PPMH Honors Volunteers and Employees for Donations

Albany, GA | February 26, 2026 – Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital (PPMH) and the Phoebe Foundation are recognizing dedicated volunteers and employees who financially support the Foundation. Each group now has a significant area in the hospital’s new Emergency Center named in their honor. On Feb. 18, Phoebe opened Phase 2 of its expanded Emergency & Trauma Center, which enhances patient experience by providing more treatment rooms, a larger waiting area, and a secure Behavioral Health Emergency Center (BHEC). Volunteers and the Employee Giving Society each have a dedicated committee that determines which component of a large-scale project they would like to name. Because each group designated $1 million toward this project, they were able to select from an extensive list of naming opportunities.

Throughout Phoebe’s history, volunteers have played a vital role in the hospital’s service to the community. In honor of their decades of service, as well as contributions of proceeds from the hospital’s gift shop, the new Emergency & Trauma Center Waiting Area is named in recognition of Phoebe volunteers.

Ashley Campbell, a volunteer since 2019 in Phoebe’s NICU where she feeds infants and stocks supplies for nurses, exemplifies the service ethic of Phoebe volunteers.

“I feel like in a community where people don’t always feel supported, it’s nice to have a place where you feel confident bringing your family and getting your needs taken care of. We want to make sure that we take care of our community,” Campbell said.

Since it was founded in 1933, the Charity League of Albany has supported Phoebe by providing volunteers across various departments. Volunteers also serve in the Phoebe Gift Shop, which donates all proceeds to the Phoebe Foundation. Annual Gift Shop contributions now exceed $250,000 per year, and those funds currently support the Trauma & Critical Care Tower capital campaign.

Over the past year, Carla Darden has led the Charity League as president and says the dedication of the new waiting room is a meaningful reflection of the group’s long-standing commitment.

“This recognition is especially meaningful because our volunteers generously give their time, energy, and hearts. Seeing their efforts honored in such a tangible way is truly inspiring. It reflects how we come together to support others and strengthen our community. At its core, it’s all about giving,” said Darden.

In addition to the large and welcoming lobby, Phase 2 of the project features six private triage rooms, fourteen additional private vertical treatment bays, and nine additional private patient care rooms. The space also includes a conference room as well as a spacious employee breakroom and locker room that further enhance staff workflow and comfort. The Emergency & Trauma Center now spans 53,000 square feet, nearly triple the size of the former 19,000-square-foot emergency department.

A significant feature of the expansion is the new six-bed Behavioral Health Emergency Center, a secure and calming space designed specifically for crisis stabilization and immediate mental health care needs. The BHEC is named in honor of Phoebe’s employee giving society, now known as the 1911 Society.

Phoebe’s employee giving program allows employees to contribute a portion of every paycheck to support the Phoebe Foundation. Employee participation currently stands at 54%, which is well above national averages for hospital employee giving programs. Funds from employee giving are directed to the hospital’s highest and greatest need, and, right now, those dollars are supporting the Trauma & Critical Care Tower. This is why employees, through their generous participation, chose to name the BHEC.

“The Behavioral Health Emergency Center is named in honor of members of the Phoebe family who generously support our foundation through our employee giving program. We recently renamed this initiative the 1911 Society to recognize the year Phoebe was founded. From that very beginning, our employees have remained deeply committed to caring for those who might otherwise go without treatment or support. We felt this space was a fitting tribute to their compassion, dedication, and lasting impact,” said Parker Douglas, Phoebe Foundation Director.

The dedication of these areas recognizing Phoebe’s volunteers and Employee Giving Society acknowledges their immeasurable impact on patients, families, and staff. They will stand as lasting symbols of gratitude for the countless hours of compassion volunteers and employees have poured into the community and the hospital they continue to uplift.