South Georgia Medical Center honored its respiratory therapists as the August Hospital Heroes at its monthly Board of Directors meeting.
This team was honored for their professionalism, hard work and sacrifice in order to provide excellent and safe patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SGMC Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operating Officer Randy Smith stated, “Health care is constantly changing and the pandemic has reminded us of the value of our respiratory therapists and that we need them more than ever.”
Since March 2020 the SGMC Respiratory Therapy team has administered over 98,000 treatments, treated over 1,000 patients on ventilators, drawn over 7,000 blood gases and performed over 50 intubations.
“The personal and professional sacrifices made by this team do not go unnoticed. Many of them have sacrificed time with loved ones, self-care, and their own safety to provide care to those infected. It is because of the Respiratory Therapy team that so many patients affected by the virus have already recovered. They have done so much for our hospital and we are extremely grateful for their hard work every day. It is an honor to work with this great profession. They are a shining example of remarkable people providing extraordinary care,” explained Smith.
The Respiratory Therapy team received a standing ovation from those in attendance.