South Georgia Medical Center celebrated the re-opening of its Golden Galleria boutique with a ribbon cutting on Monday, June 13. The transformation came after the approval of the Volunteer Auxiliary in August of 2015 to donate $20,000 to update the gift shop’s appearance.
 
Originally serving as a small mobile “hostess cabinet” in 1977, the service quickly grew into a gift shop offering a variety of items for patients, visitors and hospital employees. With the growth and popularity of the shop, the existing shop was opened in July 1984 with a $20,000 loan from the Auxiliary general fund. It was named “The Golden Galleria” in honor of Lil Golden, a past president of the Auxiliary and a dedicated community member. The gift shop is still staffed by the Auxiliary and all profits go to support SGMC services.
 
Golden Galleria Manager Paula Martinez partnered with local designer Doug Carter to conceptualize and bring to life the new essence of the shop which has a fresh look and features unique merchandise.
 
“With over 30 years of service to the community we felt passionate about the need for a transformation,” said Jessica McKinney, Director of Patient Relations/Volunteer Services. “We wanted to captivate our customers and put our mark on the community as a competing boutique, not just another hospital gift shop. Opening our doors today was like magic, truly a storybook come to life.”
 
The Golden Galleria is located in the main entrance of South Georgia Medical Center and can be reached at 229.259.4880.