Newsroom

Hattiesburg, MS - Merit Health Wesley welcomes Matthew Banks as Chief Executive Officer. Banks has most recently served as Chief Executive Officer at Davis Regional Medical Center, a 144-bed CHS affiliated hospital in Statesville, NC. “Matthew has a proven track record of success,” said Gardner Fletcher, M.D., Board of Trustees Chairman. “We look forward to seeing his enthusiasm and experience continue to strengthen the quality care we provide our patients in the Pine Belt.” Prior to his work at Davis R... ... Read More

Leakesville – Merit Health Medical Group welcomes Nurse Practitioner, April Hinton, FNP-C, to its primary care clinic in Leakesville. Hinton, a native of McLain, joins Nurse Practitioner Winette Denmark, FNP-BC, providing family medicine expertise to the area. Hinton, a graduate of Greene County High School, returns to the area after working as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Family Health Clinic of Grenada in Grenada, Miss. Previously, she worked as a registered nurse in Hattiesburg, Columbus, and Green... ... Read More

By: Heather Waters, D.O. It’s that time of year again—cold and flu season. Colds and the flu often occur around the same time of year and both have similar, unpleasant symptoms. While it can be hard to differentiate between the two, it’s important to distinguish the cause of your symptoms to determine the best course of treatment. The common cold The most common symptoms of a cold are within the respiratory system and include a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, cough or chest discomfort. Treatment for the... ... Read More

Merit Health Wesley welcomes Carol Upton as its new Chief Operating Officer, overseeing hospital operations and clinical departments as well as physician relations. Upton comes to Merit Health Wesley from Gilmore Memorial Hospital in Amory, Miss., where she has served as Assistant Chief Executive Officer since 2015. She has ten years of experience in healthcare leadership, having served as Director of Operations and Physician Services and Director of Business Development at Gilmore Memorial, and as Dire... ... Read More

Merit Health Wesley welcomes Stephen G. Fletcher, D.O. as a new hospitalist, joining the inpatient care team of Kurt Bruckmeier, M.D., Gagan Grewal, M.D., Kosana Simeunovic, M.D., Deepu Thoppil, M.D., and Andrea Braswell, N.P. The inpatient care team is responsible for the care of hospitalized patients, working with the patient’s primary care physician and any other needed specialists to determine the best methods of care for each patient. Fletcher attended medical school at William Carey University Col... ... Read More

Merit Health Wesley welcomes Carol Upton as its new Chief Operating Officer, overseeing hospital operations and clinical departments as well as physician relations. Upton comes to Merit Health Wesley from Gilmore Memorial Hospital in Amory, Miss., where she has served as Assistant Chief Executive Officer since 2015. She has ten years of experience in healthcare leadership, having served as Director of Operations and Physician Services and Director of Business Development at Gilmore Memorial, and as Dire... ... Read More

Merit Health Wesley’s Graduate Medical Education residency program has seen great success since its inception in July 2015, recently holding graduation for 15 resident physicians and welcoming a new class of first-year residents. Merit Health Wesley’s residency program was developed in 2015 with two areas of focus, Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine. The Traditional Rotating Internship program (TRI) was added in 2017. This is the first full class to graduate since the program’s beginning. Over the... ... Read More

Hattiesburg, MS – Merit Health Wesley has been awarded Gold Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care by Planetree International. This certification recognizes Merit Health Wesley’s achievement and innovation in the delivery of a patient experience that goes beyond the norm in today’s healthcare environment. Merit Health Wesley is the first healthcare organization in Mississippi, one of only 26 nationwide and one of only 85 worldwide to receive the Person-Centered Care Gold Certification sinc... ... Read More

Hattiesburg -- Merit Health Wesley and the American Red Cross are joining forces to host a community blood drive on Friday, June 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Glenn Smith Room at Merit Health Wesley, 5001 Hardy Street. Blood is a perishable product that can only come from volunteer blood donors. With someone in the U.S. needing blood every two seconds, blood products must be constantly replenished. “Merit Health Wesley is committed to strengthening our community and helping meet patient needs throug... ... Read More

Hattiesburg -- Merit Health Wellness Center invites children ages 5 through 12 to get moving all summer long at Healthy Habits Summer Camps. “Creating positive habits for lifelong wellness should start at a young age,” said Kevin Weldon, Manager of Merit Health Wellness Center. “It’s our responsibility to teach children how to make exercising and wellness a fun part of their daily activities.” Offering activities from Zumba and swimming to healthy eating lessons and Kid’s Yoga, children will learn about... ... Read More