Read United seeks volunteers
Special to the Herald
Read United Day is just around the corner, and the United Way is looking for volunteers spend about 30 minutes reading to school children.
As United Way’s largest single-day volunteer opportunity, the organization is excited to bring it back and make an even bigger impact. In 2025, we’re expanding Read United Day across our five-county region, including Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Long counties, to promote early childhood literacy.
Read United Day is Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
The United Way is calling on over 1,000 volunteers for this special day to read to students for 30 minutes. United Way provides everything you need. All a volunteer has to do is sign up, show up, and read to a pre-K through 2nd-grade classroom in one of our five counties. Want to do more? Sign up for multiple time slots to double your impact!
Spots fill up fast so be sure to sign up today. Don’t miss out on being part of this day!
Learn more and sign up to volunteer at: bit.ly/40120NV.
Are you signing up as a group (10+ people)? Contact the United Way at volunteers@uwce.org and we’ll help you register your team.
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Georgia storm survivors should stay in touch with FEMA
Special to the Herald
After you apply for federal disaster assistance, it is important that FEMA be able to contact you. Be aware that phone calls from FEMA may come from unidentified or out-of-area numbers.
If there are changes in your phone number, current address, banking or insurance information, let FEMA know as soon as possible or you may miss important telephone calls or correspondence.
FEMA may need to call some survivors to continue processing their application for assistance after Tropical Storm Debby, Aug. 4-20, 2024, or Hurricane Heléne, Sept. 24-Oct. 30. FEMA also may contact some survivors to obtain more information for their application.
You can update your contact information in several ways: Go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service such as Video Relay Service, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. Survivors can also call the Georgia Call Center at 678-547-2861 Monday through Saturday.
A Mobile Disaster Recovery Center in Bulloch County is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Saturday, Jan. 4. However, the center will be closed for Christmas and New Year’s – Dec. 24-26 and Dec. 31-Jan. 2, 2025. The Bulloch County Mobile Disaster Recovery Center is located at: Kiwanis Ogeechee Fairground, 16942 GA-67, Statesboro.
For the latest information about Georgia’s recovery, click on www.fema.gov/helene/georgia or www.fema.gov/disaster/4821.
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Nurse Honor Guard seeks new members
Special to the Herald
Attention Nurses from Effingham, Bulloch, Screven or Jenkins counties.
The Ogeechee Region Nurse Honor Guard is looking to expand its membership base. The organization seeks nurses who may be interested in honoring our nurse colleagues.
The local chapter is seeking new members who live or work in Effingham, Bulloch, Screven or Jenkins counties. Pass this information along to colleagues, friends, family members who are nurses. If they would like more information, forward our contact information to them.
Any active or retired nurse (RN, LPN, CNS, APN, CRNA) in good standing with the Board of Nursing is invited to join.
Email the Ogeechee Region Nurse Honor Guard at ogeecheenhg@gmail.com or click on their website at www.ogeecheenhg.org for more information.
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Nacosha Moore named to fall 2024 Dean's List
Special to the Herald
SPARTANBURG, SC -- Nacosha Moore of Guyton has been named to the Spartanburg Methodist College Dean's List for grades earned during the fall 2024 academic semester. Dean's List students have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
About Spartanburg Methodist College
Spartanburg Methodist College is a private, liberal arts college open to students of all religious and non-religious backgrounds. The college serves approximately 1,000 students and offers six associate degrees, eight bachelor's degrees, and 10 100% online associate and bachelor's degree options. SMC's unique Camak Core professional development program prepares graduates for the business world with education in critical workplace skills that employers value in new hires. The college was founded in 1911 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
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Hospice Savannah Named Best of Georgia
Special to the Herald
SAVANNAH – Hospice Savannah has been named Best Hospice of Georgia by the Georgia Business Journal for the second year in a row. For more than 45 years, Hospice Savannah has been the area’s largest and most comprehensive non-profit organization, serving Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties.
The Best of Georgia Award, given by the Georgia Business Journal and determined by customer votes, highlights Hospice Savannah's deep-rooted connection to the communities it serves. This accolade reflects the organization's commitment to quality care, as evidenced by its accreditation by the Joint Commission, a prestigious quality review in American healthcare. Furthermore, Hospice Savannah’s affiliation with the United Way of the Coastal Empire, the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation, and the Georgia Hospice and Palliative Care Organization emphasize their dedication to the highest industry standards and innovation.
Founded in 1979 by Anne K. Stewart, Hospice Savannah started as a community hospice and has since evolved into the largest and most comprehensive non-profit hospice in the area. Hospice Savannah’s services extend beyond traditional hospice care, including the Steward Center for Palliative Care, the Edel Caregiver Institute, and Full Circle Grief and Loss Center. Although over 80% of the care provided is in the patient’s home, Hospice Savannah is also home to the community’s only hospice inpatient unit, where staff provide symptom management. Notably, Hospice Savannah is distinguished by its Butterfly Program, one of the only pediatric hospice services in the state, where pediatric patients can continue curative treatments while on services.
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Memorial Health welcomes cardiovascular surgeons
Special to the Herald
SAVANNAH — Memorial Health announces the addition of two accomplished cardiovascular surgeons to its Heart & Vascular Institute. Dr. Roberto Rodriguez and Dr. David Dean will join the organization’s heart surgery program, further advancing its commitment to exceptional cardiac care.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Rodriguez and Dr. Dean to our heart care team,” said Brad Talbert, CEO of Memorial Health. “Both are exceptional surgeons with impressive credentials and a proven track record of leadership and innovation. Their expertise will build on Memorial Health’s rich tradition of excellence in heart care.”
Dr. Rodriguez will serve as the Director of Memorial Health’s Cardiac Surgery Program, while Dr. Dean will lead programs for heart failure, ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), and LVAD (left ventricular assist devices).
Dr. Rodriguez brings extensive experience in minimally invasive cardiac surgery, endovascular procedures, education, and research to his new role.
Before joining Memorial Health, he practiced at Main Line Health in Philadelphia, where he served as the Surgical Director for Structural Heart Programs across the health system’s four hospitals. He also led the Heart Valve Clinic at Lankenau Heart Institute at Lankenau Medical Center.
Dr. Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The George Washington University and a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. Before attending medical school, he worked as a biomedical engineer at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Tufts University School of Medicine and completed his general surgery residency at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He further specialized with a cardiothoracic surgery residency and an endovascular fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Medical Center. Additionally, he completed advanced cardiac surgery training during a senior residency at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Rodriguez will officially join Memorial Health in April 2025.
Dr. David Dean
Dr. Dean most recently practiced with West Alabama Cardiac Surgery at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa. Prior to that, he practiced at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, where he held several leadership roles at the Piedmont Heart Institute, serving as chief of the Heart Failure Center of Excellence and program director for the Mechanical Circulatory Support and Heart Transplantation program. During his career, he has also practiced at hospitals in Pennsylvania, Missouri, and New Hampshire.
Dr. Dean is board certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.
Dr. Dean joined Memorial Health in December 2024.
