Latest News

13Jul

Local PA Joins Upson OB/GYN


 
 Holly Harrison, a certified physician assistant, is now with Upson OB/GYN.
 Holly’s addition comes at a time of expansion for Upson OB/GYN practice that has relocated to a new first-class facility, designed with women and children in mind.
 With 10 years of experience as a phy...

13Jul

HomeGrown PA Jess Rogers


 
 Thomaston’s own Jess Rogers is joining Upson Surgical Associates as a Physician Assistant.
 As a young boy with dreams of practicing medicine, he took a job as a teen at Upson Regional Medical Center just a few short months after obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout.  Jess worked in ...

06Jul

Designated Remote Stroke Treatment Center


 
 If you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke, time to treatment matters. Upson Regional Medical Center is now designated as a Remote Treatment Stroke Center by the Office of EMS and Trauma in the Georgia Department of Public Health. Upson Regional is only the 10th hospital in Georgi...

26Jun

Julie Long, Chief Clinical Officer


 
 Julie Long is the new Chief Clinical Officer at Upson Regional Medical Center, where she will lead all nursing areas. 
 CEO Tripp Penn said, “We are all very excited about the addition of Julie Long. Julie has the education, experience and skill sets to be an outstanding senior le...

18May

Maternal Fetal Medicine is Here


 
 The health of mothers, infants, and children is vital to a healthy community. This population is particularly vulnerable to certain health risks when encountered during pregnancy and early childhood. The mental and physical development of infants and children is affected by the behavi...

03Mar

$99 Heart Screenings


 
 Upson Regional Medical Center is pleased to bring you  $99 Heart Scans. The screening is non-invasive and takes just a few minutes. In addition to a basic lipid profile blood test, the CT scan of your heart will take about 10 minutes and no preparation is required.
  Upson’s board...

22Nov

Auxiliary Elects a New Slate of Officers


 
 We are thankful for our Volunteers and proud to introduce the newest slate of Auxiliary officers. Jan Sherwood- President, Wilma Greene- Vice President, Helen Smith- Reporting Secretary, Connie Harp- Treasurer, and Louise Smith- Assistant Treasurer. A special thank you to past Preside...

31Oct

Upson Earns an A


 
 New Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which assign A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide and provide the most complete picture of patient safety in the U.S., were announced today by The Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety watchdog group. 
 Upson Regional Medi...

06Sep

Dr. Ben Williams Joins Upson Family Physicians

Dr. Ben Williams is now officially part of Upson Family Physicians. We are thrilled to have Dr. Williams as part of the family as he has been an excellent physician in our community for many years now. It's important to know that the only changes for patients are the location of his practice and...

22Jun

Upson Welcomes Cardiologist Mark Dorogy, MD


 
 Well-known cardiologist Mark Dorogy, MD, has joined Upson Regional Medical Center, and is now taking appointments. Previously, Dr. Dorogy practiced cardiology in Macon. He earned his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 yea...

11Apr

Tripp Penn Named CEO

Upson Regional Medical Center's Board of Trustees announces Tripp Penn as Chief Executive Officer. Penn was selected from a national search and thorough interview process inclusive of medical staff, hospital leaders and its administrative team. The Board of Trustees would like to express its ap...

01Feb

Upson Honors Employee Service at Annual Recognition Dinner

Upson Regional Medical Center is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s employee service awards. The hospital honored employees for dedicated service and accomplishments Thursday, January 28 at its Annual Employee Awards Banquet. These 94 employees have given a remarkable 1,195 years o...

13Jan

Tenex for Tendonitis

Dr. Brandon Boyce is now treating that painful foot problem and other tendon issues by targeting the damaged tissue and removing it through just one small incision. It's called the Tenex procedure. It is minimally invasive and takes just a matter of minutes. The key to the technique is ultrasoun...

