Memorial Hospital and Manor has been named Georgia’s 2026 Small Hospital of the Year, a recognition of its work to address community healthcare needs and a responsibility its leaders say means doing even more for local patients.
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Memorial Hospital and Manor named Georgia’s 2026 Small Hospital of the Year as it expands local care
For some neighbors in Decatur County, getting specialty care has meant traveling outside the area. Neighbors ABC 27’s Vanessa Lawrence spoke with say they’ve had to make trips to Albany, Thomasville and Moultrie anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour away for specialty appointments. They say the drive is part of living in a rural community, but they want to find care closer to home.
Memorial Hospital and Manor says it is working to make more care available locally through partnerships with other providers and advancements in medical technology. That includes remote patient monitoring to keep track of patients after they return home, and plans to bring robotic technology to the hospital to help attract physicians trained in those procedures.
The hospital has also seen changes in its emergency department. Since launching its Fast Track program in late 2025, the average length of stay for patients with minor injuries and illnesses has decreased by nearly 67% according to the hospital.
Memorial Hospital and Manor CEO LaDon Toole says the award carries weight and expanding local care will require continued partnerships and a willingness to adapt.
“That award to be Hospital of the Year, we don’t take that lightly,” Toole said.
“That’s a big responsibility, and with that comes making sure we make it better for our local people. So we’re super excited about the award, but we want to continue to grow health care in Bainbridge.”
Toole says recruiting new physicians is a key part of that growth.
“Nowadays, all the doctors that come out of school, they’re trained in robotics. So we want to be able to attract them, to get them here to Bainbridge so they can serve in our community,” Toole said.
Toole says the hospital will keep looking beyond the local community to expand options for patients.
“As we find other opportunities and ways to grow the hospital, we’ll continue to work with our local folks and people that are outside of our local community to find sub-specialty care, to get different providers to be a part of it,” Toole said.
Hospital leaders say those efforts are still in the early stages. While no healthcare partnerships have been announced yet, they’re continuing conversations with other healthcare providers about bringing more specialty services to Bainbridge. The hospital says it hopes to have new robotics equipment in place by the first quarter of 2027.
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