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Nise Branson, a mail clerk at UMMC's post office, sorts mail for the Medical Center's many departments.
Nise Branson, a mail clerk at UMMC's post office, sorts mail for the Medical Center's many departments.

That’s My Job: Receiving and Post Office

Published on Monday, January 13, 2025

By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu

Photos By: Melanie Thortis/ UMMC Communications

Putting supplies, equipment and mail into the right hands is vital at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and its locations including the Jackson Medical Mall and UMMC Grenada. That’s part of the mission of Receiving and the U.S. Post Office at UMMC.

Part of Supply Chain Management at the Medical Center, the Receiving team is an essential link between suppliers and UMMC, receiving, reviewing shipments and approving them.

“We verify what’s coming in and work with Accounting every day,” said Courtney Reynolds, supply chain director, a three-year UMMC employee who served in logistics in the rank of captain in the U.S. Army. “We make sure that we’ve received exactly what was ordered.”

Since the Medical Center’s postal center is a contract U.S. Post Office, the people who keep the mail moving are UMMC employees.

Members of the Shipping, Receiving and Postal Service team for the UMMC main campus are, front row, from left, Kendric Thomas, Sophia Beverly, Chanel Beverly and Joshua DeLoach; second row, Eric Terrell, Courtney Reynolds, Roshonda Baker, Cory Spooner, Velika Michael and Nise Branson; and third row, Shelton Perry, Charles Stewart, Duane Garrett, Stafford Collier and John Campbell.
Members of the Shipping, Receiving and Postal Service team for the UMMC main campus are, front row, from left, Kendric Thomas, Sophia Beverly, Chanel Beverly and Joshua DeLoach; second row, Eric Terrell, Courtney Reynolds, Roshonda Baker, Cory Spooner, Velika Michael and Branson; and third row, Shelton Perry, Charles Stewart, Duane Garrett, Stafford Collier and John Campbell.

“We’re a fun, easy-going bunch, and we enjoy each other’s company,” Reynolds said of the 18 Receiving employees at UMMC and six at UMMC Grenada. “Some of us are new employees, and some on our team have been at UMMC 15 to 30 years or more. We’re all dedicated to making sure the Medical Center’s supplies, orders and information arrive and are delivered where needed quickly and accurately.”

Couriers travel between the Medical Center, Grenada, Lexington and Durant to deliver supplies needed for care.

In all, employees in Receiving process 500 to 600 shipments a day, Reynolds said. They also receive orders from Amazon and print orders from Hederman Brothers Printing. Nearby, in the Post Office, about 800 to 1,000 pieces of mail are delivered each day, going to departments throughout the Medical Center.

Kendric Thomas, a material management supply tech, handles a load of deliveries.
Thomas, a material management supply tech, handles a load of deliveries.

Supply Tech Kendric Thomas, part of the Receiving team for about five months, said making deliveries all over the UMMC campus and beyond is his favorite part of the job.

“We serve the whole hospital, so it’s interesting to see the different areas the Medical Center includes,” he said.

Velika Michael, mail clerk and an 11-year UMMC employee, said talking with her fellow UMMC coworkers – in her department and throughout the Medical Center campus – is the best part of her job.

“I enjoy seeing everyone,” she said.

Ashley Williams, inventory and materials management coordinator at UMMC Grenada, loves the camaraderie of the team.

“I love working for UMMC in Grenada,” she said. “We work together as a team. When one of us needs some help, we do not mind jumping in and assisting them to help the work run smoother. I work with the suppliers to make sure all our departments have what they need to run smoothly.”