17Dec

Upson Honored for Hepatitis B Vaccine Birth Dose Rate

Upson Regional Medical Center has been recognized by the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) and the Georgia Department of Public Health for achieving one of the highest reported rates in the state for its work to protect newborns from hepatitis B virus infection.
 “We are one of only 12 hosp...

02Dec

First in the State with FUSE

Although colonoscopy exams prevent many colon cancer deaths and are the gold standard, for detecting colorectal cancers , the procedure is not completely effective in preventing cancer cases. For this reason, Upson Regional Medical Center has invested in an innovative technology that allows doct...

23Nov

Improving Outcomes for Babies

Dr. Joy Baker, OB/GYN with Upson Women’s Services, has received a $30,000 grant from the March of Dimes to implement an evidence-based program to improve the health of moms and babies.
 The grant is for CenteringPregnancy® – a model of care that integrates three major components: health asse...

30Oct

Board Announces Interim CEO

Upson Regional Medical Center’s Board of Trustees have announced Mark Hartman as Interim Chief Executive Officer. Hartman is a principal in Spectrum Health Partners, LLC, a firm specializing in healthcare consulting and interim leadership. He has more than 30 years of experience working in and w...

30Oct

Upson Dishes Up Room Service

Upson Regional Medical Center now offers Room Service to its patients. The At Your Request service implemented by the Cherokee Cafe allows inpatients access to hotel-style room service.
 The loss of control patients can feel in their situation plays a key role in their level of satisfaction....

27Oct

Upson to Go Smoke-Free

A tobacco-free campus since 2006, Upson Regional Medical Center is expanding its tobacco use policy to include areas in and around the hospital. Effective December 1, tobacco use of any kind, including electronic cigarettes, will be prohibited on all hospital property, including outside hospital ...

14Oct

Wound Healing Center Turns 10

The Wound Healing Center (WHC) is celebrating its 10th anniversary in operation at Upson Regional Medical Center. The program was established in October 2005 to meet the community health need for advanced wound care.
 “At Upson, we are committed to providing greater access for the community t...

28Sep

Castleberry Announces Resignation

Upson Regional Medical Center confirmed today the resignation of CEO David Castleberry. Mr. Castleberry has given 90 days of notice before his departure to a career advancing opportunity in Savannah.
 Since joining the hospital in October of 2008, Mr. Castleberry has led the hospital to stat...

22Jul

Upson's New OB/GYNs

Upson Regional Medical Center is pleased to welcome OB-GYN doctors, Joy Baker, MD, and Nicolas Psomiadis, MD.
 Dr. Joy Baker is a Georgia native who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from LaGrange College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology from the Medical Colleg...

22Jun

New Medical Identity Theft Protection System

Upson Regional Medical Center is proud to offer patients advanced medical identity theft protection and efficient patient registration, while improving health outcomes and reducing the risk of medical errors.
 Nationwide, medical identity theft is on the rise, and it is estimated that America...

10Jun

Upson Selects New Chief Clinical Officer

Evelyn Murphy is the new chief clinical officer at Upson Regional Medical Center, where she will lead all nursing and ancillary clinical areas.
 Murphy joins Upson with strong experience in nursing and management. Previously, Murphy served as chief clinical officer at Ty Cobb Healthcare Syst...

04Jun

Castleberry Elected to GHA Board of Trustees

ATLANTA – David Castleberry, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Upson Regional Medical Center in Thomaston, recently was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA). Castleberry has served as CEO of the medical center since 2008. Since he assumed leader...

28Apr

Upson's Newest Board Member

Upson Regional Medical Center announces the addition of Jonathan Busbee, M.D., an internal medicine specialist, as its newest member to the Board of Trustees.
 Dr. Busbee has been practicing medicine since 1992 and has been an active member of Upson’s medical staff since 1995. He is a gradua...

28Jan

Upson Introduces Tele-Stroke

If you or someone you know has a stroke, faster care can mean a better outcome. That’s why Upson is now in partnership with some of Atlanta’s top neurologists, providing local access to board certified stroke specialists 24 hours a day.
 “Fast matters,” Upson’s Chief of Staff and Emergency Ro...

