Next Chapter Book and Gift Fair returns to Wayne Memorial
For Hospital Volunteer Fundraiser
Jesup, GA –Next Chapter Book and Gift Fair will be returning to partner with hospital volunteers at Wayne Memorial to host a fundraiser. The sale will occur in the main lobby Tuesday, June 10 from 2 PM to 5 PM, Wednesday, June 11 from 7 AM to 5 PM and Thursday, June 12 from 7 AM to 1 PM. Next Chapter offers items appealing to men, women and children at various price points. To find out more about the vendor, find them on Facebook under Next Chapter Book and Gift Fair or on Instagram at nextchapterevents. The vendor is a family-owned pop-up retail company known for fun and engaging events in corporate or healthcare settings.
The mission of the hospital volunteer group is to serve patients, patient family members and hospital staff. The volunteers donate money back to the hospital in order to assist in the procurement of necessary but unbudgeted equipment.
Good morning, community and press partners,
Thank you for everything you did to support the blood drive! We ended up with 25 units collected, with an impact of up to 75 lives impacted positively. Several people showed up to donate that couldn’t due to low hemoglobin. The Blood Connection will be back next quarter for a drive. Thanks again.
Blood Drive Tuesday, May 20 at Wayne Memorial Hospital
with $40 in Rewards for Donors
Jesup, GA – The Blood Connection (TBC), a supplemental blood provider for Wayne Memorial Hospital in Jesup, is holding a blood drive in the hospital parking lot Tuesday, May 20 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. All donors will receive $40 in rewards via eGift cards from The Blood Connection. E-gift cards may be redeemed at places like Amazon, Domino’s, Papa Johns, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Starbucks, GameStop, Dunkin’ Donuts, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shop, Ulta, TopGolf and more. Rewards may also be redeemed for a Visa Gift card that may be used anywhere that accepts Visa. Additionally, all blood donated from this drive returns to Wayne County, an aspect unique to The Blood Connection. The bloodmobile will be located on the right side of the main parking lot, near the cafeteria. To make an appointment to donate blood, log on to thebloodconnection.org and type in Jesup, or the sponsor code 7980. Appointments are prioritized but walk-ins are welcomed. Donors need to be at least 16 years old (16-year-olds need a signed parental consent form), weigh at least 110 pounds, have a photo ID and be in general good health. Since the need for blood never stops, donors are always appreciated. Since blood cannot be replicated, it must be donated well in advance of any need. All eligible donors are encouraged to donate blood to ensure hospitals’ needs for blood are uninterrupted for all patients and each blood donation saves up to 3 lives! Wayne Memorial Hospital, whose mission is to provide high quality health care services to all patients, built a state-of-the-art facility in 2007. It is the third largest employer in Wayne County with 500 employees, 84 beds and is a three-time winner of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year Award.
Welcome Breakfast for Dr. Whitehead, Gastroenterologist Scheduled for May 13
Jesup, GA – Wayne Memorial Hospital and Wayne SJ/C are pleased to announce a Drop-In Welcome Breakfast for Gastroenterologist Dr. David Whitehead. The event will be held in the hospital’s cafeteria conference room Tuesday, May 13 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. The public is invited to attend. Dr. Whitehead’s office is located at 232 Memorial Drive in Jesup and may be reached by calling (912) 559-2337. 
Welcome Breakfast for Dr. Robert Fowler ENT Slated for April 29
Jesup, GA – Wayne Memorial Hospital and Wayne SJ/C are pleased to announce a Drop-In Welcome Breakfast for Dr. Robert Fowler, ENT. The event will be held in the hospital’s cafeteria conference room Tuesday, April 29 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. The public is invited to attend. Dr. Fowler’s office is located at 125 Memorial Drive in Jesup and may be reached by calling (912) 427-7790.
