After 40 years as a hospital administrator, Tony DiCarlo still likes to stay active in the health care community.

That’s why he joined the Healthcare Association of Forsyth County and what draws him to the organization’s events, such as Thursday’s second annual Mingle Jingle.

“One thing I like about the association is that it brings together those individuals who contribute to the everyday health care needs of the community,” he said. “I still believe in networking to find out what’s happening in the health care industry.”

The networking event was held at the new Lanier Tech Forsyth Conference Center & Healthcare Building. Medical professionals from doctors and nurses to equipment vendors attended.

Tables were set up for some event sponsors, including the Georgia Dermatology Center, Data Media Associates and Altus Healthcare and Hospice Inc.

Barbara Dawson with Altus Hospice Foundation Inc., a nonprofit wing of the health care organization, said she came to “meet others in the community to let everyone know what Altus is and that we’re here to help.”

“A lot of people don’t understand that there’s a service out there to help you,” she said. “The great thing about being here is that we can help educate people.”

The event’s title sponsor was Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which will be opening a Forsyth location in June.

Representatives from Children’s talked about the facility, which will be in a leased building in The Avenue Forsyth, not far from the 28-acre parcel Children’s bought about two years ago for $17.6 million.

The $5.7 million investment at The Avenue will establish children’s services in urgent care, orthopedics, sports medicine, rehabilitation and prosthetics, among other areas.

“I think it’s something that’s drastically needed here in Forsyth County,” DiCarlo said.

The Healthcare Association of Forsyth County, a branch of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, is one of the organization’s fastest growing initiatives, Lynn Jackson said. 

Jackson, Northside Hospital-Forsyth’s administrator, is president of the association. She said its success is linked to the industry’s growth in the county.

“Seeing the growth that’s coming ... I think of hope to our community, a lot of jobs, a bright spot in an otherwise sometimes daunting economy,” Jackson told attendants.

“So tonight we’re here to celebrate that, to get to know each other a little better and to keep this economy growing strong, because we’ve got a lot of great things to celebrate here in Forsyth County.”