Albany, Ga. – Phoebe is one of the first health systems in Georgia to join a national initiative aimed at improving health outcomes by improving health equity.  The American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Health Equity Roadmap is a framework to help hospitals and health systems eliminate structural barriers that may make it more difficult for certain individuals to reach their highest potential for health.

“While we have always focused on improving access to care and providing high quality care to everyone, earlier this year we embarked on a formal journey to meet specific benchmarks that will help us achieve a higher level of health equity,” said Jen Williams, PhD, Phoebe Putney Health System Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Community Benefit Officer.

Phoebe’s first step was to complete the AHA’s Health Equity Transformation Assessment, an action taken by only seven other hospitals in Georgia.  The assessment is designed to help hospitals establish a baseline and to provide a structure for continuous improvement toward transforming to a more equitable and inclusive healthcare system.  Based on the results of the baseline assessment, Phoebe implemented a strategic plan, embarking on a journey to a sustainable and equitable ecosystem of healthcare within the community over the next four years.

To help guide the health system on that journey, Phoebe developed its own definition of health equity which says that Phoebe “ensures every person has an equitable opportunity to reach and maintain an optimal level of individual health and wellness, regardless of any social drivers of health.”

“We must understand that all patients may not start on equal footing.  Some may not have access to transportation to get to a doctor’s appointment.  Others may not be able to afford medication needed to manage a chronic condition or they may have a language barrier that prevents them from understanding a doctor’s instructions,” Williams said.  “Our commitment to health equity means we are committed to finding ways to overcome those challenges, so we can ensure that every patient truly gets the individualized care and service they need.”

That commitment is leading to stronger community partnerships.  Phoebe is in the process of developing a Community Partner Board focused on health equity, and earlier this year it hosted a Community Resource Fair attended by about 20 local social service agencies.

“We wanted our social workers and care teams to learn about these organizations and make connections with them so that we can better connect our patients to the resources they need,” Williams said.  “We recognize that we’re not alone in this journey.  We’re getting more involved in the community, and we’re excited to work with individuals, nonprofits and government entities to address some of these social drivers of health.”

Phoebe has also increased its community involvement by sponsoring official Phoebe Family volunteer opportunities with area nonprofit organizations.  Last fiscal year, Phoebe worked with eight organizations and offered four hours of paid time off for employees to participate in approved volunteer events.  This fiscal year, Phoebe is expanding the number of volunteer events and partner organizations and has set a goal of 550 official volunteer hours for its employees.

Phoebe is also collecting more data to help understand and respond to health inequities and social drivers of health.  As part of the federal government’s focus on health equity, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will require hospitals to collect new sociodemographic data to help reduce disparities.

“Information is great, but it’s what you do with information that makes it meaningful.  We’re going to put this data to good use.  We hope it will help us see trends and identify certain neighborhoods or groups where we may need to focus disease-specific prevention or management efforts,” Williams said.  “Tackling inequities in our healthcare system is a big job that can seem daunting, but our goal is really pretty simple.  We just want to do our part to make our community healthier.”

From Nov. 29 – Dec. 25 (27 days), 102.1 Retro FM will become SW Georgia’s Christmas Station by keeping everyone in the holiday spirit with songs from all your favorite Retro artists all day everyday through Christmas.

What does your business get from this?

2 thirty second commercials daily (54 total) from Nov. 29 – Dec. 25 IN YOUR HOUR (Value-$540)

2 sponsor acknowledgements hourly (54 total – Value $162)

Banner ad w/ link on retrofmalbany.com (Value $250)

Total value of campaign – $952

What is your investment?

