Communities in Northeast Georgia have known for years that Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) provides award-winning health care, and now the hospital has received national recognition for COVID care. Healthgrades has named the Gainesville campus as one of the nation’s top 24 hospitals for providing best-in-class COVID care during the first several months of the pandemic.
“During the beginning peaks of the pandemic, Hall County experienced numbers of cases and positivity rates that were among the highest in the nation,” said Dr. Deepak Aggarwal, chief of medical staff for NGMC. “Despite these high numbers of COVID-positive patients, our clinical staff adapted quickly to follow the latest treatment guidelines to provide the best possible care to our patients.”
“In early 2020, none of us knew what to expect each day when we came to work in the hospital,” said Dr. John E. Delzell, Jr., vice president and incident commander for NGMC’s COVID response. “Even amidst the uncertainty, our physicians and staff stepped up to the plate to create new processes and procedures – from converting patient rooms to negative pressure rooms and setting up mobile units for COVID-positive patients to organizing testing events and educating the community – our staff went above and beyond to provide exceptional care.”
Healthgrades, the third-party online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals, compiled the list of 24 hospitals for their performances in providing exceptional care while treating the highest volumes of COVID patients. The list was chosen by analyzing Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data from January through September of 2020.
“Our success as a health system would not be possible without the support of our community members who have shown up for us in so many ways – by doing their part to limit the spread of the virus, providing meals, sending prayers, sharing encouragement and so much more,” said Carol Burrell, president and CEO of NGHS. “We are so grateful for the way our community has rallied around us during such a challenging time.”
About Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Since 1951, Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has been on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. With hospitals located in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder and Dahlonega, the four NGMC campuses have a total of more than 750 beds and more than 1,200 medical staff members representing more than 60 specialties. NGMC is part of Northeast Georgia Health System, a non-profit that cares for more than one million people across more than 19 counties. Learn more at www.nghs.com.