SRH gets $5.5. million from FEMA for medical equipment

From Staff Reports

AMERICUS — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a $5.5 million payment to Sumter Regional Hospital that will reimburse the hospital for a majority of costs incurred in leasing medical equipment for its interim hospital, known as SRH East.

Instrumental in getting the payment approved were Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Representative Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and GEMA Director Charley English.

“I vividly remember the morning after the tornado, and the physicians, nurses and staff of Sumter Regional, along with the people of Americus, deserve every ounce of credit for keeping hope alive, and putting this community back on its feet,” said Bishop. “Today, as we celebrate this reimbursement, which will provide much-needed economic relief to Americus, we take another important step toward recovery.”

“This assistance is greatly needed,” said Chambliss. “The storms and tornadoes that hit Southwest Georgia last year took a tremendous toll on the Americus area, and severely displaced a critical medical facility that so many folks in the area rely on. It is imperative that the Federal government provide all the assistance it can to continue the rebuilding process and ensure that Georgians who live in this area have access to the quality health care they deserve. It has been my pleasure to have played a part in helping to secure these funds for the hospital.”

“This is welcome news for Sumter Regional Hospital,” Isakson said. “These funds are essential to the hospital’s recovery from the severe tornadoes that wreaked havoc across much of the area, and will go a long way toward ensuring that residents of the region continue to receive the superior health care that they have come to expect from Sumter Regional.”

“Sumter County and the city of Americus were greatly impacted by the devastation of their lifeline, Sumter Regional Hospital,” said Perdue. “We appreciate FEMA’s continued support of this community. This reimbursement will improve the hospital’s medical equipment and its ability to save lives.”

The $5.5 million assistance represents FEMA’s 75 percent contribution towards a total project cost of nearly $7.4 million for mammography, radiological and cardiac care equipment, and operating room lighting.

“We look forward to a continued partnership with FEMA as we move along in the building of a permanent facility,” said English.

Hospital representatives are currently working with architects to design a new building, with groundbreaking scheduled for early Spring 2009.

“FEMA has been a committed partner in the hospital’s recovery and rebuilding process,” said FEMA Regional Administrator Phil May. “We are pleased that this reimbursement will help the facility continue to provide vital health care services to the region.”

“We are truly grateful for this reimbursement and look forward to the receipt of these much needed funds to sustain the operations of our interim facility in service to our community and physicians.” said David Seagraves, SRH president and CEO. “We deeply appreciate the tireless efforts of Senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss along with our own 2nd District Congressman Sanford Bishop, Governor Purdue and Director English along with their staffs in providing for the ongoing support of our hospital and community as we continue our recovery and rebuilding efforts. “

Sumter Regional Hospital, which is the only full-service primary care medical facility within a seven-county area of Southwest Georgia, sustained a direct hit from a category EF-3 tornado on the evening of March 1, 2007, shutting the hospital’s inpatient operations down for over a year. An interim state-of-the-art facility opened in April of 2008.

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