Investing in Rural Healthcare, New Technology Supports Patient Care in Bainbridge

September 23, 2026

In an intensive care unit, clear and reliable communication between patients and caregivers is essential. The Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation, a branch of the Georgia Department of Agriculture and known as Georgia’s Rural Center, approved a $76,000 grant for Memorial Hospital and Manor in Bainbridge, Ga to replace the hospital’s aging ICU nurse call system. 

Georgia has more than 60 rural hospitals serving communities across our state, and these hospitals must continually balance the need to replace aging infrastructure and technology with the financial realities of providing care in rural communities. Research has shown that faster response to patient call lights is associated with lower rates of patient falls and fall-related injuries, underscoring why investments in reliable nurse call technology are so important. For patients, nurses, and caregivers, investments like this directly support communication, safety, and quality of care and help ensure rural hospitals can continue providing high-quality care close to home.

This new Voalte Nurse Call system goes beyond a traditional call-bell system by connecting patient rooms, caregivers, and the hospital’s electronic medical record system. The integrated technology gives nurses and clinical staff more efficient tools to communicate, respond to patient needs, and support important safety protocols.

Memorial Hospital and Manor serves residents of Decatur County as well as patients and families throughout Southwest Georgia and surrounding communities. The upgraded system provides its nursing staff with a more reliable tool to support the care they provide every day.  

“Memorial Hospital and Manor is extremely grateful to Georgia’s Rural Center and the Georgia Department of Agriculture for investing $76,000 in our hospital to help us purchase an updated nurse call system for our Intensive Care Unit. This investment is about much more than new technology—it is about strengthening the tools our nurses and clinical teams rely on every day to provide safe, timely, and responsive care to our patients,” said Lori Eubanks, Chief Nursing Officer, Memorial Hospital and Manor. 

“We are proud to partner with Memorial Hospital in Bainbridge to fund the upgrade in the hospital’s nurse call system. Georgia’s Rural Center is committed to providing healthcare equipment to assist our frontline medical partners, and this project in Decatur County aligns with our mission of assisting rural hospitals," said Charlie Fiveash, Executive Director of Georgia’s Rural Center. 

Investments like this are part of Georgia’s Rural Center’s work to help rural communities address critical needs and create opportunities for long-term growth. Georgia’s Rural Center was created in 2018 to build healthy, vibrant rural Georgia communities through collaborative partnerships that help Georgians address challenges of all types in every corner of the state. 

Since its inception, Georgia’s Rural Center has invested over $5 million in state funds into more than 90 projects that have entailed total investments of over $400 million. The work of Georgia’s Rural Center has touched all 159 of Georgia’s metro, suburban, and rural communities through regional and statewide projects, and directly impacted 83 counties through projects needed in rural communities to help them prosper and thrive.