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NATCHEZ, Miss. –May 8, 2020 —Merit Health Natchez is urging the local community to seek emergency care when needed – without delay. If you experience a medical emergency such as chest pain that may be a heart attack or stroke symptoms, getting care timely will support the best possible outcome. As the hospital responds to COVID-19 it is taking extra precautions, going above and beyond all normal efforts, to keep the hospital clean and safe for patients and caregivers. The latest campaign by the American... ... Read More

Mississippi Governor’s Executive Order Restrictions on Elective Procedures Expired Monday NATCHEZ, Miss. – April 27, 2020 — Patients who have delayed surgery or other non-emergency procedures can now work with their physician to secure care as Merit Health Natchez resumes some outpatient elective services starting this week. The hospital is following Executive Order 1477 issued by Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, allowing healthcare facilities to resume performing non-emergent, elective medical procedu... ... Read More

Healthcare executive Barry Moss has been promoted to the role of chief executive officer for Merit Health’s Jackson Market. Moss currently serves as CEO of Merit Health Central, and will continue in this position, which he has held for the past three years. In his expanded role, Moss will also have oversight for Merit Health Rankin, Merit Health River Oaks and Merit Health Woman’s Hospital. The CEOs of these hospitals will continue in their roles. “I’m honored to support the work of Merit Health physici... ... Read More

Law enforcement officers standing at attention and performing other duties at the funeral service of a fellow officer is a regular occurrence. Now, thanks to a nurse at Merit Health in Jackson, other devoted nurses are being afforded the same ceremonial reverence and tributes at their funeral services. Connie Williams, AGACNP-BC, felt members of her profession deserved a similar display of respect at the end of their lives and formed the Mississippi Nurse Honor Guard last year. Starting out with only fi... ... Read More

Merit Health Madison is the latest health care facility to add innovative breast imaging technology called 3D breast tomosynthesis, which can result in advanced diagnosis for patients undergoing mammograms. The innovation often improves breast cancer detection, reducing false-positive findings and the need for additional testing while offering a more comfortable experience for women. Studies definitively show 3D mammogram technology detects breast cancer better than traditional 2D mammography. While sta... ... Read More

Melissa Smith, CPCS, has assumed the role of manager of the Merit Health Market Centralized Verification Office. Smith, who grew up in Raleigh, MS, has served as the manager of Merit Health Central’s medical staff services department since 2016, and has over 24 years of experience in medical staff credentialing. Merit Health’s chief quality officer, Kim Harrell, MHA, BSN, CNOR, RN, stated “Merit Health is pleased to provide our medical providers one centralized department with which to work and apply fo... ... Read More

Kim Harrell, MHA, BSN, CNOR, R.N., has assumed the role of Merit Health market chief quality officer. Harrell most recently served as the Chief Quality Officer at Merit Health Central, a position she held nearly four years. Utilizing over 18 years of leadership experience, she will provide oversight to the quality departments in the six Merit Health hospitals in Jackson and Vicksburg. A Jackson, MS, native, Harrell completed her master’s in healthcare administration at Belhaven University. Merit Health’... ... Read More

Merit Health Central recently honored its DAISY award recipient for 2020 – Tedasii Turner-Cotton, BSN, RN, ICU nurse and house supervisor, with a surprise reception in the hospital’s ICU area. Cotton received a certificate and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved from stone by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses was developed in memory of Patrick Barnes. Patrick suffered from the auto-immune disease, Idiopathic Thrombocytope... ... Read More

Leadership at Merit Health River Oaks in Flowood recently announced the hospital has opened an interventional cardiac catheterization laboratory, a needed service in the community. Merit Health River Oaks is the first Mississippi hospital to gain approval to offer 24-hour interventional cardiac catheterization care without on-site cardiac surgical services. Prior to the opening of the lab, the hospital provided only diagnostic heart catheterizations. The addition allows the hospital to offer more clinic... ... Read More

Highest Honors Given for 2019 Award Winners NATCHEZ, Miss. –January 30, 2020 — Merit Health Natchez has named the following 2019 award winners: Johnny Guice, Planner, Facilities Management is Employee of the Year; Dianne Parker, Director of Health Information Management is Non-Clinical Manager of the Year; Shannon Russ, Nurse Director of Emergency Services is Clinical Manager of the Year; and Joyce Washington Ivery is Volunteer of the Year. These awards are the highest honors bestowed on a hospital empl... ... Read More