UMMC designated as a Mississippi Burn Center by state Department of Health

Published on Tuesday, April 11, 2023

By: Patrice Guilfoyle, pguilfoyle@umc.edu

Photos By: Joe Ellis/ UMMC Communications

The Mississippi State Department of Health has designated the University of Mississippi Medical Center as a Mississippi Burn Center.  

Department of Health officials reviewed UMMC’s application for designated burn center status and visited the campus March 21 to assess compliance with the rules and regulations of the Mississippi Trauma Care System and standards of care.  

"We are pleased that the University of Mississippi Medical Center has been deemed qualified to provide the level of multidisciplinary care required for burn treatment,” said Dr. Peter Arnold, professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “The depth of medical skills and resources of an academic medical center make UMMC uniquely qualified and an ideal location for burn treatment in the state.” 

As the state’s only Level I trauma center, UMMC has a multifaceted care team for burn patients that will include specialists in emergency medicine and trauma surgery, as well as several sub-specialties in plastic surgery, critical care, laboratory medicine, mental health, occupational therapy and physical therapy. 

In January, the UMMC Mississippi Burn Center was established on the Jackson campus following the October closure of Merit Health Central’s burn unit in Jackson. UMMC has steadily developed the center in response to Mississippians needing burn care close to home. 

One of the Medical Center’s goals for the burn center is to earn accreditation from the American Burn Association.