Building for the Next 100 Years: Baptist begins construction of new facility

Contact: Robby Channell, 601-968-5135 rchannell@mbhs.org

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Jackson, Miss. - September 22, 2006 -- On Monday, September 25, 2006 an historic event will take place near downtown Jackson as Baptist Health Systems, Inc. begins the count down to its 100th anniversary with construction of a new tower located on the west side of Baptist Medical Center.

In 1908, two Jackson physicians opened a clinic at the corner of Manship and North State Streets that became Mississippi Baptist Hospital, Jackson’s first hospital. Construction of the new tower will be completed in September 2008 commemorating the 100th year a hospital will be in this location.

At 4 p.m. on Monday, doctors, nurses and staff from Baptist Women’s Services and Baptist Heart Services will break ground to make way for the construction of a 205,000 square foot, six level tower with dedicated entrances for both a women’s and a heart hospital. There will be no additions to the Medical Center’s inventory of 649 beds. Completion of the tower is estimated to be in the year 2008. Estimated construction cost is $40 million.

At 5:30 p.m., the official ground breaking ceremony will take place with a ceremony of “100 Lights.” The 100 lights will be carried by physicians, board of trustee members, retirees, current staff and former patients. The ceremony represents passing the torch of excellence in healthcare from one generation to the next.

Among our special guests will be the physician who performed Baptist’s first open heart surgery in 1971 and the patient. Approximately 90 current employees and physicians who were at Baptist when the medical center moved from across the street 30 years ago also will be participating.

The groundbreaking event will take place behind Baptist Medical Center. To reach the ceremony from North State Street, turn on Marshall Street and enter through the gate at the back of the hospitalp.

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