Dr. Lindsey Rowley, Internal Medicine Physician, to Join Hospital Staff
Fifth Physician to join medical staff in Next Six Months
Jesup, GA – The fifth physician in six months has committed to joining the medical staff at Wayne Memorial Hospital. Dr. Lindsey Rowley, an internal medicine physician, will be joining the Wayne/SJC Medical Group. A native of Wayne County, Dr. Rowley graduated Wayne County High School in 2008. She then attained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia in 2012, before earning her medical degree from Mercer University in 2022. The University of Florida Health Shands Hospital served as her next stop, as she is completing her internal medicine residency in June 2025. She looks forward to returning to Wayne County in late September 2025 at her new practice, which will be located at 930 South First Street.
Rowley shares that she is interested in preventative medicine and chronic disease management, with a patient-centered focus. In her free time, Dr. Rowley enjoys spending time with husband Michael, their dog, and family members. She is also fond of taking in a movie, reading fiction and spending time outdoors. Her practice may be reached by calling (912) 559-2337.
Wayne Memorial Hospital, whose mission is to provide high quality health care services to all patients, built a state-of-the-art facility in 2007. It is the third largest employer in Wayne County with 500 employees, 84 beds and is a three-time winner of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year Award.
Scrub Sale to be held
in Wayne Memorial Hospital Lobby 
Jesup, GA – A uniform and scrub sale will be held in the lobby of Wayne Memorial Hospital Wednesday, April 9 from 6 AM to 3 PM and Thursday, April 10, 6 AM to 2 PM. Selections from brand names such as Cherokee, Med Couture, Healing Hands and Koi will be available to shoppers.
The sale is open to the public. Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted. A portion of the proceeds benefits the hospital Auxiliary, a group of volunteers who serve patients, their families and the community at large. Once a year, the Auxiliary donates a large portion of their funds back to the hospital for the purchase of medical equipment.
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Several Physicians Set to Join Hospital Staff in Next Few Months
Jesup, GA – Several physicians have committed to relocating to the Jesup area and joining the hospital staff.
Dr. Robert Fowler, ENT, will be the first to open up at 125 Memorial Drive, Suite C, on April 28th. His office will begin taking appointments on April 3rd and may be reached by calling (912) 427-7790. Dr. Fowler graduated from medical school at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. He completed his residency at Victoria General Hospital, New Halifax Infirmary and Isaac Walton Killam Children’s Hospital, Saint Joseph’s / Saint John’s Regional Hospital, and Dalhousie University. Dr. Fowler completed his fellowship at the The John M. Lore’ Jr., MD Head and Neck Center in Buffalo, New York and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Dr. David Whitehead, Gastroenterologist, will be at his Jesup office, located at 230 Memorial Drive, beginning May 12th. His education includes medical school at Tulane University Medical School, in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he also completed his residency. Dr. Whitehead completed his fellowship at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dr. William D. Boyd, Ob/Gyn, will open his office in July, situated at 228 Memorial Drive in Jesup. Dr. Boyd completed medical school at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and his residency at University of Florida Health Science Center in Jacksonville, Florida. He is also a member of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. His office can be reached at (912) 559-2432.
Dr. Chelsey Carter, Internist, will be joining Dr. Lance Hendrix at Internal Medicine of Southeast Georgia and the hospital medical staff in September. She is a 2012 graduate of Jeff Davis County High School and a 2016 graduate of Armstrong State University. She attended medical school at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kitts before completing her Internal Medicine Residency training at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership in Athens, Georgia, where she has served as Chief Resident Physician. The office is located at 351 Peachtree Street and can be reached by calling (912) 530-6582.
Wayne Memorial Hospital, whose mission is to provide high quality health care services to all patients, built a state-of-the-art facility in 2007. It is the third largest employer in Wayne County with 500 employees, 84 beds and is a three-time winner of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year Award.
