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.
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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
