[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 169 (Thursday, October 11, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JOEL WERNICK

 Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, it is an honor to rise on behalf 
of Senator David Perdue and myself to offer our congratulations on a 
job well done to Joel Wernick, a fine Georgian and the longtime 
president and chief executive officer of Phoebe Putney Health System in 
Albany, GA.
  Under Joel's tireless leadership for the last 30 years, Phoebe Putney 
Health System has become a major regional healthcare provider. The 
Phoebe Putney Health System now includes Phoebe Sumter Medical Center, 
Phoebe Worth Medical Center, more than 15 primary and urgent care 
clinics, and nearly 30 specialty care clinics in counties throughout 
southwest Georgia.
  As the health system has grown under Joel's guidance, it has become a 
major contributor to the entire region's economy. Today more than 4,500 
people work under the Phoebe Putney umbrella, where they strive to 
improve the lives of Georgians from middle Georgia all the way south to 
the Georgia-Florida line.
  Joel Wernick had the vision to grow Phoebe Putney's suite of services 
and provide comprehensive healthcare including world-class oncology, 
cardiovascular, and neonatal intensive care unit services in the 
southwest Georgia region. This increase in quality specialty services 
greatly benefits area residents who no longer have to travel extensive 
distances to receive care.
  I also thank the board of directors and staff who have shared and 
supported this great leader's dedication to the people of Albany and 
the surrounding communities.
  During Joel's tenure, Phoebe Putney has received State and national 
recognition, including the American Hospital Association's NOVA Award 
for teen pregnancy prevention and the prestigious Foster G. McGaw Prize 
for excellence in healthcare. Joel was a pioneer in making ``upstream 
contributions'' in community health programs over the years to reduce 
the cost and occurrence of disease and poor health before they reached 
the hospital setting.
  In starting the Phoebe Family Medicine Residency Program, Joel has 
also appreciated the importance of healthcare for the family unit and 
the importance of training medical professionals in southwest Georgia 
and incentivizing them to remain there. Phoebe Putney's teaching 
hospital has graduated more than 120 residents, and Joel's investment 
in Flaggstone, the housing that supports those residents and pharmacy 
students, has successfully kept doctors practicing in southwest Georgia 
rather than departing for larger cities.
  Joel has helped keep the ``golden rule'' culture and the charm of 
south Georgia as guiding principles during his tenure at Phoebe Putney, 
and for that, many have benefited and are grateful.
  As Georgia's Senators, we are thankful for Joel's service and wish 
him well as he enters the next chapter of his life. May God bless him 
in his future pursuits.

                          ____________________