St. Mary’s Health Care System announced this week that it will change the name of Saint Joseph’s at East Georgia (SJEG) to Good Samaritan Hospital after it assumes ownership of the Greensboro Hospital Jan. 1, 2012.

“‘Good Samaritan’ is a wonderful name for our hospital in Greene County. The story of the Good Samaritan from Luke’s Gospel is the Biblical foundation of Catholic healthcare. The core of our mission is to exemplify the characteristics of the Good Samaritan in the mercy and compassionate care we give to everyone who comes to us in need of health care. We are called to be neighbors to everyone,” said Sister Patricia Loome, St. Mary’s Vice President, Mission Services. “St. Mary’s holds this sense of compassionate care for others as the foundation of our faith-based healthcare ministry.”

“We are excited to be nearing the day when the hospital and its excellent staff become part of the St. Mary’s family,” said St. Mary’s President and CEO Don McKenna. “We are looking forward to providing compassionate, high-quality healthcare to the greater Greensboro area for many years to come.”

“St. Mary’s reputation for quality, integrity and excellence is outstanding,” said SJEG Board Chair Joe Gorman. “For example, they were just named the No. 1 hospital for stroke care in the entire state of Georgia. That is one more reason we continue to feel strongly that we could not have found a better partner than St. Mary’s to lead our hospital into the future.”

Montez Carter, Interim President of SJEG and St. Mary’s Vice President of Operations, added,

“St. Mary’s is one of the state’s most respected health care systems, including being chosen Georgia’s Large Hospital of the Year in 2006 and 2010.”

Carter, who has served in his leadership role at SJEG since May 2011, noted that Good

Samaritan Hospital, as part of the St. Mary’s system, will continue to serve all those in need.

“We are committed to providing quality healthcare and serving as a good community partner,”

Carter said. “We look forward to helping improve the community’s health and welfare and enhancing overall quality of life.”