North Sunflower Medical Center

North Sunflower Medical Center is a rural critical access hospital located in Ruleville, Mississippi with 95 beds and approximately 500 employees. The medical center includes a surgical center, sleep center and outpatient rehabilitation unit.^[1] The center partners with other facilities to provide specialty care, including the Mississippi Sports Medicine Center.^[2]

History

North Sunflower County Hospital opened October 9, 1950 with 19 patient rooms and a total staff of 15 members, plus 6 physicians. It was built to provide hospital services for the citizens of the area and for all who came through its doors, regardless of their ability to pay. North Sunflower County Hospital also encompassed the first hospital-based Home Health Agency in Mississippi.

In 1955, the first additions to the hospital were made to add additional patient rooms. The semi-private rooms were remodeled to include in-room bathrooms to replace the central bath. In 1963, the Nursing Station B was added in addition to 15 Acute Care beds.

In August 1972, renovation and modernization project in the older section of the hospital was begun and the number of hospital beds was increased to 31. In December 1974, superficial improvements to the nursing wing was begun and the dietary corridor was constructed; improvements to meet Life Safety Code was completed; a Coronary Care Unit was established; renovation of the remaining portion of the original building was completed; improvements were made to the Outpatient, Lab and Radiology Departments; expansion of surgical and obstetrical suites to provide for projected needs; and replacing all of roof cover on original buildings. The total footage of the hospital was increased to present 44,000 square feet.

In 1977, Station C (which later became the Walter B. Crook Nursing Facility) was constructed. In 1989, the Walter B. Crook Nursing Facility opened. In May 1994, construction completed the renovation and 30% expansion of present Walter B. Crook Nursing Facility’s Dining Room and a new Administrative office for social programs office. The expansion also added 4 additional nursing home rooms. Walter B. Crook Nursing Facility’s footage was increased to a total of 22,000 square feet. In 1998, the number of beds in Walter B. Crook Nursing Facility was increased to 42 and the Alzheimer’s wing was added for an additional 7,700 square feet of space. Walter B. Crook Nursing Facility now has a total footage of 29,700 square feet. In 2004, North Sunflower County Hospital changed its name to North Sunflower Medical Center and began expanding its services.^[1]

Turnaround

Starting in 2004, North Sunflower overcame several market factors facing rural hospitals all over America.^[3]

In 2011, North Sunflower Medical Center opened the much anticipated Beacon Wellness Center, a 33,000 square foot facility which houses a Surgical Wing, Administration, The Sleep Center and a State of the Art Wellness facility. North Sunflower Medical Center is a diversified facility with services including a 25 bed Acute Care/Swingbed Critical Access Unit, 60 bed Skilled Nursing Facility, 10 Bed Senior Care Unit, an Out-Patient Geri-Psych Program, Radiology Services, MRI, 64 Slice CT Scanner with Cardiac CTA Scan, Doppler, Emergency Room, Durable Medical Equipment, Lab Services, GI Lab, a wide range of Surgical and Outpatient Procedures, Sunflower Dental Clinic, Sunflower Eye Station, Sunflower Diagnostic Center, Nuclear Stress Testing, Cardiology, Cardiac Rehab, School Screen Team, Hospice, Women’s Services, Mississippi Sports Medicine, Pediatrics, Trina Health, Poditary Clinic, Gynourology and Sunflower Clinic – open EVERYDAY from 8am – midnight, Specialty Clinic offering Wound Care Services and last but not least Simply Sunflower – Gift, Flower, & Scrub Shoppe. North Sunflower Medical Center, under CEO Sam Miller, has a staff of approximately 500 employees, countless physicians, and Certified Family Nurse Practitioners.^[1] Miller is one of 33 Hospital CEO's in the country who were originally Registered Nurses. ^[4]

North Sunflower Foundation

Formed in July 2007, North Sunflower Medical Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of North Sunflower Medical Center, providing a separate non-profit entity aimed at supporting and improving healthcare in the Mississippi Delta. The Foundation is recognized as a tax-exempt under United States Internal Revenue Service Code 501 (c) (3).^[1]

References