Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership unveils Mississippi Healthcare Corridor

Metro Jackson will soon host a five-mile urban course at the crossroads of Interstates 20 and 55 via the new Mississippi Healthcare Corridor (MHC), a project recently unveiled by the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership.

Described as a “higher education brain trust working with industry to bring solutions to modern challenges,” the chamber’s Healthcare Initiatives Division developed the plan to unite the medical and corporate communities along a centralized path as a way to brand and promote the Greater Jackson area as a regional healthcare destination.

“In discussions with many of the current partners, we determined that there were many projects and plans being developed in the area to the surprise of each other,” said Primus Wheeler, executive director of the Jackson Medical Mall, which represents the heart of the MHC. “In fact, some of our plans were duplicative. We all agreed that our efforts would be enhanced if we had a consolidated plan that accomplished all of our goals.”

Wheeler represents the 7-member steering committee representing healthcare institutions, government, education and businesses identified with Woodrow Wilson Boulevard. The committee has worked on the concept for roughly a year.

Preliminary plans call for the boulevard, once one of the roughest stretches in the city, to be transformed with enhanced traffic flow for automobiles and pedestrians, greenspace, lighting, designated MHC signage and landscaping improvements. The proposed corridor would include a medical research park that the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) plans to build at the old Farmers Market and an expanded Hawkins Field to attract more medical helicopter traffic and training. Amenities enhancing the corridor include an 18-hole municipal golf course and the Jackson Zoological Park.

“When developed, this initiative will eventually create an economic impact in the hundreds of millions of dollars for the entire state,” said David Powe, MD, associate vice chancellor for administrative affairs and chief administrative officer for UMMC.

The concourse, as described in a Rich Perspectives-produced promotional video, represents “where pathways come together … a place with unique character offering hotels, restaurants and nightlife … and a hearty helping of the city’s legendary hospitality with places to live and play in a community where a mix of cultures is working toward a common vision of shared success.”

Funding or timetable specifics for the proposed corridor were not available at press time.

“The strategic planner is in place,” said Wheeler. “We just finished the first (60) days of an eight-month planning process.”

Already, the MHC has 50 community partners, from Baptist Health Systems to West Jackson Community Development Corporation.

“The MHC welcomes all healthcare and other business interests to join as partners,” said Wheeler. “The partners will play a key role in the planning process.”

Medical professionals can help by becoming a partner; considering locating a business in the designated areas; and helping recruit other businesses to the area, said Wheeler.

Earlier this year, Clay Hays Jr., MD, board chairman of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership and an officer for the Mississippi State Medical Association, helped birth the Healthcare Initiatives Division to ensure that healthcare received appropriate recognition as a major economic driver.

“Creating a separate division to focus on new projects related to healthcare and promoting the Greater Jackson region as a healthcare destination is a major accomplishment,” noted Hays.

The second annual Global Obesity Summit to be held in early 2012 is among the division’s projects.

“This event will bring together again internationally renowned scientists, clinicians, state leaders, business leaders, and healthcare policy makers to Mississippi to discuss innovative solutions to the causes of obesity, preventive strategies, and therapeutic management approaches,” said Lindsay Buford, vice president of the Healthcare Initiatives Division. At press time, a date for the summit had not yet been set.

Other Healthcare Initiatives Division projects include collaborating with all major hospitals and healthcare institutions by setting up tours and special events for the business community as an effective way to promote new activities at each facility. The division is also working on a study to show the economic impact of each healthcare institution in Central Mississippi, and a public relations campaign to promote the Central Mississippi region as a healthcare destination.

The division will continue to host the Heartbeats of Jackson health fair event, during which all major hospitals provide free cardiovascular screenings to the business community. Organizing a new city visitation tour to focus specifically on healthcare, and embellishing the MHC with retail and mixed-use development space are among other division initiatives.

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