UMMC opens Colony Park North outpatient campus

The University of Mississippi Medical Center is expanding access to specialty surgical care in the Jackson metro area with the opening of Colony Park North, a new hospital outpatient facility designed to make surgical and clinical services more accessible. 

Located on the west side of Interstate 55 North, just north of Renaissance at Colony Park, the approximately 131,000-square-foot campus includes a medical office building, ambulatory surgery facility, advanced imaging services and education space. Clinics will open in phases beginning this month, with the first surgeries scheduled March 31. 

The new location represents UMMC’s continued effort to meet patients where they are — reducing travel, simplifying appointments and improving access to specialized care. 

“Modern health care requires delivering the right care in the right setting. By moving appropriate outpatient services into a facility designed specifically for them, we can improve scheduling, reduce wait times and create a better overall experience for patients and families while keeping the main hospital focused on complex and emergent care,” said Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for health affairs.

The building features two wings connected by a central lobby entrance with a covered drop-off area for patients. A one-story ambulatory surgery facility is located on the right side of the entrance, while a three-story medical office building stands to the left. 

Patients will benefit from convenient parking and easy in-and-out visits for outpatient procedures, as well as a shuttle bus stop connecting the campus to UMMC’s main medical center. A Cups coffee shop is also expected to open in March. 

The ambulatory surgery facility includes six operating rooms and two procedure rooms and supports a wide range of same-day surgical care. 

“The opening of the Colony Park North ambulatory surgery facility represents a transformative step in UMMC's ability to deliver high-quality surgical care. This state-of-the-art facility, designed specifically for outpatient procedures, offers patients a more streamlined, comfortable experience from arrival to discharge,” said Dr. Chad Washington, chief perioperative executive. 

“It also allows us to dedicate more of our main campus perioperative resources to the Mississippians who need our state's most complex surgical care. This strategic growth positions UMMC to continue providing excellent surgical care over the next decade by expanding access, improving efficiency and focusing on the needs and experiences of our patients.” 

Support services housed on site include a full-service laboratory, pre-operative testing, post-operative clinics, occupational and physical therapy, pharmacy services and sterile processing. 

Colony Park North will offer diagnostic imaging capabilities including MRI, PET, CT, X-ray and ultrasound, allowing many patients to complete consultations, testing and procedures in one location. 

Specialties represented in the medical office building include cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, dermatology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) and plastic surgery. 

Cardiology services will be among the first to open, beginning Feb. 17. 

“Opening our cardiology clinic at Colony Park North will make it easier for patients in the metro area to get timely heart care by bringing services closer to where they live and work, removing barriers that often delay evaluation and allowing us to identify and treat heart issues before they become more serious,”  said Dr. Michael McMullan, director of the Division of Cardiology. 

Orthopaedic and plastic surgery clinics will follow on Feb. 23, with additional clinics opening throughout the spring. Ophthalmology, gastroenterology, dermatology and otolaryngology are expected to begin seeing patients in April. 

“This represents a meaningful step forward in our continued commitment to patient-centered care,” said Dr. Matthew Graves, chair of orthopaedic surgery. “An increasing number of orthopaedic procedures have appropriately transitioned from the inpatient setting to the ambulatory environment, where care delivery is more efficient and patient-focused. 

“Ambulatory surgery centers and medical office buildings are inherently easier to navigate and less intimidating than a large hospital campus, reducing friction in the patient experience. The ability to manage the full continuum of a musculoskeletal episode—from initial evaluation through surgery and follow-up—in a single, state-of-the-art ambulatory location meaningfully enhances continuity, efficiency, and overall patient satisfaction.” 

By combining specialty clinics, imaging and surgery in one location, Colony Park North is intended to reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment while providing a more convenient experience for patients and families. 

“This facility represents the future of how many services will be delivered,” Jones said. “As Mississippi’s academic medical center, UMMC must continually evolve how we deliver care. Colony Park North allows us to expand access to specialized services while also supporting education and innovation in new models of outpatient care.”