Stephen Gambrell Takes Career Cue from Father

In a news brief that falls in the business, community and health categories all at once, Stephens County native and Stephen County High School alumni Stephen Gambrell, son of Ed and Trish Gambrell, was recently named Assistant Administrator at Memorial Hospital and Manor in Bainbridge.

In a statement by hospital officials, Memorial officially welcomed Gambrell, stating, “Stephen is taking on the role previously held by Lee Harris. He has over 10 years of experience in hospital management and we are excited for the knowledge and vision he brings with him…”

Prior to taking the position at Memorial, Gambrell was the Director of Operations at Novant Health in Thomasville, North Carolina. Gambrell, in an interview with the local Bainbridge Newspaper, The Post Searchlight, stated that it was his goal to move back to Georgia and to put his experience to work in a smaller, community hospital. 

Memorial CEO Jim Lambert stated, “I and the staff at Memorial Hospital and Manor are excited to have Stephen join us,” said Memorial CEO Jim Lambert. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our organization, and we look forward to seeing how his background benefits and serves the hospital and our community.”   

For many Toccoa/Stephens County residents, the Gambrell name is a familiar name. On December 21, 2015, Stephen Gambrell’s father, Ed Gambrell, attended his last Hospital Authority meeting as Administrator, retiring after 28 years as the administrator at Stephens County Hospital and 32 years at the hospital overall. Gambrell was the longest-tenured hospital administrator in Georgia.

Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Ed Gambrell in 2016, and the Stephens County Hospital’s Edward C. Gambrell Jr. Wound Care Center, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, was named in honor of Gambrell.