When it comes to being fit, it’s no surprise that Mississippi has the highest national rate of physical inactivity – 38 percent of the population - according to stateofobesity.org.

Ditto for alarmingly high rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart and kidney disease, maladies for which physicians often hand out a prescription for regular exercise.

That’s being addressed by the University of Mississippi Medical Center as it kicks off the year with new medically related health and wellness offerings that focus on exercise and healthy living. UMMC is acquiring the Courthouse Racquet and Fitness centers in a transaction that is part purchase/sale and part gift. 

“We don’t need any new studies to show the medical benefits from exercise, independent of weight reduction,” said Dr. Zeb Henson, an assistant professor in UMMC’s Department of Medicine whose specialties include hypertension and internal medicine.

“This is just another forward step we’re taking on a road to achieving our vision of a healthier Mississippi,” said Dr. James Keeton, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine.  “To move Mississippi toward a healthier future, we need to be a leader in this field and our learners need to be exposed to it as part of their training.”

Not just exercise, but education is key to health and wellness, Henson said. Learning how to get healthy and stay healthy through wellness programs can be just as important as shedding pounds, he said.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center experienced another momentous year of growth growing in 2014. Big stories have become the norm, and the past 12 months were no different.

Strong leadership and 10,000 committed employees at UMMC create an environment where doing the unexpected is expected. Health care, education and research mix to produce stories that cause people on and off this campus to take notice of where this institution is headed and how it plans to take Mississippi with it. 

A healthier Mississippi is the destination, and some of the stories listed below are lights along the path to get there.

Here are some of the items, sometimes sad, that put UMMC in the state and national news in 2014.

We at the Division of Public Affairs have been happy to tell the story of your accomplishments, and look forward to doing the same in what we expect to be another headline-making year in 2015.

When expectant mother and current UMMC resident Dr. Jasmine Kency was experiencing some discomfort on New Year’s Eve, she went to have a manicure and pedicure to relax.

But, she said, the nagging pain in her back prompted her to call her husband, Dr. Fred Earl Kency Jr., and go to the hospital to make sure everything was OK.

“I told you the manicure was worth it,” she joked with her husband the next morning as she held her newborn son, Fred Earl Kency III or “Trey,” while surrounded by local media cameras. 

The couple, their child, and her manicure were all featured on local TV for a story about the first baby of the New Year at UMMC and one of the first 2015 newborns in the state.

The Medical Center is proud to acknowledge those employees who will celebrate service anniversaries this week:

35 Years

* Bobbie Simon, senior IT solutions strategist, Information Systems

25 Years

* Beverly Freeman Adams, nurse, University Hospital (2 South)
* Sandra Shines, hospital coder, Coding

20 Years

* Huimin Zhang, researcher, School of Medicine (Physiology and Biophysics)

15 Years

* Felicia Fleming, health care benefits coordinator, Medicaid Eligibility
* Anthony Henry, instrument and supply technician, Batson Children’s Hospital (Newborn ICU)
* Qingmei Shao, researcher, School of Medicine (Neurology)
* Carla Williams, ambulatory coder, Holmes County Hospital (Health Information Management)

10 Years

* Ann Adams, nurse, Batson Children’s Hospital (Newborn ICU)
* Teresa Duncan, assistant professor of dental hygiene, School of Health Related Professions
* Valerie Needham, nurse educator, University Hospital (Ambulatory Surgery)
* William Needham, nurse educator, Batson Children’s Hospital (Newborn ICU)
* Eric Payne, CRNA, School of Medicine (Anesthesiology)
* Krystle Wilson, administrative assistant, Physical Facilities

5 Years

* Dr. Rosanna P. Bahadur, assistant professor of ophthalmology
* Kimberly Clyde, nurse, 5 Bone Marrow
* Shannon Flynn, inpatient nurse, 2 MICU
* Bradley Noble, inpatient nurse, Neuroscience ICU
* Elisha Patton, ECMO specialist, Pediatric ECMO
* Latasha Robinson, billing specialist, University Physicians (Central Billing Office)

A number of interesting events is scheduled for the upcoming week at the Medical Center.