During the annual Excellence in Research Awards, 26 University of Mississippi Medical Center researchers were recognized for bringing in the most outside funding for their projects.

During a particularly busy work week, Bill Ray started feeling a cold coming on.

He knew the inconvenience the worsening symptoms would bring, problems he said he didn’t have time to deal with during such a hectic schedule.

Around the same time the cold started taking hold, Ray was giving a speech at the Mississippi Telehealth Association’s conference in downtown Jackson. There to tout a virtual health-care delivery program, one his own company had recently joined, Ray had joked with the crowd about needing to “visit” the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Center for Telehealth clinic.

He went online from work shortly thereafter and had a consultation with a health-care provider.

A few days later, a noticeably improved Ray, the president and CEO of BankPlus, was demonstrating the effectiveness of the telehealth system to Gov. Phil Bryant – all from a computer set up in his company’s HR offices in Ridgeland.

BankPlus, the largest Mississippi company to sign on with UMMC’s Corporate Telehealth program, has made the program available to all 725 employees at 60 of the company’s locations. By the fourth week in operation, the program has already treated nearly 50 patients – including its CEO.

“We did this to save our employees and company money,” said Ray, who said his company offers its employees access to the telehealth services for free. “There’s no co-pay, no cost to the employees.”

And the cost savings come in from the company by reducing the amount of time employees may be absent while waiting at a doctor’s office for a consultation.

Blood donations at the Medical Center have waned throughout the last four years, and administrators are hoping UMMC faculty, staff and students will help reverse the tide this holiday season.

After collecting 1,460 units during the “Drive for 1955” campaign in 2010-11, Mississippi Blood Services personnel obtained 866 units in 2011-12 and 577 units in 2012-13. Since March 2014, only 487 units have been donated at UMMC.

“We would like to encourage every eligible donor to find the time to donate during this holiday season,” said Renee Howard, administrative assistant in clinical lab administration who organizes the Medical Center’s blood drives.

The timing has never been better – and the opportunity never more convenient – than next week, when Mississippi Blood Services personnel visit the Medical Center Dec. 15-19 for the quarterly UMMC Blood Drive.

The message for the drive is "When you give blood, you give someone another holiday, a day to play in the snow, a night under the stars, a walk with a friend, a laugh, another hug, another chance."

All donors will receive an MBS T-shirt with that message. Identification is required to donate blood.

Times, dates and places for the drive include:

* 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, between the Guyton Research Center and the School of Medicine;

* 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, between the Guyton Research Center and the School of Medicine;

* 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, between the Guyton Research Center and the School of Medicine;

* 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, near the Bailey Avenue entrance to the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center;

* 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, at Grants Ferry (call Rod Simmons at 5-0600 for more information);

* 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18, near the Batson Children's Hospital entrance; and

* 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, near the University Hospital entrance.

Be sure to look for the MBS donor coach when making a donation. For more information about the blood drive, call Renee Howard at 4-2884 or send her an email at rhoward@umc.edu.

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