19Jan

Service Award Banquet Honoring Employees

Upson Regional Medical Center recognized last week more than 95 employees for milestones in service, ranging from five to 45 years.
 CEO David Castleberry said Upson is fortunate to have such dedicated and loyal employees. “The people we recognize this year for milestones in service are trul...

15Dec

Flu Season Strikes Early

Local physicians are reporting the flu is here, and you may not be in the clear this flu season — even if you’ve already been vaccinated.
 Within the past week, healthcare providers have noticed an uptick in flu diagnosis. Upson Family Physician Dr. Trish Hall said, “Usually the peak of flu ...

19Nov

San Short Wins Statewide Lifetime Achievement Award

Upson Regional Medical Center’s San Short, R.N., was awarded the prestigious Georgia Hospital Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award at the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Annual Meeting on Nov. 13. Short, who was the only individual statewide to receive the award, was recognized for her long-tim...

06Oct

Upson's New Portal Empowers Patients

Upson Regional Medical Center introduces this month a new tool that allows patients to have their medical records and health information at their fingertips.
 Upson’s Patient Portal gives patients secure and instant access to their health information, including laboratory and radiology result...

18Sep

Hospital Has $132M Impact on Local Economy

While hospitals provide patient care to those in our community who are sick and need care the most, they also contribute to the well being of people who may never enter the facility. A Georgia Hospital Association report estimates Upson Regional pumped more than $132 million into the local econom...

13Aug

Meet Upson's Newest Physician

Dr. John Jenkins welcomes a new physician to join his growing practice, Trish Hall, M.D. A Kennesaw, Georgia, native Dr. Hall is licensed in Family Medicine, and joins Upson Family Physicians this August.
 CEO David Castleberry said the board, employees and physicians are most pleased to wel...

21Jul

Physician Assistant Joins Dr. Boyce's Practice

Upson Regional Medical Center welcomes this month Mandi Howard, PA-C to its network of providers.
 Howard joins Dr. Brandon Boyce as a full-time, certified physician assistant at his Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and Surgery practice.
 CEO David Castleberry says she joins the practice at t...

17Jun

Upson Gives Back

Upson Regional Medical Center had a total community benefit, which includes the uncompensated cost of care, gaps between its cost to provide care and what government programs pay for that care, as well as community programs, of $18.3 million in 2013. Included in the hospital’s Community Benefit w...

13May

Upson Welcomes Blackstock to Board

Upson Regional Medical Center recently announced Mr. Scott Blackstock’s election to the hospital’s board of trustees. Mr. Blackstock has compiled a number of impressive achievements in business development, product innovation, and community service. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1979 with a d...

17Mar

Auxiliary Makes Priceless Contributions

Whenever you visit Upson Regional Medical Center, you are likely to see the smiling faces of Auxiliary members in just about every corner of the facility. The contributions of this group add up to priceless donations to the hospital and the community. In 2013, alone, the group donated more than 1...

27Jan

Upson Welcomes New Board Member

Upson Regional Medical Center announced last week Mrs. Kay Searcy’s election to the hospital’s s board of trustees, filling the seat previously held by Ms. Doris Grace. “Kay has strong clinical and education backgrounds, and she has a true heart for access to and quality healthcare in our communi...

22Jan

Upson and The Rock Ranch Team To Promote Healthy Hearts

Upson Regional Medical Center and the Rock Ranch are teaming up to promote healthy hearts. The free event for women, “Keys to the Heart,” will be held Saturday, Feb. 15 from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Rock Ranch. Space is limited, and reservations are required. Please call (706) 647-8111 ext. 1...

10Jan

Thank You, Mr. Morris

Upson Regional Medical Center and the Thomaston community gathered to give a big thank you to Norman Morris who is retiring after steering the hospital for nearly four decades. Last Wednesday, fellow board members, hospital employees, and community members honored Mr. Morris for his 37.5 years of...

