Points of Pride

Good morning.

From time to time, it’s good to pause and take inventory of all the accomplishments in our three-part mission. Today I’m going to do just that.

The foundation of this institution – training future health professionals, caring for patients and leading impactful research – is strong, and all of you who contribute to the mission should know what has taken place over the last few months. Our faculty, staff and students all work toward a common goal – improved health outcomes for Mississippians. We are making significant progress in our multifaceted mission, giving us so many reasons to celebrate.

I could go in great depth on all the outstanding activities across the Medical Center, but in the interest of time, I’m sharing a few recent highlights from each of our mission areas.

• We’ve seen significant growth in research funding over the past four years, supported by a 31% increase in grant submissions and research agreements and a 63% increase in clinical trial activations.
  
  
• Dr. Dustin Sarver received a $3.6M grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for the AWARE in Mississippi project which aims to increase mental health awareness, foster resilience, and strengthen access to trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and family driven mental health services and supports. The study is a partnership among the Mississippi Department of Education, the Mississippi Achievement School District, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, our state’s Federation of Families organization, community providers and multiple programs across UMMC, MSU and USM.
  
  
• Our current institutional portfolio of large federal awards is the highest ever and includes three Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence and multiple national grants and agreements.
  
  
• March was the highest month of surgical cases across all departments in our history.
  
  
• UMMC received the distinction of the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Ventricular Assist Device Destination Therapy.
  
  
• The Medical Center received the 2023 MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology
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• UMMC has secured a two (out of three) STAR rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for both isolated coronary artery bypass graft and aortic valve replacement surgery outcomes.
  
  
• Our neurology residents performed at the 90th percentile in the nation this year on the annual in-service training exam.
  
  
• The Jackson Free Clinic earned a GOLD Rating from the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics Quality Standards Program.
  
  
• UMMC ENT residents scored as the No. 1 program in the country on the American Board of Otolaryngology Training Exam.
  
  
• UMMC’s retention rate (students who remain in their program of study) is 93%.

  
  
• UMMC’s graduation rate across all schools is 93%.
  
  
• Our 2023 graduating medical school class had a 98.8% match rate on Monday of match week. Nearly all schools and programs can claim near 100% match rate by Friday of match week following the series of supplemental match rounds, known as the SOAP. However, a 98.9% match rate before the SOAP is a historic achievement.
  
  
• A virtual nurse pilot program, which is introducing a new nursing model of care, started on 6 West.
  
  
• The UMMC Medicare Transplant Center was re-accredited for all organ programs with zero deficiencies noted during the external review.

As you can see, we have many reasons to feel positive about the future of the Medical Center. This is only the beginning, and I look forward to sharing more exciting news with you in the future. Progress in our mission areas moves us closer to A Healthier Mississippi.