When Anderson Regional Health System officials speak of legacy, excellence and trust, they point to the healthcare organization’s heritage, medical advancements, and the trust East Mississippi and West Alabama have put in the Anderson name for 95 years.

Medical advancements contribute to a high level in patient care and are at the forefront of the medical facility’s efforts. In the past year, significant strides in improving healthcare for patients has remained in the forefront of treatment.

Anderson Regional Cancer Center continues to expand healthcare options, and in 2022 patients began receiving treatments with one of the most advanced radiation treatment system TrueBeam. With unprecedented capabilities, TrueBeam enables the Anderson team to treat a broader array of complex cancers so more patients can stay local for care. The sophisticated system’s integration of imaging and motion management technology continuously monitors and compensates for tumor motion to precisely target the tumor. This has significantly advanced lung cancer treatment because of respiratory movement during treatment.

For the fourth year in a row, Anderson Regional Medical Center received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain—MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a high standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.

Anderson was also recognized as a High Performing Hospital for excellence in heart and lung care in 2022. U.S. News & World Report, a global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, named Anderson as a 2022-23 High Performing Hospital for heart care (congestive heart failure) and lung care (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). This is the highest award a hospital can earn for U.S. News’ Best Hospitals Procedures and Conditions ratings.

Anderson’s robotic surgery program continues to excel in providing patients with procedures that are less invasive, less painful and enables them to a smoother recovery. Under the guidance of the skilled surgeons of Medical Arts Surgical Group, Anderson Institute of Robotic Surgery performs more robotic procedures each year ranging from hernia repair, gallbladder removal, colectomy and more.

The Genius 3D Digital Mammogram at Anderson Regional Breast Center has tripled the number of cancers detected with enhanced clarity of 3D images versus traditional 2D images. This allows cancer to be detected at a much earlier stage in most cases, which can significantly reduce the need for chemotherapy. Anderson Regional Breast Center remains the area’s only American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, which is the gold standard in breast health services.

Anderson held its inaugural Nurse Residency Program in 2022, helping nurses make the transition from school to work smoother. The RN residency is an extensive 12-month program for graduate nurses or licensed registered nurses with less than one year of experience. It aims to provide experience in a clinical setting combined with classroom learning, simulations and unit orientations with an experienced practitioner. After rotating through several nursing units to gain experience for the type of care given in each area, 16 nurses were matched with their new home unit.

With diabetes being one of Mississippi’s most critical health conditions, Anderson puts great importance on providing education and management for patients. Looking ahead to 2023, the health care facility will employ two nurse practitioners to manage hospitalized patients who have diabetes, and Anderson Diabetes Center will move to a new, larger facility. The new clinic, Anderson Endocrinology and Diabetes Center, will combine diabetes and endocrinology services under the leadership of Dr. David Lott, an endocrinologist, who will begin seeing patients at the center in August.