27Nov

Auxiliary Welcomes Holidays with "Lights for Life"

This week, the Upson Regional Auxiliary kicks off the holiday season with “Lights for Life.” “Lights for Life” is a special way to recognize the special people in your life. The Christmas tree in the hospital’s main lobby will soon fill with handmade ornaments placed in honor or memory of loved o...

25Nov

Upson Recognizes Employees for Years of Service

Upson Regional Medical Center recognized last week more than 90 employees for milestones in service, ranging from five to 45 years. CEO David Castleberry said Upson is fortunate to have such dedicated and loyal employees. “The people we recognize this year for milestones in service are truly the...

11Nov

Upson Recognized for Top Quality

Upson Regional Medical Center has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Hospital Engagement Network Safety Leaders Circle, which recognizes hospitals’ improvements in patient care for the second quarter of 2013. Upson is one of only 31 of 116 hospitals in Georgia to place in the ...

02Oct

Are Your Aching Legs Telling You Something?

When you are over 50, it’s easy to dismiss a pain in your leg as just another sign of aging. But that pain could be a warning of a serious blockage in the arteries called peripheral vascular disease (PVD). “PVD is very common,” says Robert Solyomvari, MD, general surgeon. Although PVD can take...

24Sep

Volunteer Gift Shop Turns 35

The Upson Regional Medical Center Auxiliary will celebrate its gift shop’s 35th Birthday Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013. Though the Auxiliary was founded in 1950, the gift shop was not opened until a bit later. Originally proposed by Ann Ruff in the early 1970s, the Gift Shop came to fruition in 1978 u...

20Aug

Free Prostate Screening: It's a Guy Thing

As part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Upson Regional Medical Center and Board Certified physicians on its Medical Staff will offer a potentially life-saving screening for men, at no cost. The hospital will provide free prostate and colorectal screenings Tuesday, Sept. 10, from 5:30 p.m. to ...

07Aug

New General Surgeon

Upson Regional Medical Center welcomes a new general surgeon to the area this week. Darryl Knight, M.D., joins Dr. Robert Solyomvari at Upson Surgical Associates August 12. Dr. Knight is originally from East Point, Ga., and earned his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Fort Valley State Univ...

29Jul

Free Living Well Workshops in Thomaston

People with chronic diseases often need more than medication to manage illness. That’s why Upson Regional Medic al Center and The Wellness Center have teamed with the Southern Crescent Area Agency on Aging to offer free chronic disease management workshops. Developed by Stanford University, the ...

01Jul

Foundation Makes Major Gift to Hospital

The Health Foundation of Upson Regional Medical Center has made its first major gift since its inception in 2006- $100,000 to the hospital for the purchase of two surgical lasers. One is a urologic laser, especially designed to break up stones. The “YAG” laser can eliminate bladder and kidney st...

17Jun

Dr. Jenkins Adds Provider to Growing Practice

Dr. John M. Jenkins, MD, a family practitioner in Thomaston, announced this week the addition of a new provider, board certified family nurse practitioner, Brandi Swatts. Nurse Practitioners play a very important role in communities large and small, caring for patients together with doctors. By i...

31May

Providers Trained to Communicate More Effectively about Childhood Obesity

Georgia is facing a pediatric health and wellness crisis – with nearly a million Georgia children classified as overweight and obese and with many Georgia unable to do a push-up, walk a mile or even touch their toes. The health and wellness of Upson’s families is a priority to our medical communi...

26Feb

Upson Named to Safety Leaders Circle

ATLANTA – Upson Regional Medical Center in Thomaston has been named to the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN) Safety Leaders Circle, which recognizes hospitals’ improvements in patient care throughout the 2012 year. Upson is one of 13 hospitals in Georgia to pl...

28Jan

Listen to Your Heart

While most people are aware of the symptoms of a heart attack, fewer people know about other, more common forms of heart disease. Nearly 5 million Americans are currently living with congestive heart failure, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), and almost 1.4 million of them are un...

