Singing River Celebrates 90 Years Strong of Improving Health & Saving Lives!
Singing River Health System is celebrating a milestone in 2021: its 90th year of carrying out our mission of Improving Health and Saving Lives as leaders in healthcare on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Throughout Singing River’s history, generations of talented, hard-working individuals paved the way for us to become the award-winning comprehensive care provider we are today. A team of 3,400 people who continue to stop at nothing to enhance the quality of life of others by bringing advanced medicine and technology to our region year after year.
Ninety years of this Singing River Strong culture and grit comes with a long list of “firsts” under our belt. From the first 24/7 Emergency Room and Hospitalist Team (Inpatient Physician Services) in the state to the first MRI machine, Cancer Center, and Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic on the coast. More recently, we became the first accredited Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery along the U.S. Gulf Coast from Houston to Jacksonville, Florida.
Timeline of Strong “Firsts”
- 1931 – Singing River Hospital originated as Jackson County Hospital in Moss Point, MS
- 1958 – Singing River Hospital relocates to a brand new facility in Pascagoula, MS
- 1966 – First 24/7 ER in Mississippi opens at Singing River Pascagoula
- 1968 – Ocean Springs Hospital is born
- 1987 – First MRI machine arrives on the coast
- 1999 – First Hospitalist Group of round-the-clock Inpatient Physicians (IPS) in the state calls Singing River Pascagoula home
- 1994 – First Cancer Center Opens
- 1994 – Hospice of Light becomes the first of its kind in South Mississippi
- 1996 – Sleep Center
- 1998 – Pulmonary Hypertension
- 2002 – 2021 Cath Lab Expansion to Ocean Springs and now in 2021 Gulfport
- 2003 – Wound Care Services – first multi-center hyperbaric & only pediatric wound care center on the coast
- 2020 – Ochsner Partnership
- 2020 – Gulfport Acquisition
- 2021 – Mississippi’s First Medical Apprenticeship Program Granted to Singing River
“We are always working hard to be service fanatics and to set ourselves apart in the healthcare world. When people talk about the legend of Singing River Health System another 90 years from now, it will be that we provided care on a level no other system anywhere could match. That we lived our core values and treated patients like guests, performed the highest quality procedures, served with heart and soul, and “got to yes” through teamwork. Special thanks to our community for allowing us to care for you over the last 90 years strong – it is our honor to care for you each day and look forward in doing so for many centuries to come.”
Lee Bond, Chief Executive Officer, Singing River Health System
Singing River Health System is so proud to celebrate its 90th anniversary! Take a look back along our journey to become Singing River Strong.
Jackson County Hospital first opened its doors to the public on February 1, 1931, in Moss Point. It had a 23-bed capacity and a medical staff of eight.
In 1958, a new 122-bed hospital was built and opened under a new name, Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula.
10 years later – In 1968, Singing River opened a second hospital in Ocean Springs. It opened as a 34-bed satellite facility in Western Jackson County. Now it is among 1 of 3 hospitals in our health system!
1966 – First Emergency Room
Did you know that Singing River was the first to open a 24-hour physician-staffed Emergency Department in the state of Mississippi, in 1966? It was one of the 1st six of its kind in the United States!
1978 – First MRI on the Coast!
Did you know that the first patient to have an MRI was a bell pepper in Germany, in 1978?!
After successful testing, the human skull was first examined two years later in 1980. In the first four years of the new MRI Magnetom System, it was sold to more than 150 customers worldwide. Singing River Radiology was among that group, receiving our MRI machine in 1987!
1994 – First Cancer Center
Singing River Cancer Center in Pascagoula opened in 1994, bringing with it the area’s first comprehensive cancer care. Fast forward to 2021, and we’ve opened our third Cancer Center location, spreading our high-quality services to even more of our beloved community.
Now, Singing River Health System serves cancer guests at our three Cancer Centers located in Gulfport, Pascagoula, and Ocean Springs. To get started, contact one of our Cancer Centers.
1994 – Hospice of Light
Hospice of Light, a hospice service offered by Singing River Health System, has provided terminally ill patients and their families excellent physical care and support for more than 25 years.
1999 – Inpatient Physician Services
Did you know, Singing River introduced a new concept for inpatient hospital care in 1999 – access to physician services 24/7? This is now known as IPS, or Inpatient Physician Services!
1995 – Sleep Center
Singing River Health System’s Sleep Medicine team is the most experienced Sleep Department on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We were the first health system in the state to offer sleep therapy over 20 years ago. Our Sleep Centers are fully accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
1998 – First Pulmonary Hypertension Center
The Singing River Regional Pulmonary Hypertension Center in Ocean Springs, led by Dr. Ijlal Babar is the only pulmonary hypertension center on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
2002 – First Cardiac Care Program & On-Going Expansion
Singing River’s Heart Program began in 2002 at Ocean Springs Hospital with an all-digital Cardiac Catheterization Lab, the first kind in the state. Because expanding quality care is one of our biggest missions, we have now added a third cath lab location at Singing River Gulfport as of 2021!
2002 – First Inpatient Rehabilitation
The Singing River Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center at Pascagoula Hospital is a Top 5 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility for medical rehabilitation outcomes. Our gifted caregivers’ goal is to surpass your expectations when it comes to caring for your loved ones while helping them recover from surgery, illness, or injury.
2003 – First Multi-Center Wound Care Services & Only Pediatric Provider
Singing River was the first to offer multi-center Wound Care Services with modern, state-of-the-art hyperbaric chambers to treat complex, difficult-to-heal wounds. In 2016, Singing River became the first & only Pediatric Wound Care Center on the coast with the addition of Pediatrician Dr. Tyler Sexton.
The 2010s –
First Rheumatology Clinic
Singing River Health System is the only health care provider offering Rheumatology services in Jackson County, and we were the very first provider on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our treatment of autoimmune diseases and arthritis has only improved with time.
2018 – First Skilled Nursing Facility
An award-winning, short-stay transitional unit designed for patients who are not strong enough to go home after their hospital stay but are not sick enough to remain admitted to the hospital.
Singing River’s Skilled Nursing Facility located within Pascagoula Hospital is the ONLY Five-Star Rated facility on the Mississippi Gulf Coast by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).
Fast forward to 2021, we’ve expanded that same award-winning care at the new Skilled Nursing Facility at Singing River Gulfport.
2020 – Ochsner Partnership
On June 24, 2020, Singing River Health System and Ochsner Health signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement to expand access to high-quality, cost-effective care in the organizations’ communities.
Joining forces with Ochsner Health just makes sense, given Singing River’s Core Value “Quality is in Our DNA.” Announced in July of 2020, our strategic partnership with Ochsner continues to strengthen our services by aligning us with leading technology, cooperative and integrative access to healthcare, and expanded networks of expertise.
2020 – Singing River & Ochsner Introduce Singing River Gulfport
October 1, 2020 – Singing River takes the next step in our partnership with Ochsner Health by acquiring the former Garden Park Medical Center and its outpatient medical clinics. Both organizations view Singing River Gulfport as an exciting opportunity to further serve the communities along the Gulf Coast with the exceptional, leading-edge technology and medical expertise of both organizations.
In the words of passionate orthopedist Dr. Philip Myers, “Never has the signing of a document resulted in such a beautiful thing for a community. We are so excited that with the signing of that contract, the health of Harrison County INSTANTLY improved and the quality of healthcare in Harrison County instantly took a jump.”
2021 – Medical Apprenticeship Program
Singing River is home to the 1st Medical Apprenticeship in the state of Mississippi.
