History of Decatur General
Begun in 1915, Decatur General has been the community's hospital for 94 years. Since that time, the hospital has grown into a 273-bed, general acute care hospital and a 64-bed behavioral medicine hospital making it the third largest employer in Morgan County. Decatur General is accredited by the Joint Commission and its medical staff consists of more than 200 physicians representing 20 specialties.
In addition to inpatient and surgical services, Decatur General offers a wide range of specialized services to meet the needs growing of a growing community.
OUTPATIENT SERVICES
With technology comes the convenience of outpatient services, such as outpatient surgery, radiology and physical therapy. Decatur General offers a wide range of outpatient services to make health procedures easy for you. In addition to traditional outpatient services, Decatur General is the only Certified Chest Pain Center with a Diagnostic Cardiac Cath Lab- allowing us to immediately diagnose and care for cardiac patients. We also offer a fully accredited Sleep Disorders Center where our board certified sleep physicians and licensed staff evaluate adult and pediatric patients for sleep related disorders. Most recently, we added an Open Bore MRI and Digital Mammography with a prone stereotactic table. These state-of -the art pieces of equipment allow us to offer highly advanced diagnostic services for our patients which results in earlier detection and a healthier community.
MONARCH WOMEN'S HEALTH - THE WOMEN'S CENTER AND THE COMMUNITY PRE-NATAL CLINIC
Decatur General is pleased to offer quality obstetric and gynecologic care to women of all ages through our OB-GYN practice, Monarch Women's Health. The practice is currently staffed with four physicians, Dr. Shelby Lynn Hill, Dr. G. Vernon Pegram III, Dr. John L. Stafford and Dr. Randall J. Wendt. These skilled physicians are trained to care for the unique health issues women face. Monarch Women's Health is located in the Medical Plaza II at Decatur General and appointments can be made by dialing 256.351.7309. The experienced staff at the Women's Center at Decatur General has been caring for women and delivering babies in the Tennessee Valley for more than 90 years. The Women's Center is a dedicated area for caring for women in every stage of life and provides not only a place of comfort and care, but also provides classes and support groups to help women before or after their hospital visits. The Women's Center is equipped with beautiful, up-to-date labor and delivery rooms that are large enough to accommodate mom and family during this special time. Due to the overwhelming community need for targeted pre-natal care, Decatur General also operates the Community Pre-Natal Clinic located across from the Emergency Department on 8th Street and appointments can be made by calling 256.341.3365
ONCOLOGY CENTER
Recognized by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer as providing the very best in cancer care, Decatur General's Oncology Center is the only comprehensive cancer care program in Morgan County, The Oncology Center offers patients and their families a broad spectrum of care - from diagnosis and treatment through rehabilitation, ongoing emotional support and recovery. Our approach encompasses the whole person, and involves the skills and expertise of physicians, nurses, technicians and support staff. A tumor board comprised of physicians and experts in radiation and medical oncology, pathology, surgery, radiology, Hospice care and nutrition meet weekly to discuss cancer cases of new patients to determine the best plan of treatment for them and continually seek to improve care and outcomes.
CERTIFIED STROKE CENTER
Stroke, a medical emergency, is the third cause of death in the US. As our population continues to age, the incidence of stroke is expected to increase making access to appropriate care critical. Decatur General opened the first Certified Primary Stroke Center in Alabama and in 1991 received that Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation's Stroke Best Practice Award. The goal of the Center is to educate the public about the seriousness of a stroke, signs/symptoms and the importance of prompt care. The timeframe for the best outcome is treatment within three hours from the onset of stroke and our Primary Stroke Center is trained and streamlined to help patients have the best possible outcome. Decatur General is noted as one of two Certified Stroke Center's in Alabama and has received numerous awards for its perfomance measures.
ROBOTIC SURGERY
Decatur General offers several types of cutting-edge robotic surgery including prostatectomy, hysterectomies, bladder lifts. Currently, Decatur General is the only hospital in the area using the da Vinci Surgical System to remove cancerous kidneys from women using natural body orifice extractions. Robotic Surgery is minimally invasive surgery that shortens hospital stays, as well as reduces pain, recovery time, scarring and risk of infection for the patient.
REHAB ACCESS
Decatur General RehabAccess offers physical, occupational, industrial and sports therapy from licensed therapists. The goal at RehabAccess is to provide a customized rehabilitation plan to help restore a person's ability to function at home, at work, or on the playing field. RehabAccess is designed to meet the needs of workers, physicians, employers and case managers. RehabAccess also provides a wide-array of wellness services with personalized workouts, fully equipped cardio and weight training equipment and aquatics.
THE BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE CENTER AT DECATUR GENERAL WEST
The Behavioral Medicine Center, located on the Decatur General West campus, offers confidential inpatient and outpatient psychiatric programs for adults, adolescents, and children. Our safe, structured programs focus on patients who can best be served in a short-term to medium length of stay setting. Led by our psychiatric medical staff, a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, social workers, counselors and nurses, help individuals meet the treatment goals established by the patient and the treatment team. Overall program goals include appropriate diagnosis, stabilization and education for each patient. In addition, equipping patients and their families with a solid aftercare plan is a key element.
QUALITY
Decatur General has been providing compassionate, quality care for this community for 94 years. The hospital scores at or above state and national averages on 96% of the quality measures reported by CMS (Medicare). Decatur General's hospital acquired infection rate is lower than the average rates for hospitals in Alabama and the nation as reported through MedMined. Decatur General is one of two hospitals in the state and the ONLY hospital in North Alabama to voluntarily participate in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. As part of this program, Decatur General's surgical outcomes meet or exceed national standards. In addition, Decatur General's patient satisfaction scores, as reported through Press Ganey, place the hospital among the top ranking hospitals in the nations for providing compassionate care.