Main ContentWho We Are
Recognizing talent and teamwork
Monthly Extra Mile Award Presentation at Lakeland Medical Building
Exceptional patient care
Head and Neck Surgeons perform surgery with a resident
Community Outreach
Department members, families and friends packed over 5,000 meal kits for undeserved children in the community.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
The Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery first started in 1955 as a division of the Department of Surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. James D. Hardy had been recruited from the University of Tennessee in Memphis to serve as chair of the surgery department, and Dr. Edley Jones of Vicksburg, Miss., became the first chief of the otolaryngology division and was one of the original faculty members. Dr. Jones had trained in the beginning specialty of eye, ear, nose and throat disease at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Temple University, and the Chicago Eye and Ear Infirmary. He served as chief of the division until 1960.
Dr. Godfrey Arnold was named chief of the division and served in that position from 1963-79. He received his training in otolaryngology at Vienna University and Berlin University. Dr. Arnold came to UMMC after serving as faculty at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. His interests in voice disorders led to national fame for his influence on laryngology and introduction of Teflon for vocal cord paralysis.
The residency program in 1963 began with Dr. Arnold as its program director. The first resident to actually complete the entire otolaryngology program was Dr. William Thomas Moore.
After Dr. Arnold's retirement, Dr. Myron Lockey of Jackson was division chief for about a year. Dr. Lockey completed his otolaryngology training at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Dallas.
Dr. Winsor V. Morrison, who trained at Washington University in St. Louis and came to UMMC from the University of Tennessee in Memphis, followed as chief from 1981-93 at which time he retired. Dr. Vinod Anand finished his training at New York's Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital and Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh and became division chief for the next eight years.
Dr. Scott Stringer, who trained at the University of Texas Southwestern, was recruited from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 2001 to be chief of the division. In 2002, the division split from the surgery department and became its own department with Dr. Stringer as its first chair.
Under Dr. Stringer’s leadership, the department experienced incredible growth in the first two decades of its life. Our faculty members have come to be recognized as national leaders in research, education and clinical care in our field. Our faculty compliment includes over 50 otolaryngologists, audiologists, speech language pathologists and researchers with interest in several fields.
Our department prides itself on having fun, promoting a collegial environment, providing outstanding customer service, constantly pursuing excellence and improvement, fostering diversity and inclusion, working as a team and being at the forefront of our institution and the nation in terms of innovation.
Recent Accomplishments
- Residents scored in the top 5% on their annual examination
- 100% board passage rate among residency graduates
- Matched 4 residents into competitive pediatric otolaryngology, otology and facial plastics and reconstructive surgery fellowships in the last two years
- Recent NIH research funding places us as high as the top quartile nationally
- Fellowship-trained otolaryngologists including divisions of pediatric otolaryngology and head and neck oncology
- Two state-of-the-art clinic locations seeing over 30,000 patients annually and multiple OR sites servicing over 4,500 cases annually
- Philanthropy projects including screenings in under-served communities to community service events in a food pantry to international humanitarian trips
- Offer clerkship funding for under-represented minority medical students interested in otolaryngology
Department Vision
Our vision is to be recognized for delivering the very best service to our patients, our students, our citizens, and each other. We will select great people, value their contributions, and support them in fulfilling their aspirations as a member of our successful team. Together we will establish lofty goals and confidently pursue them knowing that we will succeed.
Department Core Values
- Deliver an effortless customer experience
- Pursue excellence and improvement in all we do
- Promote a fun and collegiate work environment
- Develop talent and teamwork by hiring the best and encouraging diversity of thought
- Strive to be at the forefront of our institution and the nation in terms of innovation across all three mission areas
Our Team
Our faculty is comprised of over 50 otolaryngologists, audiologists, speech-language pathologists and researchers with interest in several fields. We utilize talented and outstanding scribes in our ENT clinics, consisting of 15 residents, 10 advanced practice providers, and 9 nurses. We also have a large clinical support staff who provide an excellent patient experience at each encounter, along with a fully staffed administrative team who ensure all administrative department needs are met.
UMMC
The University of Mississippi Medical Center, located in Jackson, is the state's only academic health science center. UMMC includes six health science schools: medicine, nursing, dentistry, health related professions, graduate studies, and population health. Enrollment in all programs is more than 3,000 students.
The Medical Center's three-part mission is to improve the lives of Mississippians by educating tomorrow's health care professionals, by conducting health sciences research, and by providing cutting-edge patient care. A major goal of the Medical Center is the elimination of differences in health status of Mississippians based on race, geography, income, or social status.
With more than 10,000 full- and part-time employees, UMMC is one of the largest employers in Mississippi.