Baptist Health Paducah adds Hercules Patient Repositioner enhancing safety and patient experience

PADUCAH, KY (Nov. 5, 2026) — A new technology at Baptist Health Paducah is making it safer and easier for caregivers to reposition patients in bed, allowing a single caregiver to boost a patient with the push of a button.

Baptist Health Foundation Paducah donated 185 Hercules Patient Repositioners to the hospital to be outfitted on all inpatient beds the Intensive Care unit; Ortho/Neuro (3A); Med-Surgical/Post Op (3C); Telemetry (4B); and Overflow Telemetry/Medical (4C).

The device goes on existing beds and operates like a conveyor, effortlessly boosting patients up in bed, often times without the patient aware they are moving.

“My goal is to reduce the burden for the bedside staff,” said Baptist Health Paducah Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Marilyn Riley, DNP, PhD. “This device enables one staff member to do the job of two to three to boost the patient up in bed.”

Traditional patient boosting methods, such as slide sheets and lifts, are a leading cause of injury for bedside caregivers. A patient may need to be repositioned back up-in-bed as many as 10 or more times per day increasing the likelihood of caregiver injury.

“I am truly grateful for the generosity of the Baptist Health Foundation Paducah in supporting our efforts to bring this innovative technology to the bedside for our clinicians,” said Marilyn Riley, vice president and chief nursing officer at Baptist Health Paducah. “Nurses spend upwards of an hour per shift manually boosting a patient up in bed. This innovation in repositioning will be a huge time saver for our staff."

In addition to saving time and energy spent by staff members, various healthcare organizations reported that the Hercules devices contributed to improved patient outcomes, increased patient comfort, overall enhanced patient experience, and advanced nurse morale and retention, according to studies conducted by The Morel Company.

“Safety is our priority. The Hercules Repositioner will eliminate the need for pulling and tugging, greatly reducing the physical burden for our staff while eliminating friction and sheer potential for our patients,” added Riley.

The purchase of the Hercules Patient Repositioner technology was made possible through the generosity of the Baptist Health Foundation Paducah.

“Seeing the difference the Hercules Patient Repositioning technology makes in both the clinician and patient experience is powerful; knowing it was the generosity of donors that made it possible is truly inspiring,” said Shannon Livingston, director of Baptist Health Foundation Paducah.  “I am incredibly grateful for all who have supported the Baptist Health Foundation over the years!”

To learn more about the services and resources we provide, visit Baptist Health Hospital in Paducah, KY.