Patients needing long-term care won't have to travel far to receive special medical services.
Thursday afternoon, Greenwood Leflore Hospital hosted an open house for Greenwood Specialty Hospital, an extended area that offers long-term acute care for patients who need specialized 24-hour care by nurses and physicians in a hospital setting.
Located on the second floor of GLH, the hospital provides services for the acutely ill who may be too sick to return to their home or to a nursing home, said Dr. John Payne, medical director of the specialty hospital.
And the patients seem appreciative of the service.
"The doctors and nurses have provided great care during my stay here," said Mary Steele, who has been a patient of the specialty hospital for about four weeks.
The hospital's major clinical programs focus on respiratory and ventilator patients, complex wounds and post-surgical complications, said Payne.
"As a surgical consultant, I provide surgeries of any type as well as provide medical opinions to patients concerning any medical problem they may have," said Dr. Raymond Girnys, who has been with the hospital for a year.
The specialty hospital provides services to patients from small towns such as Cleveland, Clarksdale and Grenada.
Patients have come from cities as far as Jackson and Tupelo, Payne said.
The program has been in operation for about two years, said Regina Givens, director of business development.
"We provide a 40-bed facility for patients. Our patients are referred by attending physicians, nursing homes or physician clinics," she said.
The average stay for a patient is 25 days or longer, if needed, said Givens.
It is the only long-term acute care facility in the area, said Shanta Dean, director of medical records.
"We serve an average of 25-30 patients daily," she said.
"The specialty hospital program is a great addition for the patients we serve. It has also provided job opportunities," said Payne.
The hospital will host another open house Sept. 28 to educate the community on its services.
