Fleming County Hospital recently had $4.2 million in equipment upgrades.
Fleming County Hospital Interim Chief Executive Officer Michael Clark said the upgrades were necessary for the safety of the patients and the efficiency of procedures being completed inside the hospital.
"We've upgraded to the latest technology," Clark said. "The laproscopic upgrade uses high definition cameras, so you get a better image. The Stryker Navigation System for orthepedics is the best way to get total joint replacement. You get an exact measurement when replacing those joints."
The new equipment includes IT Integration Investment, Stryker Video System -Laparoscopic, Stryker Navigation System -Orthopedic total joint, Anesthesia Machine, IT Local Equipment, Surgical Saw System Orthopedic, Pharmacy Automation Dispensers, Radiology Voice Recognition System, Endoscopic Video Towers and Scopes, Surgical Scopes, Instruments and Equipment, Bariatric Transport Stretcher, Exam Tables for Physician Office, Dietary Refrigerator, Defibrillators, and Cargo Van for DME Expansion.
Clark the said the radiology voice recognition system allows the radiologist to dictate by voice. He can dictate and see his record and see any corrections to send it out immediately to referring physicians. Within minutes, a formal readied report will be available for doctors.
According to Clark, the new equipment will also allow the hospital to do major procedures, whereas the hospital used to refer patients to Meadowview Regional Medical Center in Maysville or a hospital in Lexington.
"With Dr. (C.N.) Eisenhauer, our new surgeon, we purchased a lot of this equipment to support his needs and capabilities -- things we were unable to do in the past. We wanted to upgrade to the very best equipment that we could," Clark said.
Eisenhauer, originally from West Virginia, joined the hospital in September.
One of the other items on the list, the cargo van, is for the new office that will be opening in Maysville called Bridges Home Medical Equipment. This will stock medical equipment such as hospital beds and other equipment that can be delivered to patient's homes in Maysville.
"We service a lot of patients in Maysville," Clark said. "This will also give us a retail presence. Eventually, we will have medical scrubs. We want to meet the needs of our communities."
According to Clark, all of the equipment has been delivered to the hospital and has been used in procedures.
"I know one of the procedures we've been able to do with this new equipment is a major bowel resections," Clark said. "We already had a great surgeon, so we needed the new equipment. Together, we can do a lot more that we couldn't before."
Eisenhauer said the new equipment only adds to a hospital staff that was already well trained.
"Fleming County Hospital has expertly trained staff who are at the top of their fields in a lot of surgical disciplines. I think the addition and acquisition of new state of the art equipment is a necessary step in our development in a center of surgical excellence."
He said he appreciated the new equipment that has and will continue to be a benefit for not only the hospital, but the patients, as well.
"It's excellent. It is undeniably the best technology that is available. It helps for us to do procedures more safely and in a more timely fashion. Anytime we can combine safety with efficiency, ultimately, it's the patient that wins."
The equipment upgrades were financed through capital from LifePoint, which acquired FCH in August.
"We identified certain items that we needed to upgrade at the hospital. We went through a process of requesting the capital. We were approved at the end of last year. We were pleased to be able to add much of this equipment. A lot of it are dollars set aside for the technology information system and that will be spread out through a couple of years."
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