August Newsletter!

September Birthdays and Anniversaries

New To The UOG Crew

Please join us in welcoming our newest UOG family members! We are beyond excited to have you all on our team! We can’t wait to see the incredible things that you’ll do for our patients!

employee photoMetrice PrudeInsurance Call Center – Main
employee photoLa Jhaunie CrawfordCMA – Valdosta
employee photoMontana PerkinsFront Desk – Athens
employee photoHannah Newsome Front Desk – Main
employee photoNikki PopeCMA – TWC
employee photoSamantha Bobadilla Insurance Claims Coordinator Main
employee photoJaquita Gray Front Desk – Valdosta
employee photoDanielle Blanding Marketer – Decatur
employee photoKayla FearsMarketer- Decatur
employee photoJulia HartMarketer – Decatur
employee photoKaren Mills Marketer – Decatur
employee photoJennifer SparksCMA – Main
employee photoKyla SanderCMA – TWC

Peer Shout Outs

Meet Our Newest Ellaryn Team Member

Meet Kathy Wilson, our Licensed Esthetician and Laser Practitioner! Kathy brings a wealth of experience to The Howard Center, with over 20 years in skincare as an Esthetician (since 2003) and 10 years specializing in laser treatments and chemical peels.

A proud Ocilla, GA native, Kathy has a true passion for helping others feel their best. She shares that facials are her favorite service to provide because of their calming, relaxing nature — for both the client and herself! What drives Kathy most is seeing her patients’ confidence grow as their skin transforms. “I love seeing the results just as much as they do,” she says.

We’re grateful for Kathy’s skill, compassion, and dedication to making people not only look their best but also feel happy and confident in their own skin.

Congratulations Corner

Congratulations to Danielle Williams and her husband-to-be, Franklin Jones on their upcoming wedding on September 14th! Danielle was showered with love and gifts at her most recent bridal shower, thrown by her TWC family!

You’re going to make the most beautiful bride, Danielle! We wish you and Franklin a lifetime of love and happiness!

We are excited to share that Emily Torres will be stepping into the Medical Assistant Nurse Manager role. Emily has been part of the Howard Center family since March 2022, and we know she will do a fantastic job leading in this new position.

With Emily moving into her new role, Kelee Smith will be taking on the position of Lead Virtual Medical Assistant. Kelee has been with us since April 2023, and we’re excited to see her step into this leadership opportunity.

We’re so proud of both Emily and Kelee, and we’re excited to see them grow in their new roles. Please join us in congratulating and supporting them during this transition.

Raegan Green welcomed her beautiful baby girl, Nori Sinclair, into the world on her 8/12/25!

Raegan, Nori is absolutely precious! Thank you so much for sharing her with us! Congratulations on your newest bundle of joy!

Makayla Walker was awarded for her work as the Maternal Cardiac Chair for HOPE For Georgia Moms!

This honor highlights Makayla’s dedication to advancing maternal health and her commitment to making a meaningful difference for women and families across Georgia.

We’re so proud of Makayla’s leadership and the impact she continues to make through her hard work and passion for helping others. Way to go, Makayla!

Bonnie has officially passed the torch — or in this case, the speculum — to Courtney Sumner, FNP-C, as she steps into her new role as the Tifton office’s full-time provider.

Congratulations, Courtney! We know that you’ll do an incredible job, delivering the compassionate, top-notch care our patients know and trust.

Bonnie’s Retirement Party

After 24 years of dedication, care, and love, we celebrated our beloved Bonnie Simpson, W.H.N.P. with a retirement party to send her off in style!

We laughed, we danced, we reminisced, and most of all—we showered Bonnie with all the love she deserves. Over the years, Bonnie has touched countless lives, leaving an impact on women and families across our community that will last forever.

In honor of her extraordinary career, Bonnie was awarded the first-ever Howard Center Emeritus Award as Nurse Practitioner Emeritus, presented to her by Dr. Drew and Dr. Kaylar—a testament to the lasting legacy she leaves behind.

Bonnie, you are one incredible woman. While your presence will be deeply missed, your legacy will always remain at The Howard Center and in the hearts of those you’ve cared for and those who have had the absolute pleasure of working alongside you. From all of us—thank you, Bonnie!

We love you!

Save The Date!

Save the date! Shake, Rattle and Run for a Cure is happening on Saturday, October 25th at 08:00am here at The Howard Center in Tifton!

We’re encouraging everyone to join us for a rockin’ rollin’ good time as we celebrate our Breast Cancer Warriors and Survivors while also raising Breast Cancer awareness!

All proceeds will go towards wigs, bras, compression garments, prosthetics and other items not covered by insurance! These items will be provided by Never the Same Boutique!

The registration link is below for anyone who would like to register! Please help us spread the word! Let’s Shake, Rattle and Run for a Cure!

https://runsignup.com/Race/GA/TIFTON/ShakeRattleAndRunForACure

August Employee Excellence Award Winners and Our Shining Star!

