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Check your deductible status and FSA balance to see if there’s money to be saved or used HATTIESBURG, MS (November 13, 2013) - Most consumers pay significant premiums for their health insurance, but not everyone takes full advantage of the benefits of insurance coverage, especially once the annual deductible has been reached. Using your health plan benefits for medical visits, screenings and procedures is the best way to support your overall health. And, as the current plan year comes to an end, right n... ... Read More

Hattiesburg, MS - Brenda Carroll, RN, MSN has been named chief nursing officer at Merit Health Wesley. “With more than 20 years in nursing and 13 years in nursing leadership, Brenda has a proven record of reliability, responsibility and compassion toward patients and co-workers,” says Todd Blanchard, chief executive officer. Carroll comes to the Pine Belt from Ascension Via Christi St Teresa Hospital in Wichita, KS, where she served in several leadership roles since 2012, serving as clinical care coordi... ... Read More

Flu, COVID-19 and RSV viruses will be circulating PETAL, MS – To protect yourself and those you love when respiratory viruses are circulating this fall and winter, getting vaccinated against both the flu and COVID-19 will be important. Individuals who are age 60 or older may also need to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). These three viral, respiratory illnesses are active this year and hospital admissions for COVID are already starting to increase around the country. Merit Health... ... Read More

28 Residents Graduate; 29 New Residents Arrive in Hattiesburg HATTIESBURG - Merit Health Wesley’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency program, which has seen great success since its inception in July 2015, recently held graduation for 28 resident physicians. At the same time, the GME program welcomed a new class of 29 first-year residents. The program now includes 23 emergency medicine, 29 internal medicine and 12 transitional year residents. The program started with two areas of focus, Emergency... ... Read More

Hattiesburg, MS — Merit Health Wesley announced that it will be offering a new treatment, an endometrial ablation solution for women suffering from heavy periods. The cryotherapy device is an FDA-approved endometrial cryoablation technology that can safely and effectively reduce heavy periods and cramping. It uses cooling technology to naturally minimize pain.   “Cerene cryoablation, freezing of the uterine endometrial lining, is transforming how we treat heavy periods by allowing us to prioritize ... ... Read More

HATTIESBURG, MS – Temperatures across the United States are rising and so are incidents of heat exhaustion. In fact, between 2016 and 2021, the number of patients diagnosed with heat exhaustion between the months of May and September rose by 53%. Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of water and salt. Symptoms include dizziness, headache, nausea and muscle cramps and the condition is more likely to affect the elderly, those with high blood pressure and people who work in a hot env... ... Read More

Hattiesburg, MS – Merit Health Wesley welcomes interventional cardiologist, Rami Heart, D.O., FACC, to the medical staff. Heart joins long-standing interventional cardiologist F. Alan Covin, M.D., electrophysiologist Abishek Jaiswal, M.D, and cardiovascular surgeon Gregory Groglio, M.D. “The technology we have available in the cath lab today to help patients who either have heart disease or a heart attack is really amazing,” says Heart. “But the most important thing we do is to help our patients prevent... ... Read More

Hattiesburg, MS - To celebrate National Doctors Day, Merit Health Wesley made a donation to the Edwards Street Fellowship Center. The $5,000 check was made through the United Way of Southeast Mississippi, and 100 percent will be designated for Edwards Street to continue providing free medical care to underserved communities. “What this represents is healthcare for people who, without our free clinic, (are) really underserved, their main place to receive medical care is just an emergency room, and they m... ... Read More

Hattiesburg, MS – Merit Health Wesley recently welcomed Corey Smelcer as director of human resources. Smelcer has a strong background in employee recruitment, development and engagement. Originally from Atwater, California, Smelcer attended Brigham Young University of Idaho, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science with an emphasis in human resource management. He earned his Professional in Human Resources certification and began his career in human resources with Cargill, an agricultur... ... Read More

Hattiesburg, MS – Daylight Saving Time (DST), the yearly practice of setting clocks forward one hour between March and November has been observed in much of the United States since 1966. The idea behind DST is to “save” natural light, since spring, summer, and early fall days typically get dark later in the evening compared to late fall and winter days. The non-DST period between November and March is known as Standard Time. When DST starts at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10, 2023, we’ll set our clocks forwa... ... Read More