$250 monthly Nov-Dec

For more information contact: Rich Richardson, Idea Generator/Results Creator

 KICK OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON RIGHT WITH SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

ON RETRO FM 102.1

15 second commercials run November 24-29 6a-10p and 6a- 12p November 30 (7 days)

1 Facebook post during the week (time of post random)

Commercial Script

Retro FM 102.1 is celebrating Small Business Saturday on November 30 by promoting great deals from small businesses like this (35-40 word special deal for your business on that day)

Your investment: 28 commercials (4 daily) $110

70 commercials (10 daily) $225

One hourly (102 total) $275

DEADLINE NOVEMBER 22

Guarantee: For the advertising received, the undersigned Advertiser agrees to pay all amounts owed under this contract within thirty (30) days of the date any invoice is mailed by Jetstream Media. If payment is not made within this period or if the Advertiser fails to comply with any other terms of this contract, the Advertiser is in default under this contract and is responsible for all amounts due and owing Jetstream Media, in addition to all collection costs including, but not limitedto, 25% collection agency fee, court costs, interest and attorney’s fees. This contract is enforceable by Jetstream Media without havingto resort to any remedies or measures other than those required by law. Jetstream Media is not waiving any rights it may have to enforce this contract or its obligations. Payment for radio advertising purchased from Jetstream Media and funded by cooperative or vendor sources is the sole responsibility of the undersigned Advertiser.

All checks returned for nonpayment are subject to a $25.00 fee to be paid by the party hose check was returned.. Any changes to this contract must be presented in writing to Jetstream Media at least two weeks before the proposed change. The Advertiser is responsible for all sums owing as a result of any change. Proposed changes are subject to the approval of Jetstream Media including any production/voicework/creative changes. Contracts are non-cancelable. In the event the Advertiser cancels a contract, Advertiser will be responsible for the difference between rate card and the negotiated contract spot rate for any advertising that has previously aired within the dates of said contract. On this contract the average rate is $, charge back difference is $per spot.

Agency Guarantee: In consideration for the provision of advertising to the undersigned Advertiser, the undersigned Advertising Agency and/or representative thereof hereby guarantees all amounts owed Jetstream Media for the advertising ordered by the Advertiser. The Advertising Agency becomes immediately liable for all amounts of money owed by the Advertiser in the event of default, as set forth above.

Contact Rich Richardson, Idea Generator/Results Creator

Join the Albany Police Department as they provide best practice measures to protect your assets!

Thursday, November 14, 2024 ~ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

201 W. Oglethorpe Blvd | Albany, GA 31701

Community Room

Topic include:

Police – Business Communication

Internal Theft

Crime Prevention

Current Trends

Dealing with Real Time Situations

FUSUS Connect

For more information Contact CPL. D. Glover at 229.302.0851 or email dglover@albanyga.gov

Albany, Ga. – No one would begrudge Kathy Oliver if, even for a moment, she felt a little sorry for herself.  But self-pity and pessimism just aren’t part of her character.

“You’ve got to have a positive attitude, and you’ve got to have faith to be able to survive,” Kathy said.  She should know.  She’s survived a lot.

At age 19, just two and a half months after getting married, Kathy’s husband was accidentally electrocuted.  Kathy didn’t know it at the time of his death, but she was pregnant.  She raised her daughter as a single mother until she remarried.  Only six months later, her young stepson was killed in a car crash.  More recently, her husband Billy suffered a stroke and later was involved in an automobile accident that left him seriously injured.  In the years between those family tragedies, Kathy battled cancer – not once or even twice, but three times.

“Even at my lowest point, I never gave into the cancer.  I didn’t dwell in it or think what it might do.  There were times when I was so weak I couldn’t even walk, but I never gave into it,” she said.

Kathy’s cancer journey began in 2014 when a visit to a dermatologist to remove a cyst in her head led to a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that begins in the lymphatic system and can cause tumors throughout the body.  She underwent grueling chemotherapy treatments at the Phoebe Cancer Center not far from her home in Worth County.

“The Cancer Center people were really great.  I couldn’t have asked for them to be any nicer,” Kathy said.  “I was unable to finish my last two treatments because my blood count dropped so low, but the doctor believed the treatments had done their job, so that was okay.”