History Combined with Modern Day Tools Equals Innovation in Wound Care
Jesup, GA –Fronting Highway 84 and tucked away in the left corner of Jesup’s Wayne Memorial Hospital campus, lies a little bit of history. Yet what occurs inside this stand-alone building that houses that bit of history is anything but historical. The outpatient rehabilitation building, which contains the physical therapy, medication management and wound care areas, was once the “newer” portion of the “old hospital” that held the labor and delivery unit. When the “new” hospital was built in 2007, this portion of the building was saved and repurposed for outpatient therapies.
As the wound care department conducts approximately 60 appointments a week (and not all of those patients hail from the Jesup area), the employees typically see chronic wounds, diabetic foot ulcers, lacerations, large skin tears, minor burns, pressure ulcers and perform wound vac dressing changes. Clare McCarn, RN, WCC, shares, “Sometimes a patient comes to us with an issue he or she has been dealing with for a long time, not realizing there may be a path to quicker healing through proper wound care.” Dr. Howard Bowers, General Surgeon, adds, “The basic principles of wound care and post-surgical care from an incision are essentially the same. Adequate blood flow and good nutrition add to that healing.” One particular goal that Dr. Bowers has regarding chronic wounds is “to optimize a patient’s condition so that we can get chronic non-healing wounds to heal.” The treatment plan may include improving blood flow or wound debridement in the Operating Room. One such tool in the emerging wound care market that has been procured for the hospital’s Operating Room is a Versajet, a hydrodebridement tool, which irrigates and cleans wounds. As Dr. Bowers explains, “Debridement speeds up the process of growing new and healthy tissue.” Bowers estimates he has used the Versajet in hundreds of cases during his career.
Appointments are made at the wound care clinic by physician referral, with patients working through their primary care provider to do so. The clinic is open five days a week, Monday through Thursday (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Friday (8 a.m. to 12 p.m.). McCarn’s 20 years of experience working in wound care, 18 of those as Wound Care Certified, plus another Licensed Practical Nurse Melissa Cartrette’s 10 years of experience added to Dr. Bower’s 15 years of experience in wound care.
Wayne Memorial Hospital, whose mission is to provide high quality health care services to all patients, built a state-of-the-art facility in 2007. It is the third largest employer in Wayne County with 500 employees, 84 beds and is a three-time winner of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year Award.
Contact: Jill Blizzard, Marketing and Volunteer Director
(912) 530-3115
Date: December 23, 2024
Hospital Enhances Women’s Health Service Line, while Suspending OB/Nursery Services effective Mid-February 2025
No jobs lost, as OB/Nursery Employees Stay Onboard within Hospital, Serving in Different Areas
Jesup, GA – Despite its best efforts to recruit two additional obstetricians to serve the local area, the leadership of Wayne Memorial Hospital will have to suspend OB operations effective Mid-February 2025. All current OB and Nursery employees were offered positions within the organization, if they chose to stay onboard. As this service line is suspended, another will be opened via the Wayne Memorial and St. Joseph’s/Candler Partnership.
“While we are disappointed with the suspension of services in one area, our team is looking forward to offering a more enhanced women’s health service line,” shared Joe Ierardi, CEO of Wayne Memorial. A full gynecological service line will be available through Board Certified GYN physicians in Jesup, with physicians trained in robotics and able to handle many services locally. For example, if a patient suffers from cervical, endometrial, or ovarian cancer, and needs surgical options, the partnership allows a seamless transition of care from a local physician to a specialist in the field, in conjunction with the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer Center. The same occurs for breast cancer services and surgeries.
Aspects of this service line may be added in the future. “We are partnering with an infertility center that our GYN physicians can refer to,” said Greg Jones, CFO of Wayne Memorial. “We are also utilizing the laborist program at Candler Hospital in Savannah, if need be. This is a program that is generally not economically feasible for rural hospitals to handle alone, but through this partnership, may be possible for our patients.”
“We are happy to retain our OB and Nursery employees, with zero jobs lost, by placing them in different areas. Additionally, we, as a leadership team, felt like we needed to strengthen our existing women’s health service line by offering robust improvements to the community, which in turn, should afford us a strategic advantage in the OB recruitment space,” Ierardi said.
