Dr. Tamara Johnson.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Colquitt Regional Medical Center recently announced the expansion of the hospitalist program that oversees inpatient health needs. Five new physicians joined the program during the summer of 2017 specializing in the treatment of patients during their hospital stay.

The program launched at Colquitt Regional in 2012 with four physicians and has grown to 10. Colquitt Regional has partnered with surrounding hospitals in the past to meet the demand for inpatient care. With the addition of the new hospitalists, Colquitt Regional is now able to provide full-time hospitalist coverage with physicians who are living in Colquitt County and employed by the hospital.

“We have been working toward building a self-sustaining hospitalist program since we launched in 2012,” said Colquitt Regional CEO Jim Matney. “I am proud of the team of physicians we have recruited and look forward to the contributions they will make in providing exceptional healthcare to our patients.”

Joining the medical staff at Colquitt Regional were:

• Dr. Richard Pearson Jr. is a licensed ACOI board eligible internal medicine physician. Pearson attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Suwannee, Ga., and completed his internal medicine residency at Tahlequah Medical Group in Tahlequah, Okla. Prior to pursuing his medical degree, Pearson attended the University of Alabama School of Law where he received a Juris Doctorate degree.

• Dr. John Bump attended Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science. After graduation he received his medical degree from Lincoln Memorial University then completed an internal medicine residency at Northeastern Health Systems in Tahlequah, Okla. Bump is board eligible in internal medicine.

• Dr. Joseph Beavers attended medical school at the Ross University School of Medicine and completed a family medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Waycross, Ga. Upon completion of his residency, Beavers pursued a family medicine internship at the Medical College of Georgia followed by a general surgery residency at UF Health Jacksonville. Beavers is board certified in family medicine.  

• Dr. Tamara Johnson received her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. After graduating she completed an internal medicine residency. In addition to providing hospitalist care, Johnson is also an infectious disease physician. She attended an infectious disease fellowship at New York Medical College before beginning at Colquitt Regional. Johnson is board eligible in infectious diseases.

• Dr. Erick Myrtil received a BS Degree in Food Science from the University of Florida followed by a MBA in Healthcare Management from Davenport University. He then graduated with a medical degree from the University of Saint Eustatius School of Medicine in Netherland Antilles, West Indies. After medical school, Myrtil completed a family medicine residency and an internal medicine internship. Myrtil is board certified in family medicine.

“This is another positive step for our hospital,” said Colquitt Regional Board of Trustees Chairman Richard Bass. “We are continuing to maintain exemplary quality scores and that certainly helps our physician recruitment efforts.

Colquitt Regional has received its sixth consecutive “A” Hospital Safety Score from the Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety advocacy organization this past spring. After completing a Radiology Department renovation last year, a new Oncology Department is under construction with an expected completion date of of 2018.