Four years after Kathy’s first cancer diagnosis, a CT scan during an ER visit to check out severe chest congestion revealed a mass on her left breast.  A biopsy confirmed breast cancer, and Kathy returned to Phoebe for two surgeries, chemo and radiation.

In 2022, she was sick again and blood work during another ER visit showed she had acute myeloid leukemia.  She returned to the Phoebe Cancer Center for chemotherapy.  This time she also needed a stem cell transplant which required hospitalization at Emory University Hospital.

“I spent 100 days in Atlanta.  I had to have several bone marrow biopsies.  They did all sorts of genetic testing and used the donor bank.  Thankfully, they found a perfect match from a college student in Germany and used her stem cells for me,” Kathy said.  “I appreciate what she did for me.  God was with her and sent her as a blessing to me.”

Throughout all three cancer battles, Kathy’s family, friends and fellow church members at Bethel Baptist Church have been by her side.  “I have had overwhelming support.  I’ve been on prayer lists, not just in Worth County, but people I don’t even know all over the country and even in the Philippines where one of my brother’s lives.  It’s a great feeling to know that you have people that really care for you and are there for you.”

That community support is why Kathy agreed to be the 2024 Phoebe Worth Lights of Love tree lighter.  “It’s a great way to thank the community for their support,” she said.

Kathy will speak at the Lights of Love Ceremony at Phoebe Worth on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.  Over more than 40 years, Lights of Love has raised more than $1 million to support programs and services at the Phoebe Cancer Center that directly benefit patients like Kathy.  You can “purchase” a light on the Phoebe Worth Lights of Love Tree in honor or memory of a loved one by making a donation at www.lights-of-love.org.

Kathy is honored to be part of a program that helps other cancer patients and supports the outstanding team at the Phoebe Cancer Center.  Kathy said, “I don’t know if God has put special people in cancer centers or what, but the people at Phoebe are just amazing.”

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Presented by Michael Fowler 229.344.2253

Get tickets @ticketmaster.com

Albany, Ga. – George Green served his country in the U.S. Army.  He served his state in the Georgia National Guard.  He served his city as an Albany firefighter.  Now, he’s serving his community in a new and meaningful way:  as a men’s health advocate, encouraging men to get screened for prostate cancer.

“I hope and pray that I can continue to help other men and myself by talking about my cancer diagnosis.  I want to ease their minds,” George said.  “My advice to men is to take time to take care of yourself and have your prostate checked regularly.”

It wasn’t something he liked to think about, but George knew he had a high risk of developing prostate cancer because of a history of the disease in his family.  “I had four uncles, one brother and one cousin to pass from prostate cancer,” he said.

In 2015, George was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate.  He was prescribed medicine to help with symptoms and began seeing a urologist every six months for a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test.  A PSA screening is a simple blood test, and high levels may indicate the presence of cancer.  In 2021, Phoebe Urologist Dr. John McGill noticed George’s PSA level had increased, so he ordered a biopsy which confirmed George’s worst fear – he had cancer.

“I was in denial because I didn’t want to believe I had prostate cancer,” he said.

George’s wife Gloria helped him face the reality and convinced him to pour all his energy into battling the cancer.  Radiation Oncologist Dr. Adam Jones oversaw 45 radiation treatments for George over a two-and-a-half-month period, then Hematologist/Oncologist Dr. Thomas Neal led a team that, for two years, provided quarterly injections of a synthetic hormone used to treat prostate cancer.

“Everyone in the Phoebe Cancer Center was so caring.  All the doctors and all the staff who assisted me in my care, they all did a great job.  The best part was I didn’t have to travel.  It was all right here,” George said.

George continues his aftercare at the Phoebe Oncology Wellness Center, a facility at Meredyth Place in Albany for cancer survivors that was partially funded through Lights of Love.  Since the Phoebe Foundation started the annual holiday tradition more than 40 years ago, Lights of Love has raised more than $1 million to support local cancer patients.

George says the survivorship programs and resources available at the Phoebe Oncology Wellness Center have helped him maintain good physical and mental health, and he has become especially close with Oncology Wellness Program Coordinator Robin McCord.

