Navigating change with resilience

At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, we’re always evolving to provide the best care possible. The transition of cancer care to the main Jackson campus is a meaningful step toward that future, which will one day include a brand-new home for the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute and, importantly, National Cancer Institute designation.

Change – whether it’s improving the state’s cancer outlook or moving a busy outpatient clinic – is never simple, though. While there have been a few short‑term disruptions after the move, the improvements ahead will make a lasting difference in care. Our cancer clinics are now in the UMMC Medical Pavilion on campus at the state’s only academic medical center, putting them closer to expertise including the renovated radiation oncology area at the basement level of Conerly Critical Care Tower.

Moving clinical care involved months of planning and hard work in departments throughout the Medical Center. In early February, employees and patients alike were adjusting to a new space and technology including check-in kiosks.

Just as we were working to adjust to the new location, UMMC was hit with a cyberattack. This left our cancer care team adjusting to operations on paper, operating a command center inside a conference room and searching for ways to provide care without the technology on which we’ve come to depend.

None of this has been easy, but the resilience that CCRI team members continue to show is incredible. The determination of our team is fueled by the knowledge of why this move matters. Mississippi leads the nation in cancer deaths, making a higher level of cancer care a must for the state.

Every day, we’re working to build a stronger foundation for the future of our cancer care. One that will give our teams better tools, better space and better support for the work you do every day. The path may feel uneven sometimes, but the destination is worth the effort.

The progress achieved so far – ranging from added navigation help for patients to new state-of-the-art stereotactic radiosurgery equipment that’s available nowhere else in the state – is nothing short of amazing.

Our teams are working to find solutions to the issues you’ve encountered and are prioritizing fixes that will improve daily operations.

To everyone who is on this journey with us from our Division of Information Systems to the nurses, doctors, technologists, researchers and social workers on the front lines in our fight against cancer – thank you for your patience, professionalism and perseverance. Your commitment is what keeps us moving forward in Building a Healthier Mississippi.