News Around the State

Health Trust makes a significant impact on the MGH service area

Since its inception, HealthTrust has accumulated revenues in excess of $4,247,000.  As a non-profit foundation, HealthTrust has developed a number of programs that address healthcare needs of the community.  Among these is the nationally recognized Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) program that includes BCA education and mammograms.  In 2011 HealthTrust was recognized on the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) web site as well as being awarded The Grantee Spirit of Innovation Award from the Komen for the Cure Foundation.

Some other services provided by HealthTrust funding include a project to reduce Birth Defects and promote Healthy Pregnancies and Births in our market, which includes Simpson and Smith counties, both of which have higher infant mortality rates than in Mississippi or the country.  These two counties have higher poverty and lower income levels than that of the United States, making the need for indigent care imperative. HealthTrust provides healthcare for the community’s needy through its Indigent Patient Care Program.

Like most other structures from central Mississippi to the south, Magee General Hospital was left with damages from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  HealthTrust secured funding to offset some of the cost to the hospital.  In more proactive circumstances, HealthTrust has procured monies for MGH management training, customer service training, strategic planning and most recently a Community Health Needs Assessment. 

Equipment for virtually every department in the hospital has been purchased through funding of HealthTrust.  Items purchased for The BabyCenter labor and delivery suites allow state of the art facilities rarely found in community hospitals.  This and other equipment provide the highest level of healthcare to expectant mothers and patients of all ages.

HealthTrust’s mission is to serve our community by providing access to healthcare delivery, assistance to the underserved and clinical services for prevention and treatment of disease.  Having a mission pursued with such passion and integrity has benefited both Magee General Hospital and the community it serves and will certainly continue to be an integral part of both in the future.

 

Magee General Hospital nearing completion of Phase I of new facility

Magee General Hospital is preparing for the opening of Phase I of its new facility, part of a comprehensive project that will see the entire hospital replaced as new wings are added over the next several years.

Althea Crumpton, chief executive officer of MGH, said the first phase of the extensive project contains 12,000 square feet and will be fully staffed and ready for patients by late spring. The estimated cost of this part of the project is $5.5 million, Crumpton said.

Crumpton said that years of planning and consideration of numerous factors culminated in the decision to first open a “patient-centered” wing to provide all of the modern conveniences requested by those currently utilizing the hospital.

“We have been concerned for some time about the fact that our facility built in the 1940’s did not meet patient and visitors’ comfort and accessibility needs,” Crumpton said. “For that reason, we chose to concentrate on meeting those vital needs in this first phase.”

Crumpton said one of the most visible means of meeting this goal was placing the main entranceway on Simpson Highway 149, or “Old 49” leading into the City of Magee.

“For many years, the main entrance faced this main thoroughfare and it was a convenient way to enter the hospital,” she said. “Due to the advanced age of this section and other safety factors, the entrance was moved to the back of the facility. We are aware of the inconveniences this has caused. We are very pleased to remedy this problem during the first phase of construction.”

Crumpton said adequate and easily accessible parking will be available near the front entrance. The entranceway will feature a circular drive and covered portico to allow vehicles to drive-through and allow patients to comfortably disembark.

Crumpton said the new facility is designed to be more accommodating to those with physical disabilities. The facility has first floor entry from the parking lot. In addition, the entrance and adjacent lobby and waiting areas will be wider to accommodate wheel chairs and walkers.

A two-story tower, the new building’s signature feature, will allow natural light to pour into the spacious hallway leading into the new lobby and waiting area. Soft lighting combined with paintings and well-appointed furnishings will combine to create a soothing, relaxing atmosphere for both patients and visitors, Crumpton said.

Other areas included in the first phase include an admissions and registration area, large laboratory department with an adjacent waiting area and the respiratory department. HealthTrust, the hospital’s foundation, will also be located in the new area.

Crumpton said the decision to include these areas in the first phase was made after evaluating the current level of patient access and utilization.

“There was an immediate need to include a spacious lobby and waiting area, along with an admissions office, to increase the comfort and convenience level of patients and visitors,” she said. “In addition, the lab is one of our busiest clinical areas, servicing hundreds of companies and employees in need of out-patient screenings. This new area will be much more accessible to those entering the facility for a short time.”

Crumpton said dates for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first phase will be announced within the next month. The public will be invited to attend what she terms, “a wonderful, historically-significant event in the life of Magee Hospital.”

Construction set to begin on Magee Hospital’s new Medical Center of Excellence

Participating in the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Medical Center of Excellence are, from left: District 90 State Representative Joe Warren; Dr. R. S. Runnels, Sr.; Stanley Shows, representing Third District U.S. Congressman Chip Pickering; MGH board member Betty Wade; Dr. Kelli Smith; District 39 State Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith; Sam Cameron, President of the MS Hospital Association; MGH HealthTrust Executive Director Glenda Grayson; Althea Crumpton, MGH Administrator; Dr. Charles Pruitt III; Melissa Anderson, MGH Chief Financial Officer; District 77 State Representative Clint Rotenberery; and Magee Mayor Jimmy Clyde.

