Erica Davis, Barbara Houston, and Marie Ribordy
ST. MARYS, Georgia: January 28, 2022 – Some people who impact the community’s health remain behind the scenes rather than provide direct patient care. The Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus Medical Records department is comprised of just three people, and each team member is vital to managing health information for every patient seen at the St. Marys hospital. Patients may not know their names or faces, but fellow co-workers know them as the “A Team.”
Barbara Houston, vital statistics clerk, and Health Information Management (HIM) technicians, Erica Davis and Marie Ribordy, provide crucial services to ensure the continuity of their patients’ medical care. Their jobs involve filing birth certificates, releasing medical records to patients and doctors and helping patients understand their records. They also help patients sign up for and use the Health System’s patient portal, an online platform that gives patients access to their health records, test results, doctors’ appointments and other pertinent information.
Their responsibilities are considerable and the demands ongoing, but these women embrace the challenge. Combined, they have more than 20 years of experience.
Shannon Webb, director, Medical Records, nicknamed the Camden Campus Medical Records department the “A Team” for their ability to work together to get the job done.
“The Health System as a whole has faced immeasurable challenges during the pandemic, but the Medical Records department expanded their responsibilities with grace, dedication and diligence to meet the demands of their positions,” says Webb. “I am so proud of their efforts, especially during these difficult times.”
While other industries had the luxury of working remotely, the Medical Records office remained open during the pandemic so patients and health professionals could access important information. In 2021, the team processed thousands of requests for copies of COVID-19 test results. To help accommodate the flood of requests, they expanded invitations to the patient portal so patients could access those results online. They also worked nearly nonstop to send patient records to various screening locations.
As vaccinations rolled out, demands for proof of vaccination status increased as well (to protect privacy, the team only releases this information to patients). The team also answered countless phone calls from people concerned about their loved ones hospitalized with the virus. Despite the demands and difficulties posed by the pandemic, Houston, Davis and Ribordy are grateful for their part in keeping Camden County healthy.
“Working in Medical Records isn’t just a job to me; it’s a way to give back to the community,” Davis says.
Houston agrees, adding: “It’s an honor to be able to serve my friends, family and neighbors.”
(l-r) Erica Davis, Health Information Management (HIM) Technician, Barbara Houston, Vital Statistics Clerk, and Marie Ribordy, Health Information Management (HIM) Technician, Medical Records
About Southeast Georgia Health System
Southeast Georgia Health System is a not-for-profit health system comprised of two acute care hospitals, two long term care facilities, two comprehensive Cancer Care Centers and multiple specialty care centers, including orthopedic and spine care, joint replacement, breast care, maternity, outpatient rehabilitation, sleep management and wound care. The Brunswick Campus Cancer Care Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and offers the only CyberKnife® M6 with MLC technology in Georgia. Additionally, the Southeast Georgia Physician Associates medical group includes more than 140 providers working in 20 different medical specialties at more than 50 locations. The Health System is part of Coastal Community Health, a regional affiliation between Baptist Health and Southeast Georgia Health System forming a highly integrated hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. For more information, visit sghs.org.
