Merit Health Natchez Has Broad Impact on Miss-Lou Region
4/12/2022
Natchez, MS – Over the course of a year, the impact of Merit Health Natchez adds up as the skilled and compassionate hands of physicians, nurses and other team members deliver safe, quality care around the clock every day. Beyond clinical care, the hospital is a major employer and regularly invests resources to expand and enhance the services available locally. The overall community benefit each year is significant and totaled more than $58.6 million in 2021.
Last year, the hospital and clinics delivered care at more than 79,400 patient visits as the pandemic heightened the need for medical care. The hospital has supported more than 760 COVID inpatients since March 2020 while sustaining all of its other medical services. To help protect the community from the COVID-19 virus, 1,400 vaccine doses were provided and more than 400 outpatients were treated with monoclonal antibodies, helping them avoid serious symptoms and hospitalization.
“We provided quality care for patients with COVID and also for other members of our community who had a broad range of medical needs,” said Garett May, chief executive officer for Merit Health Natchez. “Our community is truly fortunate to have this resilient and committed team of clinicians and caregivers here in the Miss-Lou region who make a difference for so many patients each day. We helped people get well and live healthier, and that was evident in so many ways - patients left with less pain following a joint replacement, a heart beating in rhythm after receiving a pacemaker or a smile of relief when their screening mammogram or colonoscopy was clear.”
Employees and medical staff brought their skills and compassion to support more than 19,400 emergency department visits, more than 3,000 inpatients and perform more than 2,400 surgeries. Over 54,000 patients received care across the Merit Health Medical Group physician clinics, outpatient therapy, imaging and lab services. We also delivered joy to local families as more than 600 babies were born.
Merit Health Natchez continues to invest medical services, facilities and technologies that are important to patients. These include upgrades to pharmacy, outpatient therapy services, cardiac rehab and nuclear medicine.
As the hospital works to continuously meet patients’ needs, it also gives back to the broader Miss-Lou region. Merit Health Natchez provided over $19 million in charity and uncompensated care for the community’s most vulnerable. And the $3.6 million paid in property, sales and GRT taxes helps support civic resources and services.
The hospital is pleased to provide more than $36,000 in donations and work with local charitable and community organizations such The Natchez-Adams County Humane Society, The Children’s Christmas Tree Fund and The Natchez Stewpot through monetary donations made to these in honor of our medical staff at Christmas.
The hospital’s payroll of more than $29.8 million ripples across the local economy as employees buy goods and services. The hospital also made capital improvements totaling more than $2.6 million. Major capital investments were made in our nursing areas to purchase new patient transport chairs; defibrillators; patient evacuation chairs; dialysis machines and telemetry boxes to support delivery of quality patient care. A swing bed program was added to our hospital services in 2021, enabling us to accommodate acute inpatient or skilled nursing services according to patient needs.
May continued, “We are part of this community and we are committed to doing all we can to provide excellent healthcare services and to making the Miss-Lou region a healthier, better community for all.”
To help the community live healthier, Merit Health Natchez last year launched a free e-newsletter with a monthly dose of health and wellness inspiration sent directly to your inbox. Sign up at https://MeritHealthNatchez.com/enewsletter-sign-up.
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