Macon CEO named to state hospital association board
Ninfa Saunders elected to hospital association board of trustees
Ninfa Saunders, president/CEO of Navicent Health in Macon, was elected to the board of trustees of the Georgia Hospital Association. She will serve as an at-large trustee, where her duties will include working with the board to develop strategies for the association’s hospital members, advocate for the highest quality care for patients and support adequate reimbursement for hospitals.
In 2012, Saunders became CEO of Navicent Health, a nonprofit corporation whose primary purpose is to coordinate the Medical Center, Navicent Health, and other affiliated entities. Navicent Health has 830 beds for medical, surgical, rehabilitation and hospice purposes.
Founded in 1929, the Georgia Hospital Association serves more than 170 hospitals in Georgia and promotes the health and welfare of the public through the development of better hospital care for all Georgia’s citizens. It serves as the leading advocate for all Georgia hospitals and health care systems, and represents its members before the General Assembly and Congress, as well as state and federal regulatory agencies, and is an allied member of the American Hospital Association.
Goodwill wins international stewardship award
For the fourth year in a row, Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the Central Savannah River Area received a stewardship award for mission support.
The award, a competition among all of the 165 autonomous Goodwill charities across the country, recognizes Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA for their cost-efficient operations, which return the greatest share of revenue from retail sales of donated goods to fund Goodwill’s job training, education and career development services. The local Goodwill has received this award each year since 2014.
During the past five years, the local Goodwill has provided career and education services to more than 107,000 individuals, helping place nearly 28,000 people into employment.
Goodwill Industries helps people develop their abilities through education, work and career services within the agency’s 35-county service delivery area.
Wastewater operations director retires; new director promoted
Larry Reynolds, director of wastewater operations for the Macon Water Authority, is retiring this month after serving the authority for 30 years. Jocelyn Hunt, assistant manager of water operations, who has 25 years of experience at the authority, will assume his duties as the head of the wastewater division.
Both Reynolds and Hunt have achieved the highest level of certification as treatment plant operators, in addition to being recognized by industry associations for leadership, excellent performance and/or exemplary service as water professionals during their respective careers.
Reynolds came to the MWA in 1988 as a wastewater operator trainee and received several promotions. He retires after overseeing all aspects of wastewater treatment and operations at both the MWA’s Rocky Creek and Lower Poplar facilities. He received several industry awards during his career at the MWA
Hunt came to the MWA in 1992, following four years of service in the U.S. Army, where she was a water treatment specialist. She worked her first 12 years at the MWA as a water plant operator.
She was the GAWP top water plant operator in the state’s District 5 in 2004 and received an operator’s Meritorious Service Award from the Georgia section of the American Water Works Association, which recognizes the best water plant operator in the state.
Plant Scherer named national 2017 Plant of the Year
Georgia Power’s Plant Scherer has been named 2017 Plant of the Year by the national Powder River Basin Coal Users’ Group.
It was selected based on a series of rigorous selection criteria including safety, fire protection and risk reduction benchmarks. Judges also evaluated capital improvement projects, operational best practices such as maintenance planning and execution leveraged by plant management, as well as Scherer’s environmental performance, coal handling, and boiler and combustion capabilities.
Plant Scherer sits on 3,500-acres next to Lake Juliette in Monroe County. The four units of the coal-fired power plant are capable of producing 3,600 megawatts of electricity and on average can supply enough energy to power about 1.5 million homes.
Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Co.
Nursing centers receive national quality awards
Five Middle Georgia nursing centers received awards through the American Health Care Association National Quality Award program.
Three nursing centers received a 2017 Silver Award: Bolingreen Health & Rehabilitation in Macon, Lynn Haven Health & Rehabilitation in Gray and Fort Valley Health and Rehabilitation in Fort Valley.
Two midstate nursing centers received a 2017 Bronze Award: Church Home Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Fort Valley and Cherry Blossom Health and Rehabilitation in Macon.
The quality award program honors skilled nursing and post-acute cares centers across the nation that have demonstrated their commitment to improving quality care for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Skilled nursing centers begin the quality improvement process at the bronze level, next silver and then gold.
Gentiva Hospice renamed Kindred Hospice
Gentiva Hospice in Warner Robins has been renamed Kindred Hospice to best reflect its participation in the nationwide Kindred Healthcare network of home health and hospice providers, nursing and rehabilitation centers and long-term acute care hospitals.
The facility has served the area for 15 years and its management, ownership and staff will not change.
Based in Kentucky, Kindred Healthcare Inc. is a top 90 private employer in the United States, and a Fortune 500 healthcare services company with annual revenues of about $7.2 billion. At the end of 2016, it had about 100,100 employees in 2,654 locations in 46 states.
This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 2:48 AM with the headline "Macon CEO named to state hospital association board."