News & Media

George E. Weems Memorial Hospital’s CEO David Walker has been named Florida’s Top 2020 Rural Health Leader from the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH). According to the association, the 2020 Rural Health Community Star Recognition is a reflection on Walker’s and Weem’s commitment to providing quality healthcare in a rural setting – particularly during the nationwide COVID health crisis.

“You couldn’t have asked for better qualifications in a CEO during a pandemic.” said Bree Watzak, Director of Technical Assistance at the Center for Optimizing Rural Health. Watzak was one of two healthcare professionals that nominated Walker for the honor. Abbie Parmenter, with the Florida Department of Health, was the second professional to nominate Walker.

 In the nomination, Watzak noted that Walker has handled Franklin County’s local rural healthcare needs during the COVID crisis admirably by purchasing a one-hour COVID-19 testing machine for Franklin County’s hospital and stepped into high gear to communicate resources and plans to the community, make testing available for health and school district employees.  

Walker’s award announcement coincides with the 2020 National Rural Health Day (NRHD) – November 19, 2020 – an annual day of celebration that shines a light on those serving the vital health needs of an estimated 57 million people living in rural America.  On the third Thursday of November every year, the NOSORH leads National Rural Health Day.  Walker and Weems Memorial will appear in the 2020 edition of the book of Community Stars, published on the official NHRD website, powerofrural.org.

Reflecting on the honor, Walker said it’s all about listening and relationships. “You find the need through listening and you fill the need through cooperation. It’s all about building relationships, collaboration, partnerships and thinking out of the box,”  Walker said. “We are more diverse than most might think, but the power is in our unity.”

You can read Walker’s Community Star profile online at https://www.powerofrural.org/

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. If it’s not controlled, diabetes can cause blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, and other health problems.
    One in 12 Americans has diabetes – that’s more than 25 million people. And another 79 million adults in the United States are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
    The good news? People who are at high risk for type 2 diabetes can lower their risk by more than half if they make healthy changes. These changes include: eating healthy, increasing physical activity, and losing weight.
    Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. One in 12 Americans has diabetes – that’s more than 25 million people. And another 79 million adults in the United States are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
    If you are overweight, have high blood pressure, or are age 45 or older, you are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The good news is that making healthy changes can greatly lower your risk. 
Make an appointment at either the Weems Medical Center in Apalachicola or Carrabelle to learn your risk assessment for diabetes.

In an effort to serve the mental health needs of military veterans living in the area, Weems Memorial Hospital is joining with the Veterans Administration (VA) and Florida State University to integrate measurement-based care (MBC) into patient care.

MBC is the routine administration of symptom rating scales and use of the results to drive clinical decision making at the level of the individual patient.

The process involves taking a questionnaire every time you see your provider. The results may help you and your provider see how you are doing currently and over time progress.

Health officials say MBC helps you to see how you are doing over time and advocate for yourself. MBC can also help you start to talk with your provider about what’s working in your care and what’s not.

“This practice may improve both face-to-face and telemental health encounters and will help optimize resources and connection to outside services for our veterans,” said, David Walker, Weems CEO.

“We are hopeful that this initial partnership with VA and FSU can lead to additional opportunities to expand care for veterans seen in our clinics including other services in addition to mental and behavioral health.”

To learn more about veteran measurement-based-care, please contact Susie Buskirk at Weems Medical Clinic (850) 653-1525.

Franklin County Commissioners voted Thursday to enter into negotiations with Alliant and Tallahassee Memorial Hospital to manage Weems Memorial Hospital.

The move was recommended by the Weems Hospital Board of Directors.

Doug Creamer, chairman of the board of directors, said they recommended Alliant because it allows the county to keep the current hospital and medical clinics and also allows the hospital to continue to manage the local ambulance service.

The other option was Ascension Sacred Heart, but the board did not like their proposal which would have required the county to convert the hospital into a free-standing Emergency Room with patients going to the Sacred Heart hospital in Port St. Joe.

The Ascension proposal would have also required the county to hire a management company for the ambulance service.

Creamer said the board put a lot of hours into their recommendation and realize that neither choice would make everyone happy.

County commissioners were unanimous in their desire to keep the hospital in operation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when every hospital bed is needed.

At this point the county is only opening negotiations with Alliant/TMH so they do not what the costs will be.

The board named County coordinator Michael Moron and Weems CEO David Walker to head up the negotiations.