New Ambulance Wraps (1)-2
Annual Report FY2025

Generosity That Heals

SGMC_Foundation_CMYK

Groundbreaking Growth

$ 6,477,000
Total Gifts and Pledges 2025
1,626
Total Number of Donors
$ 238,000
Employee Giving
$ 3,054,040
Contributions to Georgia HEART Tax Credit

Capital Projects

$ 4,670,000
Raised for the Main Campus Expansion Project

Projects & Equipment Funded

Funding Requests in FY2025 included:
  • Hospice of South Georgia Patient Rooms
  • 4 Non-Emergency Transport Vehicles
  • Trauma Education Trailer
  • Mom & Baby Manikin for Sim Lab
  • Critical Care Bed Surfaces
  • CareAI System for 5T Rooms
  • AngelEyes System Upgrades
  • Lakeland Villa Resident Bus
  • Ultrasound Unit for Smith Northview
  • Parent Celebration Dinner
  • Infusion Chairs
  • SiteRite Ultrasound System
  • Intubation Trainer
  • Vital Sign Monitors
  • Patient Safety Event
  • Infant Hearing Screening Machines
  • Stroke Seminar
  • Body Composition Scale
  • Cancer Survivors Dinner

Click the button below to Make a Difference Today!

Volunteens 2025

Inspiring the Next Generation

of Healthcare Professionals

At SGMC Health, student engagement is more than observation — it’s early immersion into the realities of healthcare, designed to spark interest, build confidence, and create meaningful connections across every stage of a student’s journey. 

Through a range of structured programs, SGMC Health welcomes high school and college students into clinical and operational settings, offering firsthand exposure to the people, processes, and purpose behind patient care. 

Student Engagement in 2025 By the Numbers

67
Volunteens
3,025
Volunteen hours of service
70 +
physician shadowing opportunities completed
200 +
high school and college students engaged in volunteer opportunities

Programs That Meet Students Where They Are

The Volunteen Program introduces high school students to healthcare through a summer experience that places them alongside SGMC Health teams across departments. In 2025, 67 students participated, gaining early insight into patient-centered care and hospital operations. 

For undergraduates, the College Volunteer Program blends service with professional development. Students commit to regular shifts, explore both clinical and non-clinical roles, and gain experience that supports future careers in healthcare. 

The Student Shadowing Program offers high school, college, and pre‑medical students the opportunity to observe physicians across specialties, with experiences ranging from single‑day observations to multi‑week placements — providing clarity that classroom learning alone cannot. 

SGMC Health also hosts guided tours for schools and organizations, offering an introductory look at healthcare environments and career pathways for students just beginning to explore their interests. 

Physician Leadership Strengthening the Pipeline

In 2026, SGMC Health appointed Colby Ruiz, MD, vascular surgeon, as Physician Advisor for Student Engagement Programs, reinforcing the connection between students and the medical community. 

Dr. Ruiz provides clinical guidance across all student programs, supports physician involvement, and helps coordinate shadowing experiences that align with students’ academic and career goals. Since assuming the role, he has overseen engagement for nearly 200 high school and college students across the health system. 

Investing in What Comes Next

Together, SGMC Health’s student engagement programs form a healthcare pipeline rooted in mentorship, exposure, and service — creating opportunities for students to see themselves in healthcare long before their careers begin. 
Kickoff Group
Groundbreaking Growth

Building the Future of Healthcare in South Georgia

In FY2025, the SGMC Health Foundation launched Groundbreaking Growth, a $25 million capital campaign dedicated to advancing healthcare access, expanding specialized services, strengthening the healthcare workforce, and investing in the future of the communities SGMC Health serves. Built around five strategic pillars, the campaign is designed to create lasting impact across South Georgia. 

The largest investment, Groundbreaking Access ($13 million), focuses on expanding care where it is needed most. Key initiatives include the new Women and Infants' Center, expansion of the Emergency Department and Trauma Center, rural healthcare improvements, and increased access to specialty care services throughout the region.