Provider: Courtney Taibi, FNP-CCongratulations to Courtney Taibi, NP for winning the Provider Excellence Award for August. Courtney has been diligent in obtaining pathologies in patients in the outlying clinics. These efforts have resulted in numerous abnormal findings. With an abnormal pathology and an adequate referral she has been proactive in prevention or treatment of a Gyn cancer. Courtney has been traveling to the outside clinic locations for over the past year and a half and we would like to welcome her back Main. Courtney is an asset to The Howard Center and highlights the kind of care we strive to provide.
Thank you so much for your dedication!
Marketing: Iris ThomasWe’re proud to honor Iris Thomas as our August Marketing EOM. Iris exemplifies dedication—not only to her team, but to the patients we serve. Her commitment shines through in every detail, from ensuring a purse winner received her prize over the weekend, Iris went out of her way to meet the winner on a Saturday because it fit the winners schedule to pick it up on the weekend. Iris is consistently completing her appointments with excellence.

Iris has gone above and beyond in mentoring new hires, preparing them to represent the Howard Center with confidence and care. She’s played a key role in training two team members, ensuring they feel supported and equipped from day one.

Always punctual, always proactive—Iris brings thoughtful suggestions and valuable feedback that help us grow. Her reliability, initiative, and heart make her a huge part of our team.

We’re deeply grateful for you, Iris.

TWC: Dallas Andres. We have been short staffed at the front and Dallas has really stepped up with taking over with multiple tasks. On top of checking schedules, scheduling referral appointments, and medical records she has been a big help to our new front desk with answering any questions she has. We appreciate everything you do for our office staff and patients!
Ultrasound: Abby JohnsonThis past month, Abby went above and beyond in demonstrating initiative and teamwork. When a patient became very sick in the ultrasound room, Abby immediately stepped in without being asked. She took out the trash, mopped the floor, and thoroughly wiped down the walls and trash can to ensure the room was ready for use again.

This is just one more example of the many ways Abby goes above and beyond for her team and our patients. Her quick action, positive attitude, and dedication reflect the very best of our values. Thank you, Abby, for your hard work and commitment. You truly make a difference every day!

Front Desk: Kayla Lewis Kayla Lewis has been selected as our Front Desk Employee of the Month!

Kayla has consistently gone above and beyond to support our patients and team. Whether it’s stepping into a different office at the last minute without hesitation, or drawing labs for our NPs when we’ve been short a Medical Assistant or Phlebotomist, she shows up with a positive attitude and a willingness to help wherever she’s needed.

Her flexibility, teamwork, and commitment to making the Howard Center patient experience the best it can be are truly appreciated. Kayla embodies what it means to be a team player, and we’re grateful to have her as part of our work family.

Nursing: Destiny Gardner We are proud to recognize Destiny Gardner as our MA Employee of the Month for August. Destiny consistently goes above and beyond in her role, demonstrating initiative, adaptability, and a strong commitment to excellence. Her willingness to travel, support colleagues, and actively participate in training reflects her dedication to both personal growth and team success. She approaches patient care with genuine compassion, always gentle, always smiling, and ensures that every individual feels seen and supported. Destiny’s eagerness to learn, her collaborative spirit, and her reliability make her an invaluable asset to our team. Thank you, Destiny, for your outstanding contributions. We are truly proud to have you with us.
WCAS: Paula Higgins This month we are proud to recognize Paula Higgins as our Employee of the Month! Paula has gone above and beyond, working nearly six days a week to ensure our team always has circulator coverage. In addition, she has been training a new team member and helping us prepare in every way possible for our upcoming Joint Commission survey. Her dedication doesn’t stop there—Paula has even made same-day trips back and forth from Covington to ensure our centers were fully covered. She also took the initiative to research new central sterile, scrub, and nursing standards, keeping us compliant and ahead of the curve. Paula’s hard work, commitment, and leadership truly set her apart. We are so grateful for everything she contributes to our team. Congratulations, Paula—you’ve earned this recognition!
Insurance: Kelly Myers For the past month, Kelly Myers went over and beyond her regular responsibilities by helping fill-in for me in my absence this month when needed. I always know, if I’m not in the office, Kelly will always be there to help everything run smoothly. I’m grateful to have a great backup like Kelly!
Howard Diet: Rachel FlemingI’m proud to nominate Rachel Fleming for Employee of the Month. During an exceptionally busy season with a heavy load of surgeries, Rachel stepped in to help me handle the large number of FMLA and short-term disability requests I had building up. She picked up the process quickly, kept everything accurate, and made sure forms were completed on time so patients could meet deadlines and providers could move forward without delay. Rachel’s positive attitude, dependability, clear communication, and teamwork helped ease the stress on my department, and ensured we continued providing high-quality service for our patients! Thank you Rachel, you deserve it!
Photo of shining star winner

Callie Tucker
Front Desk Manager
$250.00 and a trophy

This month’s Manager standout leader is Callie, and I truly can’t sing her praises enough. She has poured countless hours into helping us transition to our new texting and Patient intake system, going far beyond the scope of her daily responsibilities as our Front Manager. Her dedication, persistence, and initiative have been nothing short of extraordinary.
Callie personally coordinated with the team at Greenway to secure a new text messaging system that will streamline communication and improve patient intake. She also ensured our website is fully restored and functioning, an effort that required both technical savvy and relentless follow-through.
Her work this month has set us up for long-term success, and she’s about to make everyone’s life a whole lot easier. I’m incredibly proud of her and deeply grateful for everything she’s done. Callie, you’ve earned this recognition tenfold. You are our Manager of the Month—and honestly, the MVP of the moment.