1969: New program enables UMMC to treat young cancer patients

Published on Monday, July 29, 2024

By: Gary Pettus, gpettus@umc.edu

During its 69-year history, the University of Mississippi Medical Center has made contributions to the state, and the world, in medicine, science and education. Each month, we’ll recognize at least one of these major accomplishments.

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This year marks the 55th anniversary of the beginning of the pediatric oncology program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center with the recruitment of Dr. Jeanette Pullen, a pediatric oncologist, and the late Dr. Richard Miller, a pediatric surgeon. Before their arrival, all pediatric cancer patients had to be sent out of state for treatment. Today, the Children’s of Mississippi Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, completed in 1991, is the only center in Mississippi offering comprehensive care for children with cancer or blood-related diseases.