--- title: SR 196. Phoebe Putney Health System; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr196 cite_as: SR 196, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr196 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr196.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr196/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70377 date: 2025-02-18 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr195.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr197.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr196.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 196 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-18 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Freddie Sims text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR196/2025 upstream_id: 1973021 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Phoebe Putney Health System - southwest Georgia healthcare - legislative commendation - nursing workforce training --- # SR 196. Phoebe Putney Health System; commend ## Text Senate Resolution 196 By: Senator Sims of the 12th A RESOLUTION Commending Phoebe Putney Health System; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Phoebe Putney Health System is the largest employer in southwest Georgia as well as a leading provider of comprehensive medical care, ensuring that residents have access to advanced healthcare close to home; and WHEREAS, on January 15, 2025, Phoebe Putney Health System opened its new $150 million Trauma & Critical Care Tower, featuring a vastly expanded Emergency & Trauma Center—the second-only Level II Trauma Center in Georgia south of Atlanta—as well as a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that is more than four times the size of the previous facility and a new Surgical Intensive Care Unit with 20 additional critical care beds; and WHEREAS, Phoebe Putney Health System is a leader in healthcare workforce development, as exemplified by the Phoebe Living & Learning Community, an innovative partnership with Albany Technical College that provides housing and training for students, helping to quadruple the college's number of nursing graduates; and WHEREAS, the Phoebe Health Science Pathway allows high school students at Commodore Conyers College & Career Academy to earn nursing assistant certification and dual enrollment credits, creating a direct pipeline into nursing programs at Albany State University and Albany Technical College; and WHEREAS, Phoebe Putney Health System supports medical education by housing regional campuses of the Medical College of Georgia and the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, and it has graduated nearly 170 physicians through its Family Medicine Residency Program; and WHEREAS, Phoebe Putney Health System demonstrates strong corporate citizenship through neighborhood revitalization efforts, support for community organizations, and investments in rural healthcare, including financial aid to Jeff Davis Hospital, Appling Healthcare, and Clinch Memorial Hospital following Hurricane Helene; and WHEREAS, Phoebe Putney Health System continues to play a vital role in the economic and healthcare development of southwest Georgia, strengthening communities through its dedication to innovation, excellence, and service. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body commend Phoebe Putney Health System for its outstanding contributions to healthcare, workforce development, and community service in southwest Georgia as well as extend best wishes for its continued success. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Phoebe Putney Health System. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Senate resolution commends Phoebe Putney Health System for its healthcare services, workforce training programs, and community support in southwest Georgia. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It praises Phoebe Putney Health System, based in southwest Georgia, for opening a new $150 million Trauma & Critical Care Tower in January 2025 that includes an expanded emergency and trauma center, a larger neonatal intensive care unit, and additional surgical intensive care beds. The resolution also highlights the health system's role in training healthcare workers, including a housing and training partnership with Albany Technical College, a nursing pathway program for high school students, and hosting medical school and pharmacy college campuses. It notes the system's disaster relief donations to rural hospitals after Hurricane Helene. The resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy to Phoebe Putney Health System as a formal commendation. ### What it does - Formally commends Phoebe Putney Health System for its healthcare services, workforce development, and community contributions in southwest Georgia. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Phoebe Putney Health System. - Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute or appropriate any state funding. ### Who it affects Phoebe Putney Health System and its staff are the direct subject of this honor. Residents of southwest Georgia, Albany Technical College nursing students, high school students in the Phoebe Health Science Pathway, and rural hospitals that received disaster aid are also mentioned in the resolution's praise. ### Why it matters This resolution carries symbolic weight rather than legal effect. It publicly recognizes a major regional hospital system's investments in trauma care, workforce training, and rural hospital support, but it does not change any law, funding, or regulation affecting healthcare in Georgia. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount Phoebe Putney's role as southwest Georgia's largest employer and its new $150 million Trauma & Critical Care Tower opened January 15, 2025. - The resolved clause formally commends Phoebe Putney Health System for its healthcare, workforce, and community contributions. - The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy of the resolution to Phoebe Putney Health System. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-18) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-18) - Sponsors: Freddie Sims - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70377 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr196.md?full=1