Wayne Memorial Hospital, whose mission is to provide high quality health care services to all patients, built a state-of-the-art facility in 2007. It is the third largest employer in Wayne County with 500 employees, 84 beds and is a three-time winner of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year Award.
Wayne Memorial Names WCHS Varsity Football Players of the Week in Game
versus Ware County
Jesup, GA – Wayne Memorial Hospital is proud to announce Wayne County High School Varsity Football Players of the Week in the contest versus Ware County High School. Haddy Peel, left, is the Defensive Player of the Week, with three tackles and a key interception. Victor Lovett, right, was named Offensive Player of the Week. Victor led the team in rushing with 76 yards and one touchdown.
We’re excited to announce we have been selected to participate in Kids Alliance for Better Care (KidsABC). KidsABC provides avenues of support for Georgia’s rural pediatricians and rural family practitioners to keep care for kids close to home.
Wayne Memorial Hospital Receives $43,750 in Georgia HEART funds
From The First Bank
Jesup, GA – Through the Georgia Rural Health Tax Program, Georgia HEART, Wayne Memorial recently received $43,750 from The First Bank. Pictured are Hospital Chief Executive Officer Joe Ierardi (center), flanked by The First’s Commercial Loan Officer and Vice President Ginger Proudfoot (left) and The First’s Division Manager and Senior Vice President Stephen Parker (right) at the check presentation.
Georgia HEART (Helping Enhance Access to Rural Treatment) is a tax program that enables tax dollars to be redirected locally and in state to rural hospitals of the taxpayers’ choice. For many years, due to demographic, economic, and health care industry challenges, Georgia’s rural hospitals have been facing a financial crisis. This crisis jeopardizes the access of rural Georgians to adequate health care. In response, in 2016, the Georgia General Assembly passed, and Governor Nathan Deal signed into law, Senate Bill 258. This legislation awards Georgia income tax credits to individual and corporate taxpayers who contribute to qualified rural hospital organizations located in Georgia.
“Part of our mission at The First is to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve to ensure a brighter future for everyone,” Parker said. “The partnership with Georgia HEART and Wayne Memorial Hospital is just one example of how we demonstrate this commitment. Our customers and the public at large utilize our local rural hospital and we are glad to support the hospital in carrying out its mission of caring for the community,” he continued. “We are certainly proud of Wayne Memorial’s service to our community,” Proudfoot added. “This donation dovetails well with the history of the founding of the bank when a group of friends got together to talk about creating a bank that would take care of financial needs of the customer and also the individual as a whole. Together, The First and Wayne Memorial are natural partners,” she said.
Participation in the Georgia HEART program is limited to Georgia rural hospitals that meet certain qualification criteria established in the law. These include population size (50,000 or less, excluding military personnel), tax-exempt status or public hospital authority management, acceptance of Medicare and Medicaid, and a minimum annual provision of indigent or uncompensated care. In order to qualify, rural hospitals must also file a five-year plan with the Georgia Department of Community Health.
“We are humbled and grateful for this gift from The First,” Ierardi said. “We appreciate them thinking of us and, as always, will exercise fiscal responsibility in how these funds are used. Donations help our hospital buy necessary but unbudgeted equipment that benefits the health of the community we serve. Organizations like The First and programs like Georgia HEART have been a blessing to us and many other rural hospitals,” he shared.
Wayne Memorial Hospital, whose mission is to provide high quality health care services to all patients, built a state-of-the-art facility in 2007. It is the third largest employer in Wayne County with 500 employees, 84 beds and is a three-time winner of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year Award.
