Northeast Georgia Medical Center receives quality achievement award

Northeast Georgia Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Silver Quality Achievement Award recognizing success in stroke care.

To earn the honor, the Medical Center consistently complied for at least one year with the requirements in the program, including aggressive use of medications, antithrombotics, anticoagulation therapy, DVT prophylaxis, cholesterol-reducing drugs and smoking cessation. The 12-month evaluation period is the second in an ongoing self-evaluation by the hospital to reach the 85 percent compliance level needed to sustain this award.

NGMC also holds Joint Commission certification for its stroke program and is designated as a Primary Stroke Center.

"The American Stroke Association commends Northeast Georgia Medical Center for its success in implementing standards of care and protocols," said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, chair of the Get With The Guidelines National Steering Committee and director of the TeleStroke and Acute Stroke Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

"Northeast Georgia Medical Center has a continual focus on improving the quality of care for stroke patients," LaRoy Penix, MD, a neurologist with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group and NGMC's stroke medical director.

For more information about NGMC's stroke program, call 770-219-3840.

Whitmire promoted at Rushton & Co.

Rushton & Co. of Gainesville has promoted Tiffany Whitmire to director of business consulting and added her to the firm's management team.

In her new position, Whitmire will assist clients in training their accounting staffs, developing efficient month-end closing procedures, advise clients in the selection of accounting software and assist in preparing forecasts and projections.

Whitmire, a Lula, native, is a certified public accountant and a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants. The North Georgia College & State University graduate joined Rushton in 2005.

Rushton & Company, LLC, provides businesses throughout North Georgia with a wide variety of accounting services.

Aflac Center honors Buford nurse Brown for pediatric cancer work

Nurse Cara Brown of Buford is among those recently presented with the Laura Snitzer-Boozer Nursing Award honoring professional excellence and leadership in pediatric cancer care.

The award from The Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta also provides financial support for continued education in the field of oncology. The award is given in memory of Laura Snitzer-Boozer, an Aflac Cancer Center nurse who died unexpectedly in 1999.

"Each year as the award committee begins its process of asking for nominations, I think back to when I knew and worked with Laura," said Brown, R.N., M.N., C.P.O.N. "She was an outstanding example of commitment to hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant nursing excellence. I am honored to receive this award and appreciate those who nominated me as well as the work of those on the award committee for choosing me this year."

A resource and registered nurse, Brown has worked at the Aflac Cancer Center for 26 years providing care for hematology, oncology and BMT patients. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University and her Master of Science in Nursing from Emory University.

Brown lives in Buford with her husband, John. They have five children.

Red Cross names Essigman to board

The American Red Cross of Northeast Georgia has named John Essigman of Cleveland to its board of directors. He will serve as chairman of the Philanthropic Committee, developing a strategic plan encompassing the 12 counties served by the chapter.

Essigman has been a long-time volunteer with the American Red Cross teaching CPR, professional rescue CPR and water rescue techniques for lifeguards and other professional rescuers. He owns a private financial services practice with offices in Cleveland and Dahlonega.