Tribune & Qeorgian
Business
Wednesday, February 6,2013
Ameris Bank consolidating branches March 8
Johna Strickland Rush
johna@tribune-georgian.com
Starting March 8, Ameris
Bank customers will have a
single place to conduct busi
ness in Camden County
when the Kingsland branch
combines with the St. Marys
office.
“The Kingsland Ameris
Bank office located at 1603
Highway 40 E. will close per
manently, consolidating with
the St. Marys office,” Ameris
marketing and sales manager
Ann-Stanton Cannarella said.
“We apologize in advance for
any inconvenience this will
cause our customers but we
are committed to making this
change as smooth as possible
for we appreciate their busi
ness and value our relation
ships with each customer.”
The move comes after an
announcement last year that
Ameris Bank plans to consol
idate, close or sell at least 13
of its 66 branches in an effort
to cut about $12.1 million
from its annual operations
cost, according to a press re
lease.
“This plan is the result of
the ongoing analysis of our
operations by our board of
directors and our executive
management team,” Ameris
president and CEO Edwin
W. Hortman Jr. said. “Our
mission statement calls for us
to be a high-performing
community bank, and the
most direct path to accom
plishing our mission in
today’s environment requires
the changes we have out
lined. The plan we have de
veloped is certainly
achievable and within our
control. I believe this plan
demonstrates our determina
tion to achieve high-per
forming results.”
Cannarella echoed Hort
man ’s statement, noting that
the choice was a tough one.
“This decision was a result
of our ongoing effort to
maintain the highest level of
efficiency and to position our
company to be successful in
this difficult economic envi
ronment,” she said. “Ameris
Bank remains a strong and
stable financial institution
and will continue to build on
our rich history of commu
nity banking in the St. Marys
market.”
Health clinic celebrates opening
Submitted photo
Camden Behavioral Health will host a ribbon cutting at 4 p.m.Thursday, Feb. 7, at its new lo
cation on Charles Gilman Jr. Boulevard.The venture is a joint effort between two previously
established providers: Unison Behavioral Health and Gateway Behavioral Health Services.
When the ribbon is cut to
celebrate the official grand
opening for Camden Behav
ioral Health on Thursday,
Feb. 7, guests will see some
aspects of the facility that are
new and some that are famil
iar.
A formal ribbon-cutting
ceremony will be held at 4
p.m. followed by an open
house reception and refresh
ments.
Camden Behavioral
Health is a collaborative
venture between two previ
ously established providers
in Camden County: Unison
Behavioral Health (formerly
Satilla Community Services)
and Gateway Behavioral
Health Services. While the
two entities primarily ad
dressed specific sectors of
the population, each
provider saw opportunities
to enhance its treatment ca
pabilities by combining
forces.
“We now have additional
team members with various
levels of expertise from
board certified psychiatrists
to licensed therapists and
certified counselors,” stated
clinic manager Colleen
Snow. “As Camden Behav
ioral Health, we are now
able to offer a greater range
of care to include new and
expanding programs, such as
addiction, peer support,
groups specific to women,
children and adolescents,
and anger management
groups, as well as individual
and family services offered
on and off campus. Our staff
continues to be dedicated to
the people we work with and
their continuity of care.”
One significant advantage
for consumers is the benefit
of the one-campus, one-
provider nature of the facil
ity, Snow pointed out.
“We can see several family
members at one time, if nec
essary, and provide individu
alized care for each person,”
she explained. “This is a big
advantage for working par
ents for example, especially
those who have children in
school. Everyone can get the
attention they deserve, with
minimal time lost from work
and the classroom setting.”
Snow also stressed that
another important advan
tage is an enhanced ability to
utilize a team approach.
“Our team of specialists
are able to come together
and develop a more targeted
course of treatment that
help ensure family and indi
vidual needs are met,” Snow
said. “We are also able to
serve individuals who may
have severe or moderate
mental illness, who would
benefit from this integrated
team approach.”
The grand opening and
open house are open to the
public.
Camden Behavioral
Health accepts Medicare,
Medicaid, TriCare and most
private insurance providers.
The new offices are lo
cated at 600/700 Charles
Gilman Jr. Blvd. For more
information, call (912) 576-
HELP (4357).
ICAMDIN
Khavioral
Ihealth
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, February 6
Camden County Retired Educators
will hold its February meeting at the
Bryan-Lang Historical Library at 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 6. Judy Buchanan, di
rector and archivist, will be the guest
speaker. Buchanan will speak on Cam
den County African-American history
and artifacts. Retired educators and in
terested members of the community are
invited to the meeting. Retired educa
tors and guests are asked to bring a
food donation for the local food banks,
as well as a donation for the Camden
House "Wee Care" project. Items
needed for Camden House include
tooth brushes, toothpaste, reading ma
terial for children and adults, puzzles
and activity books, writing utensils,
crayons, single packaged snacks and
drinks, snuggly stuffed animals and
more. For further information about the
retired educators' meetings or about
joining the Camden County Retired Ed
ucators Association (CCREA), call
Ceola Foreman, CCREA president, at
(912) 882-3264 or send an email to
cwf02@tds.net.
Thursday, February 7
Single Again, a newly-formed support
group, will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday,
Feb. 7, in the upstairs area of The Green
Room Sicilian Restaurant in front of Os
prey Cove. Everyone interested in hav
ing dinner should arrive by 5:30 p.m. to
place an order and pay for their meal,
which will be served to them upstairs.
