Dear Friends,

This year we have faced unprecedented challenges as COVID-19 has strained our health care system and economy, and we have wrestled with racial issues and civil unrest. I have been humbled by the response from our community. At Southwell, we have pulled together to ensure every team member has the resources needed to stay safe and provide high quality health care to our community.

While we have focused on keeping our community safe and healthy, we have also been working to ensure our commitment to diversity and inclusion is unambiguous throughout our organization. In June, we shared that we would be taking a closer look at our health system and making adjustments from within. As the largest employer in this area, we will help drive necessary change in our community. We have held 15 listening sessions with our employees and have gained valuable insight into the changes that are needed most through these forums. 

As we continue working toward implementing meaningful changes to promote a culture of diversity and inclusion at Southwell, we are taking a number of steps as we further develop our action plan. To fill you in:

Tift Regional Health System has formed a Diversity and Inclusion Council to lead and strengthen our ongoing efforts to uphold cultural diversity and work diligently to acknowledge, address and confront differences in a positive manner. The Council will continually evaluate specific areas to support and enhance diversity and inclusion, including patient care, employment, leadership and training and education. 

We have also promoted Jill McIntyre to serve as Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellness. In this role, Jill will chair the Diversity and Inclusion Council and work hand-in-hand with the members of the Council to implement changes system wide that promote a culture of inclusion and ensure we have the proper education and support to uphold the core values of Southwell. Jill has served our Tift Regional community in a number of different roles over the last 18+ years. We are grateful that she has agreed to step into this important role for us and are confident she will help guide us on this journey.

Members of the 12-member council will include:

• Jill McIntyre, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellness Director

• Chris Dorman, President and Chief Executive Officer

• Alex Le, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

• Mrs. Joyce Mims, Board of Directors

• Mr. Wasdon Graydon, Board of Directors

• Dr. Cameron Nixon, Chief Transformation Officer

• Dr. Rubal Patel, Director of Pulmonary Critical Care

• Amber Goodman, Emergency Dept. Assistant Nurse Manager

• Karen Rodriguez, Med. Staff Office Credentialing Coordinator

• Joseph Dallas Moore, Southwell Radiology Tech

• Kim Barnes, Day Surgery Registered Nurse

• Jose Abantao, Physical Therapist

At Southwell, our mission is to provide for the health care needs of our patients and the communities we serve. As I’ve said before, healthy communities are those whose citizens appreciate diversity, promote fairness and equality and social justice for all. 

Working together and continuing to listen, I know we can build a stronger community.

Sincerely,

Christopher K. Dorman

President/CEO