Groundbreaking Services ($5 million) supports the continued growth of advanced clinical programs, including cancer care, neuroscience, cardiovascular services, maternal and pediatric care, and emergency and trauma services. These investments help ensure patients can access specialized treatment close to home.

Through Groundbreaking Medicine ($5 million), the Foundation is investing in the next generation of healthcare providers. Funding will support medical education and residency programs, simulation-based training, student scholarships, and advanced medical technology that enhances patient care and clinical outcomes.

Groundbreaking Continuous Care ($1 million) strengthens services that support patients throughout every stage of life, including hospice care, senior living, skilled nursing, behavioral health, and rehabilitation programs.

The campaign also includes Groundbreaking Vision ($1 million), an investment in SGMC Health's endowment that will provide long-term financial support for future healthcare needs and strategic priorities.

Together, these investments represent a commitment to ensuring high-quality healthcare remains accessible across South Georgia for generations to come, while supporting continued growth, innovation, and community wellbeing.
IMG_5242-2
More Than a Smile:

A Legacy of Service in Pink Jackets

Pink jackets and familiar smiles have long been a welcoming sight throughout SGMC Health. Affectionately known as the Pink Ladies, the Volunteer Auxiliary represents a legacy of service that continues to shape the culture of care across the health system. This year, that legacy is carried forward by 31 dedicated volunteers whose impact reaches patients, families, employees, and the broader community. 

Together, the Volunteer Auxiliary contributed more than 30,000 hours of service to SGMC Health, supporting patients, visitors, and team members in countless everyday moments that often go unseen but never unfelt. Their commitment is reflected not only in time given, but in meaningful investment back into the community and the organization they serve. 

Through a variety of fundraisers and projects, the Auxiliary directed more than $20,000 to causes aligned with care, community, and connection. Uniform, book, and jewelry sales, along with seasonal flower and plant sales held around Mother’s Day, help fuel their charitable efforts each year. Proceeds from these initiatives supported the Boys & Girls Club, the Miracle League, the SGMC Health Foundation's Care Share fund, the health system’s employee assistance program that provides support to team members during times of personal hardship. 

Beyond fundraising, the Pink Ladies continue to uphold traditions that bring comfort and celebration to patients and families. Each year, they present a gift basket to the first baby born at SGMC Health in the new year, marking a moment of joy and new beginnings. During the holiday season, volunteers crochet baby hats and create Christmas stockings for infants born around the holidays—small, thoughtful gestures that leave a lasting impression during meaningful moments.

While the numbers are impressive, the true impact of the Volunteer Auxiliary is found in these personal touches: a handmade gift, a cheerful greeting, or a reassuring presence at just the right time. Their service strengthens the connection between SGMC Health and the community it serves, reinforcing a shared belief that care extends well beyond clinical settings.

As SGMC Health looks ahead, the Volunteer Auxiliary remains an essential partner in advancing service, generosity, and community support—one volunteer shift, one fundraiser, and one act of kindness at a time.

Board of Management 
Joan Barrese, President   
Ora Morrison, VP Hours & Awards 
Cheryl MacKinnon, Recording Secretary 
Jan Newton, Ways and Means 
Clara Lugo, Treasurer 
Emerida Rodriguez, Corresponding Secretary 
Terry Thomas, Parliamentarian 
Mary Young Manning, Programs 
Dianne Belcher, Inspiration 
Peggy Beauvais, Past President 

FY25 Foundation Board of Directors

  • Joe Brownlee
    Chair
  • Ken Morrison
    Chair Elect
  • Ben Copeland
    Hospital Authority Liaison
  • Broc McDowell
    Treasurer
  • Bo Lovein
    Secretary
  • Ora Morrison
    SGMC Health Auxiliary Liaison
  • Hayden Hancock
  • Elizabeth Flail, DO
  • Dal Miller, MD
  • Pat Miller
  • Lee Mackey
  • Maggie Davis
  • Jason Shaw

Subscribe for updates Be the first to know.

Dive Deeper into the SGMC Health Annual Report

Back to top