The Hospital Authority of the City of Bainbridge and Decatur County unanimously voted to add Cliff Bailey to the authority, replacing former member Dr. Linda Jones.

Jones’ term expires June 30. Bailey will come on board for a five-year term.

Bailey was one on a list of three nominations submitted by the Decatur County Board of Com-missioners for the Hospital Authority seat. The other nominees were Paul Johnson and Sufronia Y. Jones.

The authority also approved the purchase of new equipment for Memorial Hospital, some of which will replace old equipment that hasn’t been updated since the 1990s.

“Probably our highest priority are the stretchers here in the emergency department,” said Lee Harris, FACHE Support Services.

Out of the 10 stretchers available in the Emergency Department, six were purchased when the facility opened in 1992 and have been used 24-7 since. According to Harris, it’s common for these old stretchers to have frequent hydraulic leaks, making it difficult to maintain a patient’s position.

The authority voted to buy seven new stretchers, six to replace the old stretchers and one to replace a bed that was used for overflow, for a total cost of $27,254.08.

Two new surgical lights are needed, and Harris cited the old halogen lights installed in 1993 have dimmed over time. These days, the advent of LED lighting has revolutionized how operating rooms are lit with their reliability. The authority approved to purchase the lights for $38,840.47.

One of the surgical tables at Memorial Hospital will not work correctly. The partial side rails won’t lower during orthopedic procedures and replacement pads are no longer available. The Authority voted to purchase a new table for $40,235.50.

The last items that the authority approved were two demo birthing beds. Of the eight birthing beds in the Birthing Unit, three have ongoing issues with hydraulics and leg supports while one has been removed from service because the repair parts aren’t available.

The current beds were purchased in 1998. The purchase of the two demo beds was heavily recommended by Harris because of their 40 percent discount for being showroom models.

The authority approved their purchase for $21,274.