With the recent news that the Magnolia State’s lone burn center is closing come October, the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) has announced that it will be stepping in to fill the void.
UMMC, the state’s only academic medical center, will be allocating both resources and expertise necessary to serve those who will no longer be able to be treated at the JMS Burn and Reproductive Center located at Merit Health Central in South Jackson.
“As you may know, the complex medical needs of burn patients require support from a broad range of specialists,” David C. Henry, CEO of Merit Health Central said. “The COVID-19 pandemic and the challenging staffing and recruitment environment have made it increasingly difficult for us to recruit the breadth of specialists needed to maintain the burn program, which is the primary reason why this decision was made.”
With coordination by Mississippi MED-COM, which is located at UMMC in the Mississippi Center for Emergency Services, burn patients who require a higher level of care will either be accepted and cared for at UMMC or transferred to the most appropriate regional burn center for treatment.
“We are enhancing our burn care capabilities to respond to this lack of service in the state,” Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs said. “We constantly evaluate ways we can meet the medical needs of Mississippians and other patients in the region who require the complex care that we can provide. It’s essential that burn patients in the area receive care in a timely manner, so we are stepping in to fill this need.”
