SGMC Health Wins Two Statewide Patient Safety Awards from the Georgia Hospital Association
Friday, January 23rd, 2026
The Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) has awarded SGMC Health two of its prestigious Patient Safety and Quality Awards, recognizing the system’s innovative work to improve patient safety, satisfaction, and clinical outcomes.
SGMC Health earned third place in the Hospitals With Greater Than 300 Beds category for the project, “Transforming Environmental Services for Better Patient Satisfaction and Safety.” Led by Myron Linder, Director of Environmental Services, the initiative focused on reimagining environmental services processes, enhancing staff engagement, and improving workflow efficiencies. As a result, the project achieved a reduction in room turnover times by nearly an hour while maintaining the same high level of cleanliness, allowing patients to transition into rooms faster without compromising safety or quality.
Hilary Gibbs, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at SGMC Health, praised the team’s dedication. “Our Environmental Services team embraced the challenge of transforming a critical support function into an opportunity for higher patient satisfaction and safer care,” Gibbs said. “This recognition reflects their commitment to excellence and their role in shaping a better experience for every person who comes through our doors.”
The health system also earned second place in the Josh Nahum Award for Infection Prevention and Control for the project, “Improving Patient Safety: Impact of Staff Re-Education and Epic Order Set Optimization on C. difficile Infection Rates.” Led by Hala Sharma, MD, PGY‑3 Internal Medicine resident, this initiative strengthened infection prevention efforts through targeted staff re‑education and enhancements to Epic order sets. These improvements streamlined care processes and helped reduce the risk of preventable infections across multiple inpatient units.
These annual GHA awards honor healthcare organizations across the state for their achievements in reducing the risk of medical errors and improving patient safety and medical outcomes.
“Higher patient satisfaction results in better clinical outcomes and improved patient safety,” said Caylee Noggle, President and CEO of the Georgia Hospital Association. “We are pleased to honor and thank SGMC Health for their work in these areas.”
Pankaj Agrawal, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at SGMC Health, celebrated the recognition and the teams behind the work. “Our caregivers and operational leaders are relentless in their pursuit of excellence,” Dr. Agrawal said. “These awards reflect SGMC Health’s steadfast commitment to patient safety and continuous improvement. We are exceptionally proud of the teams who brought these projects to life and strengthened the care we provide every day.”
SGMC Health remains committed to elevating patient experience, advancing quality, and implementing evidence‑based practices that make care safer for every patient served.
To learn more, visit sgmc.org.
