History
Merit Health Central is a 319-bed health care facility that has been serving the central Mississippi area for more than 40 years.
In 1987, Merit Health Central began providing radiation oncology and diagnostic services through its Cancer Care Center. Fourteen years later, the hospital opened the Robert R. Smith, M.D., Gamma Knife Center, which houses the state's first gamma knife for patients with inoperable brain tumors.
1993 saw the addition of the behavioral health program to the hospital. The program expanded and now includes a geripsych unit. Our psychiatry services provide a structured, intensive, physician-supervised program for adults and seniors with behavioral problems and emotional illness.
In 1995, Merit Health Central unveiled the Wound Care Center as an outpatient department with a nationally recognized diabetes management program. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was added to provide wound treatment.
Merit Health Central opened the Cardiac Care Center in 1996. It now has two high-tech cardiac catheterization laboratories. An electrophysiology lab was added in 2003 to complement existing cardiac services and to allow Merit Health Central's cardiac specialists to treat patients with cardiac arrhythmias by performing interventional cardiac catheterization procedures and cardiac surgery.
Merit Health Central organized a hospitalist program in 2000 in response to physician requests. Hospitalists provide 24/7 medical care to adult patients during their hospital stay, partnering with patients' primary care physicians to coordinate medical services and answer questions for patients and their families.
Merit Health Central became the first hospital in the state to introduce a pediatric hospitalist program in 2002. In 2002, Merit Health Central became one of the nation's first hospitals to add a PET/CT scanner to its nuclear medicine department to enhance its cancer and cardiology programs.
Merit Health Central celebrated the expansion and creation of several services in 2003, including a new, beautifully renovated and expanded 14-bed pediatric unit. The Behavioral Health Center expanded its adult services to include a freshly renovated 18-bed senior care program. A digital Sleep Diagnostic Center and a Pulmonary Function Laboratory were also established.
In 2004, Merit Health Central became the state's first medical facility to offer digital mammography combined with a special computer-aided detection system, for its extensive women's services program entitled Sorella - A Comprehensive Breast Health Center. Sorella offers digital mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, needle biopsy, ultrasound and vascular ultrasound in a relaxing, spa-like environment. A bone densitometer for the detection of osteoporosis is also provided at the Center.
Also in 2004, a Balance and Hearing Center was created, and the telemetry unit was expanded to a 22-bed transitional care unit.
Merit Health Central continued to provide community members with advanced health care in 2006. The rebirth of the center's postpartum unit on 3NW was unveiled, featuring the newly renovated 16-bed unit for new mothers and gynecology patients.
In 2007, Merit Health Central invested nearly $3 million to upgrade its radiation oncology program by adding intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), an advanced mode of high-precision radiotherapy that uses computer-controlled X-ray accelerators to deliver precise radiation doses to a malignant tumor or specific areas within the tumor while minimizing radiation exposure of surrounding normal tissues.
August 2007 introduced The Women's Pavilion at Merit Health Central. Located on the third floor of the hospital, the Pavilion includes the newly renovated labor & delivery, postpartum and gynecological rooms. The Women's Pavilion is designed to provide care for every woman in every stage of her life. Services include prenatal testing, childbirth education, newborn care, neonatal intensive care, newborn outpatient assessment, lactation consultation, pre- and post-operative care for GYN surgery patients, labor/delivery services and nutritional counseling.
In October 2007, Merit Health Central added The Joint Center to its list of services. Patients recovering from hip or knee surgery receive individualized treatment using a process that can significantly reduce pain and improve recovery time for patients. This personalized care is provided by health care professionals who are dedicated to answering questions and providing the necessary tools in order to assist in the most optimal recovery. Also in October, The Robert R. Smith, M.D. Gamma Knife Center at Merit Health Central upgraded the state's first gamma knife to new technology for patients who have brain tumors, vascular malformations and facial pain. Merit Health Central is one of the first hospitals in the country to provide this gamme knife technology to patients. The gamma knife treats benign and malignant brain tumors, metastatic tumors, vascular malformations, and trigeminal neuralgia.
On December 17, 2012, Merit Health Central opened the area's first ACE (acute care for the elderly) inpatient nursing unit. The ACE unit is dedicated to improving the care of patients 65 years of age or older. Merit Health Central is the only hospital in Jackson to receive certification as a Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) hospital to specialize in geriatric care.