hospital front

About Us

At Appling Healthcare, we have a long and proud history of providing quality care to the countless area residents who have turned to us for compassionate care and healing.

Established as Appling Hospital in 1951, Appling Healthcare in Baxley, Georgia, has evolved into a healthcare system our patients can rely on for big-city care with a small-town heart.

Since opening our doors more than 70 years ago, our focus has not wavered: we treat patients with the highest standards of quality and personalized care.

Throughout the years, we have updated our facilities and adapted our inpatient and outpatient health care services to meet the changing and growing needs of our area.

Today, Appling Healthcare is a non-profit acute care medical facility licensed for a total of 64 beds (34 beds in our hospital and 30 in our behavioral senior care unit). Our organization also includes a 101-bed nursing home, emergency room, general surgery department, primary care and pediatric clinics, inpatient and outpatient therapy, and a full service pharmacy. Appling Healthcare’s facilities are equipped with some of the most advanced medical technology available so we are able to diagnose and treat a wide variety of medical conditions.

However, our brick and mortar buildings and modern equipment mean nothing without the dedicated people at the heart of our operations. In every facility and in each department, our highly skilled providers, specialists and support teams go above and beyond to help our patients live their best and healthiest lives.

Staffed with this exceptional team, Appling Healthcare offers a comprehensive range of services, all delivered with nurturing, patient-centered care and an individualized treatment plan.

Whether you’re coming in for a routine exam or a more specialized procedure, we look forward to seeing you at Appling Healthcare.

If we don’t already know you, we’ll still treat you like family.

Our Board Members

Baxley & Appling County Hospital Authority

Our Mission

To deliver exceptional healthcare with compassion and integrity, empowering our employees and partnering with our community for a healthier future

Our Vision
To be the area’s most trusted healthcare partner by setting the standard for rural healthcare through trust, hope, and excellence.
Our Values
HEARTS – Healing, Excellence, Accountability, 
Respect, Teamwork, and Stewardship

 

  • Healing: Care for the whole person — body, mind, and spirit.
  • Excellence: Highest standards, every service, every time.
  • Accountability: We own our actions and honor trust.
  • Respect: Dignity, kindness, and fairness for all.
  • Teamwork: Working together across departments and with our community.
  • Stewardship: Using resources wisely for today and tomorrow.

 

Appling HealthCare is accredited by DNV (Det Norske Veritas). DNV is the first and only CMS-approved accreditation service that surveys annually and integrates ISO 9001 quality methods with Medicare Conditions of Participation.

Tekisha Jones

Tekisha Jones, a proud native of Appling County, is a devoted wife to Jakharis Jones and the loving mother of three children: Takhara, Aleah, and Khamil. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner from Walden University, where she developed a strong commitment to advancing healthcare in her community.
 
Currently, Tekisha serves with East Georgia Healthcare, where she provides compassionate, patient-centered care to individuals and families.

Madeline Rentz-Tucker

Madeline Rentz-Tucker, a native of Baxley, holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia and a Juris Doctor from Mercer University. She has practiced law in various settings and now works with a long-standing local law firm. Madeline and her husband, Matthew Tucker, a native of Ocilla, enjoy life in Baxley with their two dogs.

Cam Mayers

Cam Mayers is a native of Appling County and a graduate of Georgia Southern University’s Parker College of Business. He has worked for various industries here in Southeast Georgia and is currently a lender with Pineland Bank. He is actively involved in the community, serving on the Appling County Festival Committee, and is a recent graduate of the Appling Leads Leadership Program. Cam and his wife, Hannah Carter Mayer,s have two young daughters, Lillian and Bess.

Sloan Lott

Sloan Lott is a lifelong resident of Baxley. He has been employed by Bland Farms for 28 years and is currently their Director of Sales. He is married to Kendra Lott, and they have two daughters, Isabella and Amelia. He is a graduate of Georgia Southern University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Sloan currently serves on numerous industry and charitable boards. He is a member of the executive board of directors forthe  Southeast Produce Council and a member of the board for Society of St. Andrews.

Lee Lewis

Lee Lewis is the City Market Executive and Senior Vice-President for Pineland Bank in Baxley. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia from the Terry College of Business with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. Lee is actively involved in his community, serving as Chairman of the Coastal Pines Technical College Board, Secretary of the Appling County Hospital Authority, Executive Board Member for the Coastal Georgia Council BSA, and Treasurer of the Appling County Tourism Board. In 2023, he was elected to the Board of Trustees for the Georgia Hospital Association. Lee is married to Melody Lewis, and they have one son, Hudson.

Jaymal R. Patel, MD

Geriatric Psychiatry / Hospitalist

163 E. Tollison Street
Baxley, GA 31513
(912) 367-9841

Primary Focus

Senior Care Unit (Behavioral Health)

Education & Training

Board Certified: General Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Board Certified: Geriatric Psychiatry, American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry,
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Medical School: Baroda Medical College and affiliated hospitals, Baroda, India
Internship: Baroda Medical College and affiliated hospitals, Baroda, India
Residency in Psychiatry: Medical College of Georgia and University of Pennsylvania
Fellowship: University of Pennsylvania,Geriatric Psychiatry Program

Melanie Young, APRN, FNP-C

Pediatrics

105 E. Tollison Street Suite D
Baxley, GA 31513
(912) 366-9688

Education & Training

Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner: Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Bachelor of Science in Nursing: Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

Affiliations/Certifications

-Family Nurse Practitioner
-Registered Nurse, Georgia
-Basic Cardiac Life Support
-Advanced Cardiac Life Support
-Pediatric Advanced Cardiac Life Support
-ONS Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Provider Course
-American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
-Sigma Theta Tau International

Orlando V. Fernando, MD

Internal Medicine

105 E. Tollison Street Suite B
Baxley, GA 31513
(912) 367-0102

Education & Training

Medical School: University of Santo Tomas, Philippines
Residency: Memorial University/Mercer University Hospital, Savannah, GA
Internship: Memorial University/Mercer University Hospital, Savannah, GA

Affiliations

-Diplomate, American Board of Internal Medicine
-Certified, Medical Review Officer, Southern Nuclear Company
-Member, American College of Physicians
-Recognition with Commendation, American Medical Association

Matt Hodges, FNP-BC

Family Medicine

105 E. Tollison Street Suite B
Baxley, GA 31513
(912) 367-0102

Matt is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner who treats patients two years and older. He is a certified BioTE® medical provider for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, including BioTE® hormone pellet therapy.

Key Services
-Chronic Disease Management
-Health Maintenance Screenings
-Acute Care
-Physical Exams
-Disease Prevention
-BioTE® Hormone Replacement Therapy
Botox® injections
-BMI-based weight management program ($45, bi-monthly)

 

Education & Training

Master of Science in Nursing: South University, Savannah, GA (Family Nurse Practitioner)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing: Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA

Certifications/Memberships

-Family Nurse Practitioner
-Registered Nurse, Georgia
-Advanced Cardiac Life Support
-Basic Life Support (BLS)
-Chemotherapy & Biotherapy Provider
-Oncology Nursing Society
-Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing

Josefina Abendan-Dubberly, MD

Pediatrics

105 E. Tollison Street Suite D
Baxley, GA 31513
(912) 366-9688

Key Services

-Primary Care
-Well Checks
-Acute Care
-Physical Exams
-Disease Preventions
-Patient Education

Education & Training

Medical School: University of Santo Tomas, Philippines
Residency: Brookdale University Hospital, Brooklyn, New York

Affiliation

-American Board of Pediatrics