22 S G M A G A Z I N E | FA L L 2 0 1 7 B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 23 B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 23 In addition to the 60- bed acute care hospital, CMC operates the Sylvia Barr Center; Cook Senior Living Center, a skilled nursing facility; and convenient care through the Cook Family Wellness Center and Cook Primary Care. Two years ago, the TRHS began negotiations with the City of Adel and the Cook County Commission to help fund a replacement facility for Cook Medical Center. A major economic contributor, CMC has more than 300 employees and is the second largest employer in Cook County, which has a population of approximately 18,000. According to Lisa Collins, executive director of the Cook County Economic Development Commission, CMC has an annual economic impact of $21.1 million. “Without a hospital, you can’t attract industry,” Purvis said, “and if you don’t provide local medical needs, then people start to move out of your community. Most people want to live 15 to 20 miles from a hospital.” According to Purvis, the 108,000-square-foot replacement facility will cost approximately $35 million. Purvis said the new hospital would not be possible without financial support from the Adel and Cook County community. Collins said the Cook County Board of Commissioners is providing $5 million and the City of Adel is contributing $4 million for construction of the new hospital. The Hospital Authority of Tift County will provide the rest of the funding. Collins also stated that the Cook County Economic Development Commission and the Adel Industrial Development Authority are contributing $600,000 each toward land purchase and relocation of the Georgia Forestry Commission office, which is currently located on the selected site for the new hospital. “We had about 300 community members attend the Cook County Commissioners’ meeting, where we discussed the future of the hospital,” Purvis said. “The community came out resoundingly to say ‘yes’ to a new hospital.” In addition to a new acute inpatient center (hospital), the replacement facility will include a 95-bed skilled nursing facility, an ambulatory surgical center with three operating rooms, and an endoscopy suite. The new hospital will also have outpatient ancillary services, including medical imaging; laboratories; a sleep center; respiratory therapy; pharmacy; outpatient infusion services; behavioral health services; and physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Cook Family Wellness Center and Cook Primary Care will also relocate to the new facility. Cook Family Wellness Center will share space with specialists in orthopedics, spine, pain management, gastroenterology, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, cardiology, nephrology, and psychiatry. Purvis said that having access to primary care seven days a week, plus expanding surgery options, gives CMC a new model of healthcare delivery. “We are focused on quality of care and reducing costs,” Purvis said. “Patients will start in the primary clinic and, if needed, be admitted to the hospital for surgery. For those needing rehab, that will be done in our skilled nursing facility.” Purvis said providing continued care is important to Cook Medical Center’s future. “I think we have a nice continuum here that will make us successful well into the future,” Purvis said. “We have developed a unique model that I think can be replicated, not only in Georgia but across the nation. We are showing that, as a rural facility, we can be successful and keep communities from losing their hospitals.” Lisa Collins Executive Director Cook County Economic Development Commission The community came out resoundingly to say ‘yes’ to a new hospital. –Lisa Collins 22 S G M A G A Z I N E | FA L L 2 0 1 7 B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 23 A pediatric patient and her family uses telehealth technology to consult with a physician in a distant location. B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 23 In the field of medicine and healthcare, the use of technology has changed the methods doctors and patients use to interact with each other. From the widespread adoption of electronic medical records to advances in medical diagnostics and treatments, technology is at the forefront of healthcare delivery. With the rapid impact of technology, it comes as no surprise that the use of telemedicine (or telehealth) is changing the face of healthcare, especially in rural areas. According to the American Telemedicine Association, telemedicine is the “remote delivery of healthcare services and clinical information using telecommunications technology. This includes a wide array of clinical services using the Internet, wireless, satellite, and telephone media.” In 2004, as part of a merger between insurance companies Anthem and WellPoint Health, telehealth received a financial boost in Georgia through a generous grant of approximately $11 million. The funds were part of a three-year commitment to help launch a statewide telehealth network in Georgia. Georgia Partnership for Telehealth (GPT) was established in 2007 to help guide the state’s expansion of telehealth services, especially in rural communities. Three years later, when funds from the grant ended, GPT became a non- profit charitable corporation, which is now part of Global Partnership for Telehealth, which has programs in Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee, and eight other states. The mission of GPT is leverage telehealth technologies to promote improved access to healthcare for all Georgia residents. GPT provides the application of telehealth to more than 650 endpoints in Georgia, including hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing facilities, departments of public health, correctional centers, doctor offices, and public schools. “An endpoint is a giver or receiver of telehealth services,” said Sherrie Williams, chief operating officer with GPT. TechnologyHelpsImproveAccessto HealthcareServicesinRuralGeorgia PHOTO: GEORGIA PARTNERSHIP FOR HEALTH