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Rendering of North Mississippi Hematology & Oncology Associates building.

The current building project of one of Tupelo's premiere healthcare facilities will triple the clinic's space, offer better care for patients and give an economic injection to an area of town needing a boost.

Leaders of North Mississippi Hematology & Oncology Associates (NMHO), founded in 1979, are renovating the former Food World building on South Gloster Street with a projected grand opening in July.

Senior partner Dr. Charles W. Montgomery said motivation for the project was the pressing lack of space to deal with patients appropriately at their present facilities.

"The waiting room is so cramped, family members of patients must sit on the steps or wait in their cars," he said. "We have steadily grown and our patients need someone to come with them. Unfortunately, they can't take care of themselves."

Presently, there are only two offices to check patients and not enough chemotherapy bays and places to draw blood. Montgomery said there are bottlenecks everywhere in the cramped space, prohibiting the flow of patients.
"We cannot move people around quickly enough and could not recruit additional physicians. They would say, 'If I come, where will you put me?' We decided to move on this project and I'm glad we did," he said.

Montgomery says he's moved four times since locating in Tupelo in 1979. Once he moves to South Gloster Street he's confident he won't have to move again. The building and surrounding acreage afford adequate space for future growth.

In anticipation of the move to larger quarters, two new staff members joined the association last July: Dr. David G. Morris and Brian N. Walker, DO. They bring the number of physicians to six, including Montgomery and Drs. Christopher C. Croot, Julian B. Hill, and Andrew H. Kellum. The group also has two nurse practitioners and other employees for a total of 50 on staff.


Undercover Research
Intent on making the $10 million renovation project patient friendly, architect Michael Jones wanted to see exactly what patients go through at the clinic. With only Montgomery and the head nurse aware of his real identity, Jones spent a day there incognito and was able to see the challenges of the process.

"To understand our clients, we do unusual things," he said. "I was concerned about what patients go through; the process and logistics. How long do they wait? I wanted to flow through the space like a patient."

Located in the Tupelo office, Jones is a partner with JBHM Architects. The firm also has offices in Jackson, Columbus, Memphis and Biloxi. He was given a false lymphoma diagnosis for his day at NMHO, listened to information about the illness from a nurse, had blood drawn and sat in a chemo bay taking a glucose drip for four hours.

"I listened to patients talk and took pages of notes. I tried to educate myself and got an idea of what they go through," he said. "In the new design, I created loops to work better; like the spokes of a wheel. In that way, the patient is always progressing through the process. Changing spaces and the environment will move them through faster."

Montgomery agrees that keeping people moving will make the wait seem shorter. "Getting them in and out quicker along with larger waiting and patient rooms will be the main advantages of the bigger space," he said.

Jones says the new facility will be more open and brighter for patients. He put a lot of thought into making the space work more efficiently for the patients.
"They are there for six hours at a time taking chemotherapy," he said. "I'm glad we could make it better for them. I'm also glad we took a building that was an eyesore and added value to it and made it a positive for the community. I wanted to serve my clients the best I could."

The old Food World building stood vacant for some time. The renovation project will mark significant revitalization to the area.

"This is quality construction that will improve the neighborhood," said Tupelo Mayor Ed Neely. "We're pleased to see positive development in South Tupelo that gives new life to an existing property."

The building was chosen because it is large, can be refurbished and used immediately, can be expanded if needed, is less than half a mile from the hospital, and has easy access off Gloster Street.

"We looked at all these factors," Montgomery said. "This medical center will be easy for patients and older people to navigate."

The location has ample parking space but Montgomery says the parking area will be improved with landscaping and some reconfiguring. With lots of glass added, the building's front will look entirely different. Part of the roof was removed to create an open air courtyard.

Future plans call for an on-site pharmacy, expanded research facility, radiation oncology services, a snack center and headquarters for hospice and home care services.

"There's no timetable to develop these other things but we hope to be a one-stop shop," Montgomery said. "It's such a good project. We're committed to getting in. Then we'll look at adding other things. It leaves us a lot of options."

The group treats all cancer diagnoses and blood disorders using chemotherapy, immunotherapy treatments, biological response modifiers and various supportive therapies. Research has been an integral part of the Associates' mission. In 1984, NMHO was first recognized by the National Cancer Institute as a Community Clinical Oncology Program. From that year to the present, approximately 750 patients have participated in clinical trials.

"Participating in clinical trials gives patients access to treatments that may not otherwise be available, and it gives NMHO a chance to help others by contributing to research that improves its standard of care," Montgomery said. "Our research department will be greatly affected by the new location, which will have room for additional staff and more clinical trials in different areas, enabling us to stay up to date."

The Tupelo facility draws adult cancer patients from North Mississippi, Northwest Alabama and Southwest Tennessee. NMHO has satellite offices in Columbus and Corinth.


May 2007

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