Mississippi's supportive policy landscape for telemedicine, including services for residents coping with mental illness, has earned the state an overall “A” rating from the American Telemedicine Association in its 2016 state-by-state report card.

Mississippi is among only eight states earning that highest score in the association's evaluation of performance in telemental and behavioral health. The Center for Telehealth at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2015 recorded 1,600 psychiatry patient encounters -- nearly double the 900 in 2014.

The center fills gaps in mental health services in the state's rural corners by offering general and specialized psychiatric services delivered by an experienced team of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, counselors and therapists.  Patients ranging from children to the elderly are treated using a live audiovideo stream on a computer that connects them with specialists at UMMC. Visits are conducted discreetly in their local doctor's office, or locations including schools, hospitals or community mental health centers.

Most people are aware that the University of Mississippi Medical Center employs a lot of nurses - almost 2,000 - to provide patient care, but the 20-plus nurses who never see a patient face-to-face may be a surprise.

These nurses have set aside their stethoscopes for fast processors and computer keyboards to work behind the scenes, contributing to patient care from in front of computer screens.

They are the nurses of the Division of Information Systems, many of whom are on Epic teams, and their offices are located at the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center. What they have in common is a love of nursing and technology.

Mary Craft, Epic nursing informatics specialist in the Department of Nursing Quality and Development, is a liaison between Epic (UMMC's electronic health record) and nursing services at the Medical Center. During her 30-year career, she has served as the “TB nurse” for the Hinds County public health department, as a home health-care nurse, as a nursing consultant, as a utilization review nurse and as a case manager at UMMC.

Craft said she has always had an affinity for technology. At one point in her career, her employer was a beta client for a new software vendor.

A physician assistant at UMMC is among 20 hepatologists nationwide to earn an AASLD clinical fellowship; a pair of graduate assistants receive professional opportunity awards; and the Medical Center is counted among the nation's "most wired" health-care facilities.    

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

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