21Jan

Castleberry Named to Leadership Georgia Class of 2013

CEO David Castlesberry has been named to the LEADERSHIP GEORGIA Class of 2013. LEADERSHIP GEORGIA is a prestigious 40 year old organization of community and state leaders. Affiliated with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, LEADERSHIP GEORGIA trains and builds a network of emerging young leaders fro...

04Jan

Upson Welcomes its First Baby of 2013

Upson Regional Medical Center welcomed its first baby of the New Year a few days into 2013. Jake McFarlan, son of Matt and Kathryn McFarlan, arrived at 7:58 p.m., on Thursday, Jan. 3. He weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces and measured 19 inches long. As a New Year baby, Jake was presented a variety of p...

03Jan

Castleberry earns top healthcare management credential

David Castleberry, FACHE, CEO, Upson Regional Medical Center recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders. “Because healthcare management ultimately affects the people in our communities, it is critical...

13Dec

Upson Named to Top Hospitals List

Upson Regional Medical Center has been named one of the top small hospitals in the state by Georgia Trend. In its December edition, Georgia Trend released their list of 72 different facilities that excel in areas such as quality of care, patient satisfaction, mortality and readmission statistics ...

06Dec

James Searcy Wins Statewide Hospital Hero Award

ATLANTA – Upson Regional Medical Center’s James Searcy was awarded the prestigious Georgia Hospital Heroes Award at the Georgia Hospital Association’s (GHA) annual Hospital Heroes Awards luncheon Dec. 4 in Atlanta. Searcy, who was one of only 10 individuals statewide to receive the award, was rec...

29Oct

State Recognition for Upson

The Georgia Council on Auxiliaries, an organization made up of hospital volunteers from throughout the state and sponsored by the Georgia Hospital Association, named David Castleberry as its Chief Executive Officer of the Year at its annual convention in Augusta last week. During the presentation...

25Oct

Cutting-Edge in the OR

Upson has a new and cutting-edge tool in the OR — Thunderbeat hand instruments and universal surgical platform. Thunderbeat is the world’s only surgical device that combines advanced bipolar and ultrasonic energies into a single multi-functional hand instrument, allowing surgeons to simultaneousl...

24Sep

The Facts about Flesh-Eating Bacteria

Ever since news of Aimee Copeland, the Ga. woman who contracted flesh-eating bacteria after a zip lining accident, hit the air waves, news story after news story has popped up about additional cases, creating a flurry of fear and some misinformation. The news hit close to home last week, when th...

14Sep

Upson Recognizes Employees for Loyalty

Upson Regional Medical Center recognized more than 75 employees for milestones in service, ranging from five to 40 years. CEO David Castleberry said Upson is fortunate to have such dedicated and loyal employees. “The people we recognize this year for milestones in service are truly the backbone ...

10Sep

CEO INSTALLED as CHAIRMAN of RURAL HEALTH BOARD

David Castleberry, CEO of Upson Regional Medical Center, was recently installed as the Chairman of the Georgia Hospital Association’s Center for Rural Health Board of Trustees. As Chairman, Castleberry will serve the board for a one-year term and help represent the interests of 74 small and rural...

29Aug

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait

The March of Dimes says early, elective induction of labor significantly increases the chance of complications at birth, and it wants babies to get at least 39 weeks of pregnancy….So do the doctors and nurses at Upson Regional Medical Center. The last few weeks of pregnancy are really important i...

24Aug

It's a GUY Thing: FREE Men's Health Screening Sept. 11

As part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Upson Regional Medical Center and Board Certified physicians on its Medical Staff will offer a potentially life-saving screening for men, at no cost. The hospital will provide free prostate and colorectal screenings Tuesday, Sept. 11, from 5:30 p.m. to ...

