About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 2017)
Friday, October 27, 2017 Lake Oconee News Page B3 Morgan County Elementary School students perform a dance. T. Michael Stone/Staff Noche de la herencia hispana Morgan County Elementary School celebrated Hispanic Heritage Night last Thursday. This night was a celebration of the fourth- graders’ nine-week project overseen by teacher Amy Orr. The students researched ancient civilizations, such as the Aztec, Maya and Inca. At HHN, students performed a dance, shared reflections on their projects, and then led activities for the guests. Activities included a Mayan game, called Pitz, where participants try to make aball through ahoop (similar to basketball); taste-testing Aztec hot chocolate; telling stories while wearing an Inca quipu and solving math problems using the Mayan number system. The night culminated with a potluck dinner of Hispanic and Latin American foods. Those attending Hispanic Heritage Night were treated to a potluck dinner of Hispanic and Latin American foods. T. Michael Stone/Staff OCONEE/ATHENS St. Mary’s president recognized as CEO of the Year The Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals named Don McKenna, pres ident and CEO of St. Mary’s Health Care System in Athens as its CEO oftheYear during the organization’s 34th annual conference last week. The award recognizes leaders who have madeapos- itive impact on their patients, the institutions they lead and the communities they serve. “Don McKenna is a true leader who, through his spirit, vision and leadership skills has transformed and grown St. Mary’s Health Care System while ensuring its financial stability and long-term ability to serve patients throughout north east Georgia,” said Monty Veazey, president and CEO of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals. McKenna was recognized for his overall leadership and accomplishments, including the creation of the region’s first residency program and high levels of satisfaction among both patients and employees. He also was lauded for the role he played in preserving access to local health care by bringing two struggling rural hospitals into St. Mary’s Health Care System: Ty Cobb Health System in Lavonia, now known as St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital, and St. Joseph’s at East Georgia in Greensboro, now known as St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital. “He is a consummate professional, an exemplary leader, a visionary chief executive offer and a staunch advocate for our patients and for the profession,” said Jean Chin, MD, chair of St. Mary’s Board of Directors and executive director of the University Health Center at the University of Georgia. “He has improved the health of this community, inspired countless staff, senior lead ership and newly minted residents to excel, guided the hospital system bril liantly through the economic recession and these turbulent health care reform years and maximized the talents of those around him. Mr. McKenna is most deserving of this prestigious award.” McKennaj oined St. Mary’s Health Care System in 2008. Since that time, the system has grown from 196 licensed beds at one hospital to 275 beds in three hospitals and today employs over 2,100 people. St. Mary’s was rec ognized as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals in 2016 and again for its specialty areas of stroke and gastro intestinal care in 2017 by the online consumer resource Healthgrades. We know Water Filtration IT’S ALL WE DO! • Proudly serving the Lake Area for over 25 years • Widest range of quality products to meet any budget • Service plans available to meet YOUR needs • Let us inspect/service your existing system Household WATER SPECIALIST • WATER FILTRATION • 706-453-1151 /a* householdwater.com ® WE FIX BAD WATER! Other awards presented during the conference included Navicent Health as Large Hospital of the Year, Northside Hospital Cherokee as Small Hospital of the year and Lt. Governor Casey Cagle as Legislator of the Year in recognition of his longhistoryofsupportforthe state’s non-profit hospitals. In addition, Dr. Ninfa M. Saunders, president and CEO ofNavicent Health, was welcomed as the organiza tion’s new chair, succeed ing Jerry Fulks, president of WellStar West Georgia Medical Center. T HE GEORGIA ALUANCE OF COMMl'MTY HOSPITALS 34 th ANNUAL CONFERENCE October 11-J3, 2017 THE RITZ CARLTON, REYNOLDS PLANTATION St. Mary's president and CEO Don McKenna, left, receives the CEO of the Year Award from Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals president and CEO Monty Veazey. Contributed St. Mary’s Home Health Care/Hospice Services brings more than nursing, rehabilitation, social work services, aides and spiritual care into our patients’ homes. We also bring our hearts. Whether you & are recovering from a total joint i Fjt replacement, combating heart failure, i K’iL or have a loved one who is aRt near the end of life, J*W ST. MARY’S
