Meet Rhonda Garrison, Patient Access Services

St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital brings a level of care to the greater Greene County area that is second-to-none for a small, rural hospital in Georgia – or anywhere else. As Giving Tuesday nears, we want to introduce you to some of the colleagues who make that exceptional care possible.




Rhonda Garrison is a beloved member of the St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital family who helps patients every day, even though she is not at the bedside. Rhonda is a tireless patient advocate who works with insurance providers to get the pre-authorizations patients must have prior to outpatient services and surgical procedures. Her “I can get it done” attitude helps ensure our patients have peace of mind that the coverage they need is in place before they come in.

It can be a difficult job, but it’s very important. For example, Rhonda tells of a patient whose much-needed procedure was cancelled by their insurance carrier. The patient was distraught about delays and out-of-pocket costs caused by the denial, and their physician was anxious because he needed the results from the procedure in order to provide appropriate care. Rhonda jumped into action and did not give up when she met roadblocks. Her persistence paid off and the carrier approved the procedure. It brought Rhonda great satisfaction when she called to give the patient and physician the good news that the procedure would be covered.

Rhonda came to Good Sam in 2011 after working in banking and human resources. She had originally planned to pursue a career as a high school counselor but found that her attributes of being approachable and easy to talk to make her work in patient access enjoyable and fulfilling.




She was attracted to Good Sam because she enjoys the small-town, family-friendly, and neighborly atmosphere of our community hospital. She appreciates the experience and clinical knowledge exhibited by the staff and the care given to the patients by all the colleagues she encounters at the facility. She especially loves the individualized focus surrounding each patient and their unique situation. She loves the feeling of 'one unit' and camaraderie she has coming to work at Good Sam each day.

But most of all, Rhonda finds it satisfying to help patients reduce the level of stress they experience as they prepare for a test or procedure or even after they have been discharged. When needed, she remains in contact with patients to provide updated information about their insurance coverage or if they need additional financial support or arrangements.




Rhonda knows the health care industry faces challenging times. But she is confident that Good Sam is on the right path and looks forward to continuing to bring her special kind of caring to our patients as we work to expand services, equipment, and facilities in the years ahead. Thank you, Rhonda!




Your Giving Tuesday donation helps St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital create the kind of environment that attracts and retains caring and talented colleagues like Rhonda. Please support our ongoing efforts in your Giving Tuesday donations!

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