17Aug

Dr. Boyce Offers Saturday Sports Injury Clinics

Injured on a Friday night? Dr. Brandon Boyce will take care of you bright and early on Saturday. Beginning Saturday, August 18th, Dr. Boyce will offer a Sports Injury Clinic, catered to student athletes and others with non-emergency injuries. The Sports Injury Clinic will run from 8:30. -11a.m. ...

01Aug

Upson Welcomes New Orthopedic Surgeon

Upson Regional Medical Center has announced the addition of a new orthopedic surgeon to its medical staff. A native Georgian, Dr. Brandon Boyce will have offices in Thomaston and Barnesville and will begin seeing patients August 15. “A community and service area our size will definitely benefit f...

10Jul

Get Relief from Chronic Pain

If you are among the 50 million Americans living with chronic pain, a full and active life may seem like an impossible dream. But don’t give up. If the pain treatment you have tried doesn’t provide relief, Upson’s pain clinic may help. A typical pain clinic patient has limited mobility due to nec...

18Jun

Patients Benefit from PR

Just a year ago, Larry Ferguson was getting short of breath while doing the simplest of daily activities. Then, his doctor prescribed a little PR. Ferguson said PR changed his life. “I have lost 90 lbs., and no longer take a lot of the medications I used to have to take every day,” he said. “I...

12Apr

Upson Welcomes Cassie Davis, NP

Upson Family Physicians in Thomaston has added Cassie Davis as a family nurse practitioner. Davis, 34, earned her masters degree as a family nurse practitioner in December from Kennesaw State University and passed her boards in January. She was immediately hired out of school by Upson Regional Me...

01Feb

Your Heart's in the Right Place at Upson

February has long been associated with matters of the heart – love, cupid, chocolate, even heart health. February is Heart Health Month, a month dedicated to improving the cardiovascular health of men and women. Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, are our nation’s No. 1 killer. Although t...

23Jan

Million Dollar Milestone

The Upson Regional Medical Center Auxiliary surpassed milestone in 2011 when the group’s donations to the hospital tipped over the million dollar mark. In recognition of the major milestone, Board Chair Norman Morris presented the group with a Proclamation of Auxiliary Appreciation Week. “These d...

16Jan

Local Physician Chosen for National Award

TeamHealth, one of the nation’s largest healthcare professional staffing services for hospitals, honored Bert Wall, M.D. with its 2011 Medical Director of the Year award for Hospital Medicine. Selected by TeamHealth’s Medical Advisory Board, Dr. Wall was chosen for excellence in physician leaders...

05Jan

Upson Awarded for Patient Safety

Upson Regional Medical Center kicks off the New Year with two statewide awards for excellence in patient safety. Upson is recognized with first place in the 2011 Georgia’s Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Quality and Patient Safety Awards for Maintaining Zero Hospital-Associated In...

28Nov

Upson Protects Patients from the Flu

By the end of most flu seasons only about 50 percent of Upson’s employees, volunteers and medical staff have gotten a flu shot. But this year — even before the first local influenza case had been confirmed — 95 percent of the hospital’s work force has been inoculated. “It has taken a lot of educ...

01Nov

Upson Honored with National Award

Not only was Upson one of 25 hospitals selected to present at the national What’s Right in Healthcare Conference in Chicago, IL, Upson was recognized for outstanding performance in patient satisfaction. Upson was selected for the “Excellence in Patient Care" top HCAHPS award in the category ...

01Oct

Upson EMS Offers Free Community CPR Class

Upson EMS will offer free CPR instruction to the community on Saturday, Oct. 8. Trainers will offer a class on Adult CPR, Child CPR, and AED Training at three different times — 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. Each class will last two hours. Space is limited to 15 students per class, and registration...

01Sep

It's a GUY Thing: FREE Men's Health Screening

As part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Upson Regional Medical Center and Board Certified physicians on its Medical Staff will offer a potentially life-saving screening for men, at no cost. The hospital will provide free prostate and colorectal screenings Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 5:30 p.m. to ...