What's the quickest and easiest step University of Mississippi Medical Center employees can take to protect patients from infections?

Wash their hands, every time, with every patient contact.

It's that simple - yet it's a step that's skipped about half of the time by Medical Center employees who have direct contact with a patient, such as a doctor or floor nurse, or indirect contact, such as members of housekeeping.

University of Mississippi Medical Center hypertension specialist Dr. Zeb Henson works closely with patients whose dangerously high blood pressure puts them at risk of heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular diseases.

In a state that received an F ranking for access to palliative care, the Palliative Care Team at Batson Children's has pulled to the top of the international class.

The team was recognized by the International Journal of Palliative Nursing during a ceremony held Monday, Sept. 14 at the Honourable Artillery Company in London.

Dr. Rick Boyte, professor of pediatrics and division chief of pediatric palliative medicine at Batson Children's Hospital, accepted the IJPN Development Award on behalf of the Palliative Care Team. The development award "celebrates the achievements of a team or an individual working in an area of the world where palliative care services are relatively new."

The Medical Center is proud to announce the following additions to its faculty and leadership staff:

The UMMC Alliance selects its leadership slate for 2015-16, while the institution receives national acknowledgement for its predictive analytics efforts.