Baptist North Mississippi broke ground on its new facility on Oct. 29. The new hospital will benefit the Oxford community and the Baptist Memorial Health Care System, as well.
“If we can improve the surroundings that our patients are in by building a new facility, it makes it easier for patients and families to get health care here,” said Bill Henning, administrator and CEO of Baptist North Mississippi. “If we can improve the environment the patients are in while they’re here, that obviously improves patient satisfaction, which will increase the number of patients who come to Baptist for care.”
Henning considers the groundbreaking event a success.Baptist North Mississippi breaks ground on new facility_2
“The community is very excited,” Henning said. “We had a very large crowd at the groundbreaking and people have been giving us great feedback on what we’re doing here.”
The new five-story hospital will have 602,831 square feet, 217 beds and comprehensive medical and surgical services.
According to Henning, the hospital sees a large number of patients who do not stay for extended periods of time. “We designed a facility that kept those patients more in mind, so we can meet their needs and their families’ needs while they are here in the hospital. So this process has been a complete reshaping of how we handle patient flow.”
By modernizing the facility and offering new and improved accommodations, Baptist North Mississippi will be a great asset to the surrounding communities. Patients and families will be able to enjoy larger rooms, updated waiting areas, expanded health service capabilities, and a more even flow of patient admission and discharge. All these new features add up to a less stressful hospital visit for the North Mississippi community.
After working closely with city and county planning, as well as multiple community presentations and educational sessions, Henning says the new facility is exactly what the community needs. “We already provide a lot of regional services for most of North Mississippi; this new facility will just enhance our ability to do our job well.”
Since Baptist became affiliated with the Oxford facility in 1989, Baptist has invested significant funds into the hospital, and the medical staff has grown from 20 to more than 120 physicians.
“With the growth our area has experienced in the last decade, building a newer, updated hospital to serve the community became an easy decision,” said Henning. “Baptist North Mississippi will continue to offer the right care in the right location, allowing patients to stay close to home while receiving high-level care.”
According to the Sparks Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Memphis, the FY2012 economic impact of Baptist North Mississippi was estimated at a total production of goods and services (output) value of over $241.2 million; total salaries, wages, and benefits of $92.0 million; 2,141 full- and part-time jobs; and state and local taxes of $9.0 million.