Phoebe celebrates Doctors’ Day, holds paver ceremony

ALBANY — National Doctors’ Day is Saturday, and Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital celebrated this week, providing special meals and treats for physicians and posting Doctors’ Day artwork – made by children from the Family Tree Child Development Center – outside the hospital’s Physician Lounge.

The medical staff also made a $5,000 donation to Flint River Fresh. This tradition began years ago when physicians decided that, rather than accepting Doctors’ Day gifts from Phoebe, they would prefer to support a worthy cause. Each year, the medical executive committee chooses a local community service organization to receive the gift. This year, they chose Flint River Fresh as the recipient. MEC President Dr. John (Buck) Davis presented the donation.

Phoebe and Flint River Fresh already have a close partnership. Phoebe provides property near its main campus for a community garden and funds the operation of the garden. The organizations have worked together on food distribution, wellness education and a pilot program called Fresh Rx, which provided bi-weekly produce boxes and health education to diabetic patients in an effort to help them lower their A1C levels.

Also this week, nearly 60 new bricks were set to be added to the Paver Pathway at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in honor or memory of individuals who have had a significant impact on the lives of others. Throughout the year, donors purchased pavers through the Phoebe Foundation with proceeds going to support Phoebe’s chaplaincy program.

“We greatly appreciate that support,” the Rev. Joey Holland, manager of Chaplaincy Services, said during a ceremony. “This year’s paver proceeds will go for staff support through our Tea for the Soul program, through which chaplains offer treats, along with emotional support. The funds also will support our community engagement efforts by helping us hold meetings with area clergy.”

At the annual paver dedication ceremony, the names of those memorialized or honored with bricks were read aloud by Chris Misamore, senior vice president & market president of Ameris Bank in Albany. Misamore’s mother, Louise, passed away last year after a long illness.

“The staff made the hospital a place where we could find happiness, despite her sickness,” Misamore said. “The chaplaincy program is very important, and we drew a lot of strength from the prayers we got through that program. We experienced a lot of love at Phoebe.”

Phoebe also purchased pavers honoring employees who retired in 2023 after serving Phoebe for at least 25 years. Their total years of employment represent nearly 1,000 years of service.

A utility project connected to the construction of Phoebe’s new Trauma & Critical Care Tower necessitated the temporary removal of the Paver Pathway. All of the more than 3,300 pavers purchased over the years were carefully removed and stored. Phoebe plans to place those pavers in a redesigned paver pathway in front of the hospital by the end of 2024.

Anyone interested in purchasing a paver to be dedicated in 2025 can do so at https://www.supportphoebe.org/phoebe-foundation/events/spring-paver-dedication.

Special Photo: PhoebeSpecial Photo: Phoebe