DuBOIS — Through a $150,000 grant from the A.J. and Sigismunda Palumbo Charitable Trust, Penn Highlands Healthcare has a new state-of-the-art operating table for urological surgeries at Penn Highlands DuBois.

The grant helped to finance the Dornier Nautilus, making Penn Highlands DuBois the only hospital in Pennsylvania to use this first-of-its-kind technology for urological surgeries, according to representatives from Dornier, who added there are only 17 of these tables currently in use across the United States.

The table is equipped with: An 80 kW high-frequency generator which ensures immediate images without delay A flat-panel detector that provides large, high-resolution X-ray images from any angle An integrated support arm with flexibly positioned 21” monitors that enable an efficient workflow and a high level of efficiency, convenience and safety for doctors and their patients “The Dornier Nautilus table integrates a flexible versatile arm with 36-degree table access, which gives us unrivaled image quality, with the option of using the operating table as stand-alone table when fluoroscopy (X-ray) is not required — thus it gives us the best of both worlds,” explained Dr. John S. Banerji, who provides comprehensive urology services at Penn Highlands Healthcare. “We are thankful to the A.J. Sigismunda Palumbo Charitable Trust for making this technology available in a rural setting like DuBois and its neighboring counties.”

The A.J. and Sigismunda Palumbo Charitable Trust has been an integral supporter of Penn Highlands Healthcare. The trust has helped fund advancements in patient care and keep access to healthcare close to home.

For more information, visit phhealthcare.org.