Left to right, Monty Veazey, President and CEO, Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals; Scott Steiner, President and CEO, Phoebe Putney Health System; and presenter Bert Bennett, CPA, Draffin Tucker LLC

The Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals, which represents 104 not-for-profit hospitals in Georgia named Phoebe Putney Health System President and Chief Executive Office Scott Steiner as their 2022 CEO of the Year.

“Early 2020 brought new challenges for hospitals as COVID-19 up-ended the nation’s economy, killed more than a million Americans, and threatened our state and nation. Phoebe Putney Health System was one of the first to be hit with large numbers of patients and the care they provided saved thousands of lives in South Georgia,” said Alliance President and CEO Monty Veazey.

“We in Georgia and, especially those of us affected by what happens in the 41-county area of Southwest Georgia served by Phoebe Putney Health System were fortunate that Scott Steiner was CEO of Phoebe Putney since March 2019,” said Veazey.

“Georgia, and particularly the Albany and Southwest Georgia region, are fortunate to have a financially stable, well-staffed, and well-equipped Phoebe Putney Health System to treat their citizens,” said Veazey. “Phoebe Putney’s ability to withstand the new threat not only saved lives in their communities, it demonstrated the importance of financial strength, patient-focused care, and the role of the community hospital as the primary healthcare delivery system for Georgia.”

“It is an honor to receive this award and recognition, but it truly is a team effort. The ongoing pandemic has been hard on all of us. However, it has been my privilege to witness the continued dedication and resilience of our team as we continue to work together to respond to challenges. I am truly grateful for my Phoebe Family who through it all has never lost sight or focus on providing the highest quality of care to everyone we serve in southwest Georgia,” said Scott Steiner, President & CEO, Phoebe Putney Health System.

Phoebe leadership and Scott Steiner didn’t rest on their laurels as COVID receded. Through the pandemic, they continued working on Phoebe Focus, a patient-centered strategic plan to improve patient safety and quality care that includes a 5-year, $250 million dollar capital campaign to not just improve the hospital but to strengthen and expand their community outreach. 

This year brought substantial progress on their strategic plan with Board approval of plans for a new emergency and trauma center, a new neonatal intensive care unit, and a new intensive care unit, all specifically developed to put patient care and safety first.