Phoebe welcomes orthopedic trauma surgeon

Sep. 24—ALBANY — Growing up in the one-stoplight town of Roseboro, N.C., Eddie Powell dreamed of following in his father's footsteps.

"My dad was the family doctor in town, Powell said. "He loved medicine, and he was a hard worker,. He would see 60 patients a day. Seeing him work that way kind of inspired me to be more and do more."

The younger Powell assumed he would return to Roseboro as a family physician, but during medical school at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, his plans changed.

"It was during my surgical specialty when I did my orthopedic rotation that it hit me that this is what I want to do," he said.

After earning his medical degree, Powell completed a surgical internship and orthopedic residency at West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.V., as well as an orthopedic trauma fellowship at Alleghany General Hospital in Pittsburgh. Powell spent 10 years as a traumatologist at a Level I trauma center in North Carolina, before working at a Level II trauma center in Florida.

When Phoebe Medical Director of Trauma Services Dr. Leon Dent reached out to Powell about joining Phoebe's growing trauma team, he jumped at the chance.

"Everywhere I've worked, the program was built, and I just inserted myself into what was already there," Powell said. "This was a unique opportunity to help build a program in an area where trauma services are truly needed."

Later this year, Phoebe will break ground on a new Emergency and Trauma Center on its main campus, and the hospital continues its efforts to earn designation as a Level II trauma center from the Georgia Department of Public Health Office of EMS/Trauma and national verification by the American College of Surgeons. In August, assessors from both organizations conducted a preliminary survey and will return at least a year later for a validation survey.

"Dr. Powell is an experienced and talented trauma surgeon, and we are excited to have him join Phoebe," Dr. Suresh Lakhanpal, the CEO of Phoebe Physicians, said in a news release. "He will help us ensure trauma patients with orthopedic injuries have prompt access to advanced, quality orthopedic trauma care, and he will be a vital part of our team as we continue our journey to become a verified Level II trauma center."

Powell treats children, adults and seniors with a variety of orthopedic injuries. He has vast experience repairing complex fractures, including pelvic, hip socket, thigh and hip fractures.

"It's very inspiring to see my patients go from not able to walk to back to walking again. It's amazing," he said.

Powell said the ongoing expansion of trauma services at Phoebe will save lives and ease the burden on families whose loved ones need trauma care.

"We don't have to put a person with certain serious injuries on a helicopter and fly them all the way to Atlanta or Macon," he said. "They can come here to Phoebe and get treated with the same standard level of trauma care that they would have received in those areas."

The Phoebe Physicians network consists of more than 300 physicians and advanced-practice providers, including primary care and more than 30 medical specialties. Each provider is integrated with the community they serve, providing local access and patient-centered care that extends beyond Phoebe's hospital locations.