COVID numbers continue to rise in southwest Georgia

ALBANY — As the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to wreak havoc on the country and the region, in particular sectors like southwest Georgia where well less than half of the population has gotten vaccines that have proven to be a deterrent to the virus, health care facilities are again working around the clock to keep up with the influx of patients.

“It’s tough right now; you see it on the faces of the people who are on the front lines,” Phoebe Putney Health System President/CEO Scott Steiner said. “But these guys are warriors, and they’ll do what they have to do to get through it.”

Phoebe facilities in Albany (108), Americus (19) and Sylvester (1) were treating 128 COVID patients on Wednesday, up from 120 patients the day before. Thirty-seven of the Phoebe system’s patients were in intensive care units; 91 were in acute care. Eighty-eight percent of those patients had not been vaccinated.

Similar circumstances were recorded at Tift Regional Medical Center/Southwell in Tifton. That facility’s latest stats show that of the 73 patients being treated in the hospital, only nine had been vaccinated (an 87% rate of unvaccinated patients). In Tift Regional’s ICU, only two of the 16 patients had been vaccinated, and of the 15 patients on ventilators, only one had been vaccinated.

“We are seeing a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in the area, and due to this high influx, we are still currently on Critical Care Diversion,” Southwell Chief Operating Officer Alex Le said in response to a request by The Albany Herald seeking additional information. “We were able to come off of ER diversion this Sunday.

“We continue to urge our community to follow the most up-to-date guidelines by the CDC on masking and social distancing, and we urge those who are able to receive their vaccine to do so. We are currently offering vaccinations at our Worksmart clinic in Tifton, Affinity Pediatrics in Tifton for patients 12 and older, and our Southwell School Clinic sites at Eighth Street Middle School and Annie Bell Clark Elementary School.”

With all of the bad news surrounding the COVID virus, Phoebe did have a bit of good news to share. Walmart and Sam’s Clubs in southwest Georgia once again helped raise funds for Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, a member of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. During the campaign, which ran from June 28-July 25, the 16 Walmart and Sam’s Club area locations raised a total of $82,082.

Since 1987, the Walmart and Sam’s Club campaign has raised more than $1 billion for CMN Hospitals across North America, with more than $34 million raised this year across the U.S.

“Walmart and Sam’s Clubs’ customers, members and associates continue to impact their local community everyday, and we have seen that for the last 34 years,” Clark Sweat, executive vice president/chief operating officer of CMN Hospitals, said in a news release. “We are grateful for their long-standing partnership with us.”

The Walmart and Sam’s Club campaign allowed customers and members to donate at the register, through Walmart.com and the Walmart app. Interested persons can still make a difference by donating now at www.HelpKidsLiveHealthy.org.

“We can’t thank Walmart and Sam’s Club enough for their dedication to our local kids,” Carolyn Higgins, president and chief fundraising officer of the Phoebe Foundation Inc., said. “Every dollar they raise makes a direct impact on our smallest patients. Walmart and Sam’s Club should be very proud of the life-saving work they accomplished with this year’s campaign.”

This year, all funds will go toward a new state-of-the-art NICU ambulance at Phoebe that will serve tiny patients across the NICU’s 22-county service area. This new ambulance will help save hundreds of tiny lives each year.

Contributed PhotoCourtesy Tift Regional Medical Center/Southwell

Special Photo: Phoebe