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6 ARCHBOLD
MEDICAL CENTER
THE ATLANTIC
hurricane season of
2016 is one residents along Georgia’s and
Florida’s coasts are sure to remember.
Hurricane Matthew became the
southernmost category 5 Atlantic hur-
ricane on record. Fortunately Thomas
and surrounding South Georgia counties
weren’t directly impacted by Matthew’s
strong winds and rain that devastated
many of Georgia’s coastal communities.
But Archbold Memorial Hospital
staff diligently prepared for the results
of a mandatory evacuation of around
500,000 East Georgia residents, including
1,200 hospital patients.
“From the very beginning, our team
was committed to helping our col-
leagues at other hospitals who were
anticipating one of the worst storms
they’d ever experienced,” said Perry
Mustian, Archbold President and CEO.
Archbold opened the hospital’s
Emergency Operation Center (EOC)
on Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. Hospital staff was
in constant communication with state
agencies to coordinate patient transfers
for hospitals in East Georgia under man-
datory evacuation orders.
“Working together with our state
partners, Archbold was one of many
organizations that worked tirelessly to
help all those displaced from Matthew,”
said Charles Winchester, Emergency
Management Coordinator at Archbold.
“Watching our entire team go above and
beyond to help people across the state
during such a stressful and tragic time
was truly heartwarming.”
HURRICANE AID
Risingtothechallenge
Washed, dried,
folded and shipped
20
carts
of linen
for evacuated
coastal long-term
care residents housed
within two facilities
in Valdosta.
Cared for
7
evacuated patients and their families.
Archbold Memorial Hospital
Brooks County Hospital
Archbold Emergency
Operation Center
stayed open
for
86
hours
to handle the event.
Delivered
150
beds of linen
to Southwestern
State Hospital.
Hot meals
and snacks
provided for 130
patients that were
housed temporarily
in Thomasville.
Provided housing
for
4
families
at a Good Samaritan site,
assisting a total of 20 people.
Archbold’s
hurricane
contributions
Charles Winchester
Emergency Management Coordinator