Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital was recently awarded National Hospital of the Year and, for the second year in a row, Southern Regional Hospital of the Year by Mended Hearts. The awards recognize Phoebe’s outstanding support of Mended Hearts – Southwest Georgia Chapter #165 -  in its effort to inspire hope and improve the quality of life for heart patients and their families through peer-to-peer support and educational opportunities.
 
“We are incredibly honored to receive this award as it is a testament of our continued commitment to provide the highest quality of care and support to our cardiac patients in the region,” said Tom Sullivan, Sr. Vice President/Operations. “Mended Hearts does an outstanding job here at Phoebe – mentoring patients and providing an opportunity for people who have undergone the same life-changing experience to come together. They help make our program stronger.”
 
In early 2017, the Southwest Georgia chapter of Mended Hearts and Phoebe worked together to evaluate and revise procedures to positively impact patients. Over the last two years, access to patients and total patient visits by chapter-accredited visitors has increased to nearly 20,000 total visits due to the implementation of the new procedures. In 2018, there were 5,624 in-room hospital visits and nearly 3,000 mailings or phone calls to patients, caregivers and families.
 
Phoebe was selected out of more than 460 hospitals in North America because of its continued commitment and support for the organization. A selection committee looked at a variety of criteria, including hospital support of visits between Mended Hearts volunteers and heart patients in hospital units and catheterization (cath) lab; provision of spaces for meetings, events, visitor supplies and literature; volunteer coordination; volunteer recognition; provision of speakers and personnel for Mended Hearts and in-kind support.
 
For over 30 years, Phoebe and Mended Hearts have partnered to provide quality services to cardiac patients and their families. Phoebe cardiologists and staff support patients not just within the walls of the hospital but in the community – speaking at chapter meetings and events.
The relationship between Phoebe and the chapter is serving as a model for other chapters in the region and nationally.
 
Additionally, Phoebe congratulates Al Voss, Assistant Regional Director, Southern Region for Mended Hearts Inc., and Phoebe Volunteer on being named Mended Heart of the Year for his outstanding service to the organization.
 
Mended Hearts is the largest heart patient support network in the world, with 20,000 members and 300 chapters. Recognized for their role in facilitating a positive patient-care experience, Mended Hearts partners with hospitals and cardiac rehab clinics to offer support through visiting programs, group meetings and educational forums. Mended Hearts inspires hope and improves quality of life for heart patients and their families through ongoing peer-to-peer support. Earlier this year Mended Hearts moved its headquarters to Albany to be closer to the patients and families it serves every day.
 
The Southern Region covers Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana and Puerto Rico.