Newsroom

NATCHEZ, Miss. –October 20, 2020 – Merit Health Natchez today announced that Registered Nurse Emily Moak has been selected to receive its Nursing Excellence Award. This peer-nominated award, created in honor of 2020 being the “Year of the Nurse,” and in recognition of the critical role nurses have played in treating patients throughout the COVID pandemic, was open to qualifying RNs and LPNs working in a direct patient care position who consistently demonstrate characteristics synonymous with nursing exc... ... Read More

Leaders of Merit Health announced today the availability of a toll-free helpline designed to help Medicare beneficiaries select a health plan that fits their needs and budget. The free helpline connects callers with licensed agents who can assist in comparing traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Supplement and Prescription plans, and then facilitate enrollment in the plan selected. Through this program it will be easier for Medicare beneficiaries to find a plan that is best for them during Medicare... ... Read More

Hattiesburg - Merit Health Wesley welcomes internal medicine physician Aravind Raghavan, MD to the medical staff as a hospitalist. “Hospital based medicine is an important part of our organization’s inpatient care,” says hospital CEO, Matthew Banks. “Hospitalists coordinate care throughout a patient’s stay, ensuring that each patient receives full-spectrum medical attention in conjunction with the care of their specialty providers.” Raghavan comes to Merit Health from Baystate Medical Center in Springfi... ... Read More

Over 1,395 Surgeries Performed Locally with Robotic-Assisted Technology NATCHEZ, Miss. –October 6, 2020 — Local general surgeon Dr. Geoffrey Flattmann joined an elite group of surgeons when he performed his 500th robotic-assisted surgery on Thursday, October 1, at Merit Health Natchez. Over 1,395 patients have benefited from robotic-assisted surgeries performed at the hospital. Benefits recognized by these patients may include significantly less pain; less blood loss; less risk of infection; shorter hos... ... Read More

September 25, 2020 – Christy Anderson, MSNEd, RN, NPD-BC, has been named director of emergency services at Merit Health Rankin. Anderson joins Merit Health Rankin from HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe in Conroe, Texas where she served as director of clinical operations as well as director of education. She has previously served as a nurse in the areas of geri-psych, telemetry, ICU, ED, and cardiac cath lab. She earned her BS in nursing and MS in education from Grand Canyon University. With over 17 years of... ... Read More

NATCHEZ, Miss. –August 7, 2020 —Merit Health Natchez will be hosting a Community Blood Drive with the American Red Cross on Wednesday, August 12 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. All healthy individuals are encouraged to give blood now to ensure a steady supply for patients who rely on lifesaving transfusions, as well as to ensure hospitals have the blood needed to save lives. Representatives with the American Red Cross will be located in a private area on the first floor of the hospital during the hours mentioned.... ... Read More

Program increases to 67 resident physicians HATTIESBURG –Merit Health Wesley’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency program, which has seen great success since its inception in July 2015, recently held a virtual graduation for 23 resident physicians. At the same time, the GME program welcomed a new class of 28 first-year residents. The program now includes 25 emergency medicine, 30 internal medicine and 13 transitional year residents. The program started with two areas of focus, Emergency Medicine... ... Read More

System Has Helped Dramatically Improve Need for Second Surgeries Following Lumpectomies Flowood, July 1, 2020 – Merit Health Woman’s Hospital has installed a new 3D specimen tomosynthesis imaging system to help breast cancer surgeons better visualize tumors during lumpectomy procedures. The system has been shown to dramatically improve surgeons’ and facilities’ re-excision rate, the rate at which second surgeries need to be performedfollowing a lumpectomy due to lingering cancer cells. The specimen tomo... ... Read More

Joey Crain has been named senior care director at Merit Health Rankin. Crain is a registered nurse with a master of nursing/healthcare administration degree from The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. With over 20 years of healthcare experience, Crain provides oversight to the geriatric inpatient behavioral health unit. In his role, he manages the day to day activities of the unit, patient care and community outreach. The majority of Crain’s healthcare career has been serving individua... ... Read More

Health and Safety of our Patients and Employees Remain our Top Priority NATCHEZ, Miss. – June 8, 2020 — Effective today, Merit Health Natchez is announcing new guidelines for hospital visitation. “Throughout the pandemic, the health and safety of our patients and employees continues to be our top priority,” said Lance Boyd, CEO of Merit Health Natchez. “As we continue to monitor patient access and flow, adhere to our strict safety measures in place, as well as follow guidelines provided by the Centers f... ... Read More