Phoebe Continues to Expand Trauma Team One Year after Earning Trauma Center Designation

Albany, GA | March 7, 2025 –One year after Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital (PPMH) earned Level II Trauma Center designation from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), state surveyors returned to review Phoebe’s growing trauma program and praised the team’s commitment to providing quality trauma care in a part of the state where advanced and comprehensive trauma services previously did not exist.

“DPH recently conducted a ‘focused review’ of our trauma program to check on the progress we have made over the last year.  They were pleased with what they found, and they confirmed our Level II Trauma Center designation for another two years.  I am extremely proud of our team, and the important work they do every day to save lives in southwest Georgia,” said Leon Dent, MD, Phoebe Medical Director for Trauma Services.

In the year since Phoebe became just the second Level II Trauma Center in Georgia south of Atlanta, the number of trauma patients treated at PPMH has increased significantly.  In 2022, Phoebe’s main emergency center handled 442 trauma cases.  In 2024, that number spiked to 832, an 88% increase.  And the number of trauma patients flown in by helicopter jumped 15-fold from the previous year.

“We’ve always treated trauma cases, but in the past those medical helicopters transporting seriously injured trauma patients would bypass Phoebe and go to designated trauma centers.  Now, those patients are coming to us.  That means they get the care they need quicker, and that leads to better outcomes,” Dr. Dent said.  “The ‘golden hour’ is crucial for trauma patients.  They need to be in a trauma center within the first hour of an injury, and we’re making that happen for more patients now.”

Phoebe continues to expand its expert trauma team to meet the growing demand.  Since Phoebe earned trauma center designation, it has added several trauma surgeons.

Dr. Rebecca Chavez graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, completed her residency at Morehouse School of Medicine and a critical care fellowship at Westchester Medical Center in New York.

Dr. David Kashmer currently serves as Professor of Surgery and Chair of Surgery for the Illinois College of Medicine at The Chicago School.  He is board-certified in general surgery and surgical critical care, and he completed fellowship training in trauma & surgical critical care, as well as abdominal transplantation.

Dr. Patrick McGann earned his medical degree from Emory University and completed his trauma fellowship at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.  For most of the last 15 years, he has worked as a trauma surgeon at other trauma centers in Georgia.

“We’ve been fortunate to recruit a lot of very talented and dedicated trauma team members, including some excellent surgeons.  We certainly hope you don’t ever need us, but you can be assured you will get outstanding care from our trauma team if you do need us,” Dr. Dent said.

Phoebe is also seeking national verification as a Level II Trauma Center from the American College of Surgeons (ACS).  The ACS Verification Review Committee is expected to complete an intensive review of Phoebe’s trauma program next year.

“Earning ACS verification is an arduous process but one we are committed to completing.  We continue to invest significant resources into our trauma program because it is the right thing to do for the people of southwest Georgia and because we know it is saving lives,” said Deb Angerami, PPMH President.

Phoebe’s new Emergency & Trauma Center opened on its main campus in January and will double in size when reconstruction of the old Emergency Center is finished later this year.