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HEALTH & HOSPITAL NEWS

MACON NATIVE STARR H. PURDUE
HONORED FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

Navicent Health Board of Directors Chair PHYSICIAN LEADS
Starr H. Purdue received one of the Georgia RESEARCH STUDY IN
Hospital Association’s highest honors, the ZAMBIA
Distinguished Service Award. Purdue has
also been honored with NonProfit Pro’s Paul Seale, MD, with Family Health
2018 Board Member of the Year award. Center, Navicent Health, is leading
Both awards recognized Purdue for her a research project in Zambia called
service and dedication to the health and “Global Resilience Oral Workshops
well-being of Macon-area residents and (GROW) Zambia: A Storytelling Approach
those in surrounding communities. to Hope and Resilience through
Character Training and Spiritual
Purdue has served on the Navicent Practices.” Led by 30 Zambia nationals
Health Board of Directors since 2001 trained as GROW leaders, the project
and has served as its Chair since 2009. During her tenure as Chair, she has been seeks to determine if the teaching of
instrumental in leading Navicent Health’s growth and prominence throughout the character values and spiritual practices
central and south Georgia regions. Purdue’s focus on relationships with community can enhance hope, a sense of meaning
partners has fostered a collaboration between Navicent Health and hospitals in and resiliency, and reduce or delay the
surrounding counties. These beneficial partnerships have helped expand access to use of alcohol and other drugs among
care beyond the Macon area and the walls of Navicent Health so that patients in 600 youth ages 10 to 12.
these areas can remain close to home for high quality care.
Under Purdue’s leadership, Navicent Health developed several programs to Though the project is being
address health disparities in the community and social determinants that may implemented in Africa, Dr. Seale believes
otherwise impede the ability to access care. the results of the project could impact
the local community. If the project is
VENTURE ADDRESSES NATIONWIDE successful, GROW Zambia will provide a
NURSING SHORTAGE culturally adaptable training model for
character and resilience training as well
Navicent Health and Fitzroy Health have formally announced their joint venture, as alcohol and drug prevention usable in
Flex Health, a workforce management company that focuses on reducing cost, other cultures worldwide.
increasing staff retention and improving quality of care by leveraging technology to
more efficiently manage flexible labor pools. “Navicent Health is firmly committed
to eliminating healthcare disparities and
“Our nation is currently experiencing a nursing shortage unlike anything we have improving health and well-being. We are
seen in the past. As our population continues to age, more nurses will be required to so pleased that physicians like Dr. Seale
provide skilled care. During these shortages, a hospital’s flexible workforce becomes are leading research projects that directly
a crucial component in delivering the highest standard of care to our patients,” says benefit students across the world and
Dr. Ninfa M. Saunders, President and CEO of Navicent Health. also have implications for those we
serve here at home,” says Dr. Ninfa M.
Flex Health offers hospitals management of and access to flexible nursing labor Saunders, FACHE, President and CEO of
at a lower cost and without sacrificing continuity of care. The platform achieves Navicent Health.
this by linking flex pool nurses
across geographies and connecting WINTER 2018 | navicenthealth.org 15
hospitals with flex pool labor able to
fill their requirements. Flex Health’s
proprietary float pool and contract
labor management solution has been
launched initially in five hospitals
in Georgia and will expand to more
facilities in the coming months.