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THE SEA COAST ECHO • HANCOCK TODAY
THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2000
SPECIAL TO THE ECHO
As Hancock County's 2000 Business of the Year, Hancock Medical Center exemplifies the growth, economic impact and commitment to community that were requisite qualities of the winner.
ings and community education seminars are provided at various locations on an ongoing basis.
Construction is under way on the new Hancock Family Care Center in Kiln, a 2,000-sq.-ft. medical clinic to be staffed by a physician
Echo staff photo by Donna J. Smith
Hancock Medical Center
A steady course of progress has been charted by the hospital's administration and Board of Directors since 1998, when the facility physically doubled in size and added 38 inpatient beds. The Imaging Department now boasts a fixed-site MRI unit to complement the other state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment.
A cardiac disease management program debuted last year, where patients are under direct care and supervision of specially trained nurses, respiratory therapists and exercise specialists who oversee customized treatment programs.
The outpatient therapeutics department was established to improve patient services by streamlining emergency department traffic. Offerings include intravenous medications, injections, chemotherapy and other services.
Hancock Medical Center continues to strengthen its presence in the community with outreach efforts throughout the county.
A fourth school clinic will be sponsored by the hospital in the fall at Hancock Middle School. In an attempt to improve the health of local youth, HMC provides clinical services to Bay St. Louis and Hancock County public schools.
Registered nurses have treated thousands of students at no cost to parents or the schools. The program has been praised by school administrators, whose districts have benefited from higher attendance and healthier students.
Free immunizations are offered at the hospital the second Saturday of each month to any child under the age of 19. Other health screen-
and/or nurse practitioner.
The Hancock Multispecialty Clinic in Diamondhead offers the residents in that area convenient access to medical specialists.
Construction will soon begin on a clinic at Port Bienville in Pearlington, where services will be offered to employees at the industrial park and residents of surrounding communities.
HMC's occupational medicine network continues to grow with a focus on returning the injured employee to work as quickly as possible.
The hospital recently began offering more services in Diamondhead, with a full range of physical, occupational and speech therapy available at Hancock Outpatient Rehab Services.
The Hancock Medical Center Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization, augments the hospital's capital budget through the purchase of equipment and furnishings.
Paintings and prints by local artists are showcased on the medical center walls, courtesy of the Foundation. The annual "Moonlight on the Bay" gala dinner dance will honor retired chief of radiology Andrew K. Martinolich Jr., M. D. on Friday, September 8.
Future plans include improving access to departments within the facility. "We are constantly seeking to make services more "customer friendly," said administrator Hal W. Leftwich, FACHE.
"The desire for convenient access to outpatient services is a primary emphasis as we adapt to the changing health care needs of our community for the future."
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