Brentwood Home Page news reports
Williamson Medical Center Foundation recently gifted $88,000 to WMC’s Surgery Department to fund the purchase of state-of-the art surgical equipment designed to increase comfort and safety for patients.

“The donation has allowed us to get some of our wish-list items early and not wait until they could be purchased with capital expenditures,” says Ricky Yates, R.N., director of Surgical Services. “The gift means a lot to our physicians and staff, as well as patients who utilize the Medical Center.”

Additions to WMC’s Surgery Department include the Stealth 360º Orbital PAD System, manufactured by Cardiovascular Systems Inc. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year, the $25,000 catheter-based system treats peripheral arterial disease in the lower legs by sanding away plaque buildup without damaging soft tissue.

“Stents generally won’t open up wide enough to stay patent in vessels that are hardened with the type of plaque for which this device is designed,” Yates says. “This equipment will provide better, safer treatment to patients with peripheral artery disease.”

The $88,000 donation also funded instruments for hip arthroscopy, a surgical procedure used to diagnose and treat hip problems.

“Hip arthroscopy isn’t a brand-new procedure, but there aren’t a lot of doctors who do it,” Yates says. “This donation allows Williamson Medical Center to provide the service at any given time.”

Hip arthroscopy at WMC is performed by Colin Looney, M.D., orthopaedic surgeon at Vanderbilt Bone & Joint in Franklin. Looney is among a few surgeons in the U.S. specially trained in the procedure, and he performs hip arthroscopy multiple times each week at WMC.

A third addition to WMC’s Surgery and Anesthesia departments is the SonoSite. This handheld ultrasound device assists in administration of regional anesthesia following extremity procedures such as total knee replacement, foot and ankle procedures, and shoulder surgery.

“In the past, patients with cardiopulmonary disease and other high-risk conditions might not receive a nerve block due to safety concerns,” Yates says. “With the new device, doctors can place the block with precision, and patients who were not candidates before can safely have a block administered.”

Steve Smith, executive director of the Williamson Medical Center Foundation, expects the Medical Center to receive an additional $20,000 in Foundation funds before year’s end. The gift will finance a state-of-the-art bladder scanner among other items.

“We want to make meaningful contributions to the Medical Center that will continue to improve and maintain the quality of care available to patients,” Smith says. “We know these surgery items will help to improve the quality of health care our physicians are able to provide.”

Williamson Medical Center Foundation raises more than $200,000 annually through general fundraising efforts including the annual golf tournament, sporting clays shoot and events such as A Vintage Affair and the Pink Gala. Donations to Williamson Medical Center Foundation—a 501(c)3 organization—are tax-deductible and support programs and services that fall outside the normal structure of hospital operating expenditures.

For more information about Williamson Medical Center, visit www.williamsonmedicalcenter.org.