Magee General Hospital officials hosted a groundbreaking ceremony July 10 for a new medical center that will offer innovations in health care for patients and health professionals in the area and set a new standard for medical care.

Upon completion, the new Medical Center of Excellence will entirely replace the 1936 structure that received additions in 1972 and 1988.

Althea Crumpton, MGH administrator, said the front entrance facing Old Highway 49 will be the first area to be demolished to prepare the site. Construction of the first phase will begin this fall and should be completed within one year. Crumpton said demolition will be done in stages as new areas are completed to prevent interruption of patient care and services.

The first phase of construction will encompass 22,000-square-feet and provide modernization and expansion of surgical suites, laboratory, waiting areas for both patients and families, a spacious lobby fronted with a covered canopy and a new office for HealthTrust, MGH’s Foundation.

“In our current facility, it has become challenging for us to keep up with increasing patient demand and make room for current advancements in medical technology and treatment,” said Crumpton. “We’ve designed this new facility with the future in mind to not only fit today's medicine, but tomorrow's innovations. The new Medical Center of Excellence is truly an investment in our patients' health today and for the future.”

Crumpton said the new facility will enhance all of the hospital’s inpatient and outpatient services, which include treatment from medical professionals representing a growing array of medical specialties.

"Our new facility will have the infrastructure necessary to deliver enhanced and innovative care to patients. Additionally, we can provide our team of physicians with many of the resources and technologies utilized at much larger hospitals across the state.”

Magee General adds new furniture

Magee General Hospital in Magee added $126,309 worth of new furniture to benefit patients and guest in the emergency room, the medical-surgical unit, the Senior Care Unit and the labor and delivery unit. The purchases are part of a plan to update and renovate the facility.

Magee General begins $25 million expansion

Magee General Hospital in Magee will start a $25 million expansion soon in hopes of attracting more doctors to Magee. Officials plan to demolish the 70-year-old section of the hospital that houses a laboratory and outpatient services. The facility employs 260 workers and has 64 beds for patients. A three-phase expansion will include a larger lab and surgery area, new labor and delivery section and radiology department. The facility needs two obstetricians and two pediatricians.

McNulty named 2006 Outstanding Citizen of the Year

The Magee Chamber of Commerce recently named Joe McNulty, chief executive officer of Pioneer Health Services, the 2006 Outstanding Citizen of the Year. Dr. Charles Pruitt received the Spirit of Magee Award. Pruitt was recognized for his efforts to make Magee General Hospital a success.

McNulty holds a degree in psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. He began his career in health care as a respiratory therapist.

New clinic underway in Magee

Construction is underway for the new Magee Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Clinic located on the campus of Magee General Hospital in Magee, across from the Pedz ‘n Teenz Clinic. The modern 3,000-foot facility will serve patients requiring diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative services.

Jackson's Cardiovascular Associates practicing in Magee

Dr. Warnock


Dr. Waterer

Jackson-based Cardiovascular Associates, an 11-physician group specializing in cardiology diagnostics and surgery, recently opened a bi-weekly practice in the Magee Outpatient Specialty Clinic in Magee, associated with Magee General Hospital. Drs. James L. Warnock, Jr., and H. Chris Waterer III are the physicians who will man the Magee location.

Dr. Warnock is a cum laude graduate of both Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He completed an internship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He completed his medical residency at UMC, serving as chief resident. Dr. Waterer earned his medical degree from UMC, where he also completed his internship, a residency in internal medicine and a cardiology fellowship.

Dr. Lundquist joins MGH

Davin Lundquist, MD, has joined Magee General Hospital as a family medicine specialist. Dr. Lundquist previously served as a family practitioner at the Naval Ambulatory Care Clinic in Port Hueneme, California. He is a member of the Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians and is a Diplomate with the American Board of Family Physicians.

He received his medical degree from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He completed his family medicine residency at the Naval Hospital in Bremerton, Washington, where he served as chief resident.

Dr. Lundquist's office is located in the Medical & Surgical Clinic of Magee, adjacent to the hospital. His first day of business will be Monday, Oct. 3.

Dr. Karen Bruce joins medical staff

Karen Hemphill Bruce, MD, has joined the active medical staff of Magee General Hospital. Dr. Bruce is a specialist in family medicine. She will begin seeing patients at the Medical and Surgical Clinic on Aug. 8. She is taking over the practice of Dr. Rudy Runnels.

Bruce is a native of Brandon and now resides in Mize. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. She completed a family practice residency at the University of Tennessee in Jackson.

There will be a reception at South Fork Fish House on Aug. 6 to honor the retirement of Dr. Rudy Runnels and to welcome Dr. Karen Bruce and her family.

Bruce's husband, Al, is a registered nurse. They have been married for seven years and have a two-year-old daughter, Laney.