Colquitt County Medical Society (CCMS) recently presented its inaugural awards to five local medical professionals. It was a night of firsts, as the CCMS conferred the awards during the first medical staff meeting held in Colquitt Regional Medical Center’s new Ameris Bank Medical Education Building on the evening of Nov. 14.
Dr. Michael Brown, Medical Alliance of Georgia (MAG) executive committee member and Colquitt Regional Chief Medical Officer, began by thanking Dr. Gary Lodge and Dr. Billy Ray Price for their years of service to MAG and their leadership in revitalizing CCMS.
Brown then presented Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) student Destiny Sciuva with the Medical Student of the Year award. He then explained why CCMS selected Sciuva as their first honoree.
“Hard-working and charismatic, Destiny has been strongly invested in the medical student voice,” said Brown. “She understands that medical student involvement today ensures the next generation of physicians will have representation and help guide our state’s senators and representatives with laws impacting patient care.”
While serving as president of her medical class in 2022, Sciuva created a local MAG medical student chapter at PCOM. This year, she was installed as MAG’s Medical Student Chair. As Chair, Sciuva represents medical students across the state and serves as a voting member of MAG’s Board of Directors.
Dr. Woodwin Weeks honored Colquitt Regional Medical Center’s Medical Staff Coordinator Ellen Sutton with her namesake Distinguished Service Award. The Ellen Sutton Distinguished Service Award recognizes a dedicated and supportive non-physician in Colquitt County.
Sutton began work at Colquitt Regional in 1984. In her nearly four decades of service, she has served the hospital in numerous critical support roles, including customer service, data processing, accounting, payroll, and credentialing. She is active in the Georgia Association of Medical Staff Services, serving in several capacities including president in 2018-19.
She also holds the credentials of Certified Professional Medical Services Management and Certified Provider Credentialing Specialist. Unofficially, but significantly, Sutton serves as the hospital’s “Chief Happiness Officer,” thanks to her tireless positivity and kindness.
Dr. Catherine Brown presented the inaugural Ellen Sutton Distinguished Service Award to Colquitt Regional’s Vice President of Medical Education Jessica Rivenbark. In addition to her position as vice president, Rivenbark serves as Executive Director of the South Georgia Medical Education and Research Consortium.
In her dual roles, she was integral in the accreditation, organization, and groundwork necessary to establish the hospital’s family medicine and psychiatry residency programs. Under her leadership, the Georgia South residency program has graduated 36 residents with a 100 percent board pass rate for family medicine since 2016, and 75 percent of its alumni are still practicing medicine in Southwest Georgia.
“She is not the kind of woman who seeks out praise, and rarely is she credited for all of her hard work,” said Brown. “Jessica is the cornerstone to education in Southwest Georgia and an invaluable resource for our community and hospital.”
Dr. Gary Swartzentruber honored Dr. D.W. Adcock with his namesake Physician Distinguished Service Award. CCMS established the D.W. Adcock Physician Distinguished Service Award to honor a Colquitt County physician whose devoted service to the community rises above mere medicine.
Adcock served Colquitt County as an orthopedic surgeon for 24 years, beginning in 1974. In addition to his duties as a physician, Adcock has served as Chief of Staff, Chief of Surgery, as a trustee for the Hospital Authority, and as Chairman of the Foundation Board at Colquitt Regional.
Since 2002, Adcock has been a devoted supporter of Serenity House, the county’s domestic violence shelter. He was integral in founding the shelter, and has donated his time, talent, and monetary support to the shelter for over 20 years. He is also known for medical mission trips to South America, receiving the Walter E. Harrison Jr. Humanitarian Award for his benevolent work in Colquitt County and beyond.
Dr. Howard Melton presented the inaugural D.W. Adcock Physician Distinguished Service Award to Dr. Anthony Moser. Moser joined the Colquitt Regional medical staff in 1998, and after decades of service, he retired in the fall of 2023.
“Dr. Moser served Colquitt County for 25 years as its only pathologist,” said CCMS President Dr. Cory Porteus. “His combination of empathy and precision in medicine has been a pillar of our hospital and a tremendous asset to our community.”
Outside of his contributions to the medical community, Moser is also known for his community engagement and love of art. Many of his watercolor paintings have been sold to benefit Colquitt Regional Medical Foundation and Colquitt County Arts Center, and they also line the hallways of the hospital for patients and visitors to enjoy.
The Colquitt County Medical Society (CCMS) represents physicians serving Colquitt County. CCMS supports physicians’ practices, expands their professional network, promotes their personal well-being, and sends delegates to MAG meetings to represent Colquitt County’s interests. MAG’s mission is to empower Georgia physicians to lead healthcare for the betterment of their communities. Representing over 8,000 members, MAG has a long-standing and well-earned reputation as the leading voice and advocate for physicians in Georgia.