American Legion Post 311 Donates $500 in Gas Cards to Local Infusion Center Patients 
Jesup, GA – Recently, members of the American Legion Post 311 gathered at the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion’s Infusion Center at Wayne Memorial Hospital to commemorate a donation of $500 in gas cards for patient use. The post facilitates bingo games at Your Turn Gaming in Jesup every Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. and monthly on the first Saturday of every month at 6:15 p.m. in the same location. With a price of $25 to play, proceeds from these games made this donation possible. On hand for the donation were, from left to right, Post Chaplain Graham Larson, Post Finance Officer David Ehrlich, Wayne Memorial Hospital CEO Joe Ierardi, Post Commander Allen Brown and Hospital Senior Systems Administrator Jason Schrum. “We are so appreciative of this gift to our patients and thank the group for their generosity,” Ierardi said. “When patients are fighting cancer, they may need to make several trips to the infusion center for treatment and their physicians’ offices for follow up visits. These gas gift cards may help put some patients’ minds at ease regarding the price of gas and those trips, so that they can focus solely on their health and recovery.”
The American Legion is the largest wartime veterans service organization with nearly 2 million members and more than 12,000 posts in communities throughout America. The American Legion, established by an act of Congress in 1919, was instrumental in getting the original GI Bill through Congress and the creation of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
St. Joseph’s/Candler and Wayne Memorial Hospital partnered in the expansion of the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion to Wayne County. Services offered include chemotherapy treatment for cancers and blood disorders. The facility offers state-of-the-art quality care available as part of the LCRP in the patient’s own community right here in Wayne County.
Wayne Memorial Hospital, whose mission is to provide high quality health care services to all patients, built a state-of-the-art facility in 2007. It is the third largest employer in Wayne County with 500 employees, 84 beds and is a three-time winner of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year Award.
Da Vinci Robot arrives at Jesup’s
Wayne Memorial Hospital
Jesup, GA – Within a sanitized operating room at Wayne Memorial Hospital lies a masterpiece. Although not a piece of art, the da Vinci surgical system could be considered a work of art, medically. The da Vinci Xi is already in use, under the guidance of Dr. Michael Kennedy, General Surgeon. Regarding the benefits of the system, Dr Kennedy shares the da Vinci results in “a smaller incision, less pain and quicker recovery for the patient.” With decreased pain, there is “less narcotic use post-op and a quicker return to work for the patient.” From a physician standpoint, this robot-assisted surgery via da Vinci offers “a better visualization of the operative scene,” Dr. Kennedy said.
Other stakeholders see benefits as well. The hospital’s Director of Surgical Services, Heather Elliott, RN, BSN,
says, “I do think that robotics are the future for minimally invasive surgery. The robot is an extension of the surgeon and allows for better accuracy and control. The da Vinci robot works with ease and precision and results in better outcomes for the patient. I do think this will shorten surgery recovery time and shorten hospital stays.” Procedures the da Vinci Xi system will be used for include cholecystectomies (gall bladder removal), appendectomies, and hernia repairs, with perhaps more to come. Both Elliott and Dr. Kennedy have been working with Intuitive for their da Vinci training and rollout in the Operating Room.
About the da Vinci Surgical System
There are several models of the da Vinci surgical system. The da Vinci surgical systems are designed to help surgeons perform minimally invasive surgery. Da Vinci systems offer surgeons high-definition 3D vision, a magnified view, and robotic and computer assistance. They use specialized instrumentation, including a miniaturized surgical camera and wristed instruments (i.e., scissors, scalpels and forceps) that are designed to help with precise dissection and reconstruction deep inside the body.
About Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Intuitive (Nasdaq: ISRG), headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., is a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and a pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery. At Intuitive, our mission statement is we believe that minimally invasive care is life-enhancing care. Through ingenuity and intelligent technology, we expand the potential of physicians to heal without constraints. Intuitive brings more than two decades of leadership in robotic-assisted surgical technology and solutions to its offerings, and develops, manufactures and markets the da Vinci surgical system and the Ion endoluminal system.
Wayne Memorial Hospital, whose mission is to provide high quality health care services to all patients, built a state-of-the-art facility in 2007. It is the third largest employer in Wayne County with 500 employees, 84 beds and is a three-time winner of the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals Small Hospital of the Year Award.
