Hospital Purchases Fracture Table

Stephens County Hospital is making an equipment purchase.

Monday, the Hospital Authority unanimously approved the purchase of a new fracture table for the hospital.

Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrell said the fracture table will be used by the hospital for orthopedic surgeries.

“It can take care of any patient that has a fracture below the waist, but the neat thing about this table is that it can do anterior hip repairs as well,” said Gambrell.

He explained that anterior hip repairs are a type of hip replacement that is becoming more and more common.

“The technique results in much less trauma to the patient, much quicker recovery, and much less pain,” said Gambrell.

Gambrell said that the new fracture table will replace the one that Stephens County Hospital is currently using.

“It actually replaces a fracture table that we have kept 30 to 40 years,” said Gambrell. “It has been well-maintained, but it is time to replace it.”

According to hospital officials, the table they are purchasing is already used by many other hospitals in the Atlanta area for the same purpose.

Gambrell said the table is important because there is already a lot of orthopedic surgery taking place at Stephens County Hospital.

“As our population ages … there is going to be a larger and larger market for orthopedic surgery and hip replacements and knee replacements and things like that,” said Gambrell.

The new fracture table costs $98,374.82 with all attachments and Stephens County Hospital is getting a $5,000 trade-in on its old table.

That means the total cost to the hospital for the new table is $93,374.82.

Meanwhile, the Hospital Authority also approved the purchase of a new hot water heater on Monday at a cost of $90,000 installed.

Gambrell said this new hot water heater will replace the original unit from 1965.