Baptist Opens Cardiovascular Surgical Clinic

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

Jackson, Miss. - November 26, 2008 - Baptist Medical Clinics opened its newest clinic, Baptist Cardiovascular Surgery, with cardiovascular surgeons, William J. Harris III, M.D.; William S. Horsley, M.D. and Charles S. O’Mara, M.D. All three are board certified by the American Board of Surgery and are Fellows of the American College of Surgery. The clinic is located in the Colonnades Medical Office Building on Marshall Street in Jackson, Miss.

Dr. Harris is a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Mississippi State University in Biomedical Engineering. He completed an internship and residency in general surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and was named Chief Administrative Resident during his final year. He then completed a residency in cardiothoracic surgery under the direction of Dr. Al Pacifico at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. An additional year was spent as an Instructor at UAB. He is board certified in General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery. His practice concentrates on adult cardiac surgery with special emphasis on heart valve repair and replacement, the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation, surgery of the aortic root, and re-operative coronary artery bypass surgery.

Dr. Horsley, a native of Auburn, AL, graduated Valedictorian from the University of Alabama and AOA from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham, AL. He completed a year of cardiovascular research at the Carlyle Fraser Heart Center in Atlanta, GA, and finished an internship and residency in surgery at Emory University Affiliated Hospitals. Dr. Horsley went on to complete a cardiothoracic surgery residency also at Emory, and he is board certified in both general and cardiothoracic surgery. His practice includes both heart surgery and vascular surgery, as well as nonsurgical peripheral vascular interventions.

Dr. O’Mara, a native of Jackson, graduated from the University of Mississippi as a Taylor Medal recipient. He was first in the graduating class and AOA at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He completed surgical residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and vascular surgery fellowship at Northwestern University in Chicago. He then spent two years on the vascular surgical staff at Johns Hopkins before returning to practice in Jackson. He holds the certificate of special competence in vascular surgery. He has served as Chief of the Medical Staff and as a board member at Baptist Hospital. His practice encompasses the full range of vascular and endovascular surgery.

Baptist’s Cardiovascular Services has a rich history of experience and leadership in the care of patients with coronary and vascular conditions. In fact, physicians at Baptist performed Mississippi’s first open-heart surgery in a private hospital more than 30 years ago.

For more information on Baptist Cardiovascular Services, click here or call the Baptist Health Line at 601-948-6262 or 1-800-948-6262.

:: Back to 2008 press releases