The support meeting will begin at 6 p.m.
Those just getting off work who wish to
attend are asked to arrive as soon as
possible. The goal is to encourage and
support each other. There is hope after
divorce, death of a spouse or the end of
a long-term relationship. Attendees are
asked to plan to share positive ideas for
adjusting to and creating a new lifestyle.
For menu and address, visit www.on-
thegreenroom.com/.
The Camden County Republican
Women will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday,
Feb. 7, at the Camden County Annex
Building, located behind the Camden
County Public Library in Kingsland. The
speaker will be chief magistrate Judge
Jennifer Lewis.
Sunday, February 10
Jeff and Sheri Easter will meld their
voices with their love for family and
gospel songs on Sunday, Feb. 10, at
the Woodbine Opry in Woodbine. The
time will be 2 p.m. but Billy Brant's New
Horizons Band will open for the East
ers at 1 p.m. A donation of $15 is re
quested. The Woodbine Opry is
located in the old Woodbine High
School, on the corner of Second Street
and Camden Avenue. For more infor
mation, call Hoydt Drury at (912) 576-
3027 or send an email to
hhdrury@tds.net.
Monday, February 11
Camden County High School will
hold its school council meeting at 4:15
p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, in classroom
A13. The agenda includes Title I
overview and eligibility; critical is
sues/action plans; school improvement
and parent involvement plan revisions;
revision to parent compact; end of
course test and writing scores; and the
AP math and science initiative. All
school council meetings are open to
the public. For more information, call
(912) 729-7318.
Tuesday, February 12
The Guale Historical Society will
hold its first meeting of 2013 at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 12, in the social hall at
St. Marys Presbyterian Church. The
featured speaker will be Kay West-
berry, who will share information about
Oak Grove Cemetery and more. West-
berry has spent several years re
searching the history of the families
buried in Oak Grove. There is no
marked grave before 1801, but many
stories have advanced since that time,
including ones from Kingsland, Wood
bine, military burials and a special
marker placed by the Emancipation
Society. The meeting is open to the
public who is invited to hear the history
of Camden County through unique sto
ries.
St. Marys Garden Club will meet at 1
p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, in the social hall
of the First Presbyterian Church, lo
cated at 100 W. Conyers St. in down
town St. Marys. Guest speaker will be
club member Angel Bernier, a master
gardener who moved to the area from
Virginia. Bernier will demonstrate how
to make the easiest Vermiccompost
ever. Jim Libby will give an overview of
the Southern Garden Symposium he
attended recently at Callaway Gardens.
Members are urged to attend and visi
tors are welcome. For more informa
tion, call Barb Abnee at (912) 576-8517
or Leslie Mary Wells at (912) 467-4313.
For more information, visit the website
at http://stmarysgardenclub.shutter-
fuly.com.
Tuesday, February 19
The Woodbine Woman's Club will
host a meet and greet and forum for
probate judge candidates on Tuesday,
Feb. 19, at the Woodbine Lion's Club
on Brewster Avenue. The meet and
greet begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by
the forum at 7 p.m. Questions for the
candidates must be submitted in writ
ing before the forum begins.
BRIDGING THE GAP
116 West Farmer Ave., Kingsland, GA
Serving Camden and Surrounding Area for over 20 years!
$10 HAIRCUT WEDNESDAY ONLY
FAMILY ENVIRONMENT • APPOINTMENTS & WALK-INS
Monday - Friday, 9 am - 6 pm; Saturday, 7 am - 3 pm
Help with Your
Medical Bill
May be Available
We understand that because of the economy,
some area residents have been forced to
reduce their health insurance coverage, or
have none at all.
Southeast Georgia Health System
participates in Georgia’s Indigent Care
Trust Fund (ICTF), a program whose goal
is to help ensure access to health care for
low-income and uninsured Georgians.
Through this program you have a right to:
■The availability of free and reduced-
charge services, if eligible
•Information regarding the Health
System’s policy, procedures and process
for applying for financial assistance,
including contact information for the
office or person to which complaints or
questions about the Health System’s
program may be directed
•Not be charged pre-admission deposits
•Not be transferred solely or in
significant part for economic reasons
For more information, please contact the
Southeast Georgia Health System patient
financial services office at 912-466-5000.
If you have complaints or concerns about our
handling of your application, you may
contact the Department of Community
Health at 877-261-3117, or send a letter
detailing your situation to:
Indigent Care Trust Fund
Hospital Policy Section
Division of Medical Assistance
2 Peachtree Street, NW 37th Hoor
Atlanta, GA 30303-3159
Southeast Georgia
Health System
© 2013 SGHS 2/2013
Southeast Georgia Health System is a tobacco-free organization.
TODAY II HISTORY
In 1820, the first immigration of freed slaves to Africa
departed from a New York harbor to Freetown, Sierra
Leone, in West Africa. In 1821, the American Colonization
Society founded the colony of Liberia south of Sierra Leone
as a homeland for freed U.S. slaves outside of British juris
diction. Between 1822 and the American Civil War, over
15,000 African Americans settled in Liberia. Over twenty
years later, Liberia was granted independence by the
United States and was the first independent democratic
republic in African history.
For more on today in history, visit http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history