“Robin has been sensational ever since I started.  I do chair exercise classes and sometimes tai chi and yoga.  They help me stay active and talk to me about what food I should eat,” George said.  “I go to a prostate cancer survivors group meeting once a month.  It’s very important because mentally you can just start to worry about things.  It releases the pressure off me.  I know I have a place to go to talk about it.”

And he wants to be there for other men and talk to them about the importance of making their healthcare a priority.

“I don’t really like to think about what could have happened if I hadn’t gotten those regular screenings, because I know what the result could’ve been.  But I feel good now, real good.” George said.  “I hope other men will get checked.  It’s very important because it’s a silent killer.  If you don’t get that screening, you’ll never know.  Don’t take nothing for granted.”

George will flip the switch on this year’s Lights of Love tree at the annual lighting ceremony outside the Phoebe Cancer Center on Wednesday, December 4 at 6:30 p.m.  You can donate in honor or memory of a loved one at www.lights-of-love.org.

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Albany, Ga. – In the operating room, Phoebe General Surgeon Dr. Jason Langer is meticulous and detail-oriented.  As the physician in the region with the most experience using the da Vinci robotic surgical system, he deftly maneuvers the system’s robotic arms, performing delicate minimially-invasive procedures that significantly improve – or save – the lives of his patients.

Away from the hospital, he uses those same steady hands and eye for detail to craft miniature characters for Warhammer 40,000, a game popular worldwide in which players enact battles using models of warriors and fighting vehicles.

“It involves small-scale models that you actually build and paint yourself.  The game is kind of a combination of Risk, chess and Dungeons and Dragons.  You can create a backstory for your army that you’re moving around the table,” Dr. Langer said.  “I’ve gotten to travel to events around the country to play the game, and I’ve met some incredible people from all around the world.”

Now, Dr. Langer is combining his gaming passion with his professional passion.  This Saturday, he’ll kick off a 24-hour marathon game of Warhammer 40,000 as part of Children’s Miracle Network’s (CMN) Extra Life campaign that encourages gamers, creators, artists and other passionate individuals to support their local communities.  November 2 is Extra Life Game Day, the campaign’s main annual event when participants play games to raise money to help neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and pediatric patients at CMN hospitals.

“Extra Life melds my hobby world and my work world, so I get to play a game that I use as part of my escape, and I’m able to raise money for CMN for local patients to help our miracle babies at Phoebe,” Dr. Langer said.

He got involved with Extra Life a few years ago and played video games on Game Day two years ago.  Last year, he collected donations from his Warhammer friends, but this year he’s going all out, lining up about 10 of his Warhammer enthusiast friends to take part in a 24-hour game.

“We’ll basically be using every model we have.  I’ll probably have close to 500 models myself that I’ll be playing with.  Each player will have plenty of time for breaks, but there will be action going on at all times,” Dr. Langer said.

Dr. Langer will be playing at The Nerd Store in Hunters Mill Shopping Center at 2610 Dawson Road in Albany beginning at noon on Saturday and will stream the game live on Twitch.

“The Nerd Store is a great place for the gaming community.  As soon as I talked to the owner about this, he said, ‘please do it here.’  He was super excited and willing to support this.  I hope people will come by and watch in person, and they can donate from the Extra Life page as well.”

Dr. Langer set a personal goal of raising $5,000 and team goal of $6,000.  “I think with support from the community, we can reach that goal,” he said.

All of that money will stay at Phoebe to support programs and services for local pediatric and NICU patients.  You can visit www.extra-life.org/participant/JasonLanger to make a donation and to watch the livestream of Dr. Langer’s game.

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EDITOR’S NOTE:  Attached photos – headshot of Dr. Langer, Dr. Langer using the da Vinci robot, Dr. Langer at a da Vinci training event, Dr. Langer on a gaming stream, some of Dr. Langer’s Warhammer models, and Dr. Langer with some of his gaming friends.