History of Archbold Grady

Archbold Grady, a 60-bed acute care hospital in Cairo, Georgia, traces its roots back more than a century to the practice of Dr. William Albert Walker. Walker was born on what is now Greenwood Plantation in Thomas County, educated at the University of Louisville, and received further medical training at the New York Polyclinic Medical School and Hospital and the Mayo Clinic. He later served as Mayor of Cairo, on the Grady County Board of Education, and as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. Dr. Walker built three hospitals during his career in Cairo. The first was a small facility on the east side of S. Broad Street. Later he expanded to a two-story hospital on the west side of the street. Finding the need for further modernization of his facilities, he announced plans for a new hospital in 1923. Walker’s Hospital, as it was known, was a twenty-bed facility and “one of the prettiest buildings in Cairo.” Dr. Walker operated a “radium institute for the treatment of cancerous and benign growths” at the facility. 

Walker’s Hospital announced that it would close due to financial constraints in 1946. The Grady County Commissioners established the Grady County Hospital Authority to purchase Walker’s Hospital and preserve healthcare access for Cairo and surrounding areas. The facility took the name of Grady General Hospital at that time.

In the late 1950s, the need for a more modern hospital in Cairo became apparent, and construction began on present-day 5^th Avenue. The new 28-bed Grady General Hospital opened in 1960 with five doctors on the medical staff.

Declining medical staff and revenues led to hardships for the hospital in the late 1960s. In 1975, the Hospital Authority began a significant expansion and modernization of the hospital, largely to attract medical staff. The new facility and its modern intensive care unit opened in 1976. To aid in attracting physicians and paying off the expenses of the new building, the Hospital Authority first sought a relationship with a larger hospital system in the early 1980s. In 1981, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital began to operate Grady General Hospital. 

The need for an in-state relationship and Archbold’s positive reputation in the region soon led to the longstanding partnership that we know today. The Grady County Hospital Authority entered into an agreement for John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital to operate Grady General Hospital in 1986

The partnership has been a lasting success, benefitting the people of Grady County and strengthening the Archbold system. Grady General Hospital has been named one of the top three small hospitals in the state by Georgia Trend Magazine. Grady General Hospital took on a new name, Archbold Grady, during Archbold’s system-wide brand refresh in 2023.

“We’re proud to be part of the Archbold system, and we’re proud to have Archbold’s presence in Grady County,” said Archbold Grady Administrator Crystal Wells in 2023.

The Emergency Department at Archbold Grady provides around-the-clock care. Advanced imaging capabilities, including 3D mammography, are conveniently offered at the hospital.

The Birthing Center offers compassionate and high-quality maternal care in a small-town setting. The large, private birthing suites allow mothers to stay in the same room with their child from labor to delivery, and through recovery. The Birthing Center recently earned a Level I Maternal Care Verification from The Joint Commission. 

A 2021 report from the Georgia Hospital Association shows the significance of Archbold Grady’s presence in Cairo. The hospital provides the community with more than 150 full-time jobs and more than $63 million in total economic impact annually.

Archbold’s impact on the community goes beyond the original hospital. In partnership with the Grady County Hospital Authority, Archbold opened a modern 75-bed nursing home, Archbold Living-Cairo, adjacent to the hospital in 2023. The $25 million investment was one of the largest in Cairo history and has allowed residents of Grady County and surrounding communities to have their loved ones closer to home instead of having to travel for care. Archbold Primary Care-Cairo and Archbold Specialty Clinic-Cairo support the health and wellbeing of Grady County’s population year-round.

Archbold Grady’s partnership with community groups and educational institutions has been an invaluable aspect of its recent history. Archbold Living-Cairo also as a training ground for future CNAs enrolled in Cairo High School’s work-based learning pathways. For more than a decade, Grady County’s partnership with the University of Georgia’s Archway Partnership completed valuable projects throughout the community, including at Archbold Grady. 

From Dr. Walker’s first hospital to the modern facilities serving Georgia’s Hospitality City today, Archbold Grady is the culmination of more than a century of advancements in healthcare in Cairo. Archbold congratulates the people and hospital authority of Grady County on more than 100 years of success and celebrates our nearly 40-year partnership that has increased access, helped those in need, and connected communities in our region.