By Mike Armstrong
Reporter, Carbon County Comet
The Memorial Hospital of Carbon County (MHCC) in Rawlins has been facing down a reputation from the past, earned roughly 25 years ago, which has made some Carbon County residents nervous about going there for emergency services or operations.
The hospital was not perceived as modern or with good medical personnel for several decades.
A bad perception is hard to break, but MHCC is doing exactly that with state-of-the-art surgical equipment and top-notch medical professionals.
MHCC is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital that provides general medical and surgical care for inpatient, outpatient and emergency room patients.
The MHCC Emergency Department is the only trauma-receiving hospital in the county and provides emergency services to about 8,000 miles of the county and surrounding areas. Its emergency room is open 24 hours, seven days a week.
Stepanie Hinkle, Marketing, Communications and Foundation Director, knows of the hospital’s past reputation and also recognizes, that coming to a hospital for any reason causes anxiety. Financially, medical care can be prohibitive. Hinkle makes clear, that MHCC understands this, and the billing staff is there to help work with patients so they can get needed medical care.
Gone are the days of not having the state-of-the-art surgical equipment. Having these tools has attracted doctors such as Dr. Darin Allred, an orthopedic surgeon, who has had patients come from Denver for operations. Whether it is back and spine, broken bones, foot, knee, hand, reconstructive surgery or sports injuries, Allred can not only do it, but he has some of the best equipment to work with.
Having modern tools allows Dr. John Lumb, a certified general surgeon, to perform hernia repair, gallbladder removal, stomach procedures, gastrectomy, ulcer repair, mastectomy, thyroidectomy, colon resection, endoscopies and general surgery.
Jo Stratton, surgical services nurse manager, said having the right doctor and equipment has made MHCC an institution where its old reputation doesn’t hold any longer.
“You might have appendix or gallbladder pain which requires surgery. Maybe you have a hernia that needs to be repaired or a skin lesion you need to have taken off. All of these would be instances where surgery may be required,” Stratton said. “ Our general surgeon, Dr. John Lumb, performs these and many other surgeries utilizing many different types of advanced equipment during the surgeries.”
Stratton explained further.
“For example, during an appendectomy (removal of the appendix) or a cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder), Dr. Lumb may use a technique called laparoscopy. During those procedures, Dr. Lumb makes small holes in your abdomen, instills carbon dioxide into the abdomen, inserts a camera and surgical instruments into your abdomen, then removes or repairs the problem,” Stratton said. “This prevents a large incision from being made in your abdomen which might take longer to heal or cause scarring.”
Stratton said much of the modern equipment was purchased recently. An example she gave was the Arthrex Synergy 4K Video Platform.
“The 4K image allows Dr. Lumb to visualize anatomy in greater detail and thus helps him to treat his patients better. The Synergy.net platform allows for centralized storage of surgeon settings to ensure that all video systems function the same regardless of the OR,” Stratton said. “This feature permits surgical staff to confidently set up cases with minimal effort regardless of prior knowledge of surgeon preferences for video, pictures, and settings.”
Stratton continued about the platform.
“Arthrex Synergy is more than just a video system, it is a platform that combines better optics, electronics, ergonomics, workflow, and connectivity,” Stratton said. “At the rate in which technology advances, partnering with a company that is dedicated to the mission of providing leading technology that improves surgical outcomes into the hands of the surgeons is vital to staying ahead of the technology curve.”
Stratton said joint replacement surgeries are another area of expertise for MHCC.
“Chronic joint pain can be caused by many factors, but the most common is osteoarthritis, arising from the erosion of the joint through the daily wear and tear of cartilage. Without this protection, the bones rub together causing pain, stiffness and instability,” Stratton said. “As the condition worsens, pain may be present even at rest. It is a degenerative and chronic condition, which means that it will never get better and in fact, is likely to become worse over time. Fortunately, with proper diagnosis, treatment, and care, people can return to everyday activities such as climbing stairs, tying shoes and even resuming their working lives with less pain.”
When it comes to knee replacement the OMNIBotics Robot is a $700,000 machine that helps in surgery and is precise.
“OMNIBotics is a robotic-assisted system used by our orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Darin Allred to accurately plan and perform total knee replacement,” Stratton explained. “Computer guidance allows Dr. Allred to measure and track the knee anatomy and plan the implant placement to best fit the specific patient.”
Stratton went further in her explanation.
“The plan is optimized to restore proper soft tissue balance and leg alignment, two critical factors to knee replacement outcomes,” Stratton said. “Robotic instruments are used by the surgeon with computer guidance to ensure the procedure is carried out precisely to plan.”
Stratton went over the importance of the equipment being used.
“OMNIBotics is the only knee procedure that has a robotic instrument, the BalanceBot to help Dr. Allred assess and balance your knee. This device is designed to reduce the need for these additional incisions in your ligaments,” Stratton said. “Using these advanced robotics, the OMNIBotics total knee replacement procedure is intended to help patients regain pain-free knee function, return to a normal daily lifestyle, and remain active for years to come.”
Knees are not the only areas for robotics.
The NAVISwiss Robotics for total hip replacement is another machine that helps surgery be precise.
“During the surgery, Dr. Allred temporarily attaches two navigation markers, one to measure the position of the pelvis, and a second for the femur,” Stratton said. “These allow the navigation system to know the shape and alignment of your joint to ensure the surgeon can accurately recreate your natural anatomy. After measuring your anatomy, the navigation system displays the exact angle when implanting the acetabular cup. When inserting the hip stem, the desired leg length can be fine-tuned to the millimeter.”
Most patients don’t see the operating rooms or equipment, because they are usually under, but if they are awake, there is little doubt they are going to be impressed. Everywhere a person glances, the sterile environment has equipment that is modern and a step up from any television replication.
MHCC has been working hard over recent years to get new life-saving equipment into the hospital.
They have done it.
The old reputation of MHCC should be tossed out along with the once sterile suits all must wear when in the OR once the operation is over.
Carbon County is lucky to have MHCC serving its residents as well as it does.
