During October, Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) is celebrating 20 years of employees giving back through the NGHS Foundation’s employee giving club, We Are Targeting Community Health (WATCH).
For 20 years, employees have generously donated more than $11 million to help improve the quality of patient care, the lives of fellow employees and the health of the community through their gifts to WATCH.
Key projects supported by WATCH:
- WATCH Walkway at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Braselton – a ¾ mile walking trail enjoyed by members of the community and staff on breaks
- The new NGHS Mobile Simulation Unit – a mobile simulation vehicle used throughout the region to train healthcare professionals using new equipment and procedures
- Change Grants – a program in which employees can propose new projects or processes to enhance patient experience, improve employee morale or impact patient-family satisfaction. Past Change Grants have funded:
- NGMC Barrow’s employee library
- NGMC Gainesville’s “Donate Life” flags and flagpoles
NGHS employee donors also make the following possible:
- Employee scholarships and career training
- Emergency assistance program for employees enduring personal hardships
- Population health initiatives throughout Northeast Georgia, including efforts to impact mental and behavioral health, access to care and more
- COVID-19 relief efforts
“Through WATCH, 100% of senior leadership and more than half of NGHS staff are committed to enhancing the compassionate care that we provide,” said Melissa Tymchuk, chief of staff to the president and CEO for NGHS. “By giving back to NGHS, WATCH employee donors are investing in our core values and ensuring we will be better tomorrow than we are today.”