VALDOSTA — The Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County unexpectedly met behind closed doors Wednesday evening to address concerns handed down by The Joint Commission earlier in the day. 

The Joint Commission accredits and certifies about 21,000 hospitals and health-care organizations across the U.S. 

Joint Commission accreditation and certification is considered to be a basic standard for hospitals. 

The Hospital Authority called The Valdosta Daily Times to provide notice of the meeting just 30 minutes before it convened. The authority almost immediately went into executive session behind closed doors, to discuss the Joint Commission survey.  

Authority Chairman Sam Allen said hospital officials received the documents from the Joint Commission some time during the day Wednesday and only has 30-45 days to address the concerns outlined in the survey. 

According to a prepared statement issued following the closed door meeting, the board said it is taking immediate actions to address the items identified in the survey and will implement work plans to ensure there are no disruptions to services and facilities at South Georgia Medical Center.

However, the statement failed to identify the areas of concern. 

A work plan has already been initiated, the prepared statement indicated. 

In the statement, the authority said it is dedicated to what it called the highest standards of patient safety, pledging to continue to evaluate the best practice protocols and implement the highest quality equipment and procedures. 

Allen said he is confident SGMC will beat the deadline. 

“South Georgia Medical Center is a critical component of this community, and the board is dedicated to implementing the best standards to serve its neighbors,” the statement read. 

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256