Carthage Area Hospital receives $9K for equipment

CARTHAGE, N.Y. — The Carthage Area Hospital Foundation recently awarded almost $9,000 to Carthage Area Hospital to support two equipment requests. 

The acute inpatient unit (AIU) needed a new ice and water machine. The hospital’s information-technology (IT) department also received five new computers for its education-training area.

The hospital’s education-conference room had some “outdated” equipment. 

“Unfortunately, the computers in the training room were ‘hand me downs,’ and they always had a lot of issues. With these new computers, there’s a much more fluid, easy onboarding experience for new nurses and providers,” John Cranker, chief information officer, said in the hospital’s announcement.

Benjamin Rubacha, systems integration director, also noted, “They’re faster, so there’s less downtime.”

In addition to the computers, the previous ice and water machine was outdated and was past its lifespan, Janice Dolan, a licensed practical nurse (LPN) and AIU team lead, said. The new machine will be available for both patients and staff.

About the organizations

Established in 1965, the nonprofit Carthage Area Hospital operates today as a 25-bed critical access hospital, serving about 83,000 residents in Jefferson, northern Lewis, and southern St. Lawrence counties. 

The hospital formed a clinical affiliation with Crouse Health in Syracuse in 2017. The hospital also operates a network of community-based clinics, including its Philadelphia Medical Center, Family Health Center, Pediatric Clinic and Women’s Way to Wellness. It provides a range of specialty care, including general surgery, orthopedics, podiatry, urology, neurosurgical care, physical and occupational therapy and behavioral health.

The nonprofit Carthage Area Hospital Foundation is a philanthropic organization that “promotes charitable gifts to ensure continued excellence” in community health care. The foundation says it is “dedicated to ensuring that the Carthage area retains a local hospital that delivers quality health care” to the local community.