SGMC announces new Cardiovascular Shadowing/Internship Program

Valdosta, Ga. – The Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County, Georgia d/b/a South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC) is pleased to announce the new SGMC Cardiovascular Shadowing/Internship Program.  The program will offer selected local business leaders and Valdosta State University (VSU) senior nursing students the unique opportunity to shadow and observe SGMC’s Cardiovascular Team first hand at the SGMC Dasher Memorial Heart Center. By scrubbing in and watching actual cases from behind-the-scenes locations, the new Cardiovascular Shadowing Program is to educate business leaders about the daily miracles performed at SGMC as well as to offer nursing students a snapshot of cardiovascular nursing with SGMC’s experienced and skilled multidisciplinary team.  Selected individuals will observe the daily routines of the cardiovascular team in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, the cardiovascular operating room and the cardiac intensive care unit. While the shadowing program for business leaders will be a one day experience, the mini-internship for nursing students is designed to take place over a 2-day period in a variety of settings.  For this year-round program, SGMC will be working in conjunction with the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce and Valdosta State University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences to select qualified candidates.  As the program seasons, SGMC plans to expand the program to offer the opportunity to all qualified local nursing students as well as business leaders in neighboring communities.As the only open heart surgery center in south central Georgia, the SGMC Dasher Memorial Heart Center, a modern state-of-the art facility, is home to a comprehensive cardiac and vascular surgery program.  A team of five highly-skilled cardiologists, two cardio-thoracic surgeons and a vascular and endovascular surgeon provide larger numbers of complex procedures and apply vast experiences and skills to provide expert care.  “The Dasher Memorial Heart Center hosts the cardiac service line and is the only full-service provider for cardiac and vascular diseases in our region,” explains SGMC Chief Executive Officer Randy Sauls.  “SGMC’s strategic vision is to be the Region’s Premier Health System and destination for health care. The Cardiovascular Shadowing Program educates business leaders on the complexities of health care and delivers guidance to students in the healthcare career path. With these and other similar programs, SGMC will make its game changing performance in cardiovascular care more transparent and understood by both students and community members.”SGMC is the largest non-governmental employer in Lowndes County, Georgia, employing over 3,000 community members.  A self-supporting hospital, SGMC proudly provides care for the sick and injured with no local tax support.  Any profit made by the hospital is reinvested back into the facility, adding new services and funding valuable outreach and education programs that benefit students, persons with chronic diseases, the elderly, the uninsured, the underinsured and many others.For more information on the SGMC Cardiovascular Internship/Shadowing Program, contact Mindy Bates, SGMC Director of Human Resources at 229-259-4705.