Meridian Orthopaedics Specialists staff cut the ribbon on the practices new location Tuesday off Highway 39. Photo by Thomas Howard

Healthcare specialists and business leaders welcomed a new practice to town Tuesday as Meridian Orthopaedic Specialists cut the ribbon on its new location off Highway 39.

 

A doctor-led practice, MOS offers a variety of services to help those suffering from musculoskeletal injuries or conditions that affect the muscles or skeleton. Dr. Lane Rush, one of the doctors at the new practice, said the business was launched to bring a level of care to the community not currently available, and the staff are a key part of making that happen.

 

“This is a physician-led practice, and that was really our mission first and foremost was to bring really a doctor-led service back into the community and make that really the forefront of what we’re doing,” he said. “And we couldn’t do that without a tremendous staff that really does that too.”

 

Community Development Director Craig Hitt said he was initially skeptical when the owners told him they planned to open within 30 to 45 days of receiving their permit. The practice, however, made it work, and the city is delighted to welcome them to Meridian, he said.

 

“They made it happen, and they did it the right way, and we’re grateful for that,” he said. “We thank you for thank you for your investment and for the service you’re doing to our community.”

 

Helen Sims, membership director for the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation, which hosted Tuesday’s ribbon cutting, said the EMBDC is thrilled to welcome Meridian Orthopaedic Specialists to town.

 

“We’re just so fortunate to have four of our leading doctors who’ve come together to find a new home, but it wasn’t outside of our city limits so we’re very thankful,” she said. “Change can be hard, but they made it happen in a quick amount of time, and we’re so thankful for the investment you’re making in our community.”

 

As a mother of five, Sims said both she and her husband have already given the new practice plenty of business, and while she’s delighted to see them grow in Meridian, she intends to visit less often in the future.

 

“I’ve already given you a lot of business, and especially since I play pickle ball, I’m hoping that I don’t continue to give you any business,” she said. “But I am glad that you are here, and we are so fortunate.”

 

Looking forward, Rush said plans for Meridian Orthopaedic Specialists are to grow it into a full-service practice. In fact, efforts to add a state-of-the-art surgical center in the back of the building are already in progress, he said.

 

“We also are looking forward to expanding into physical therapy in the near future as well to really bridge the entire service line of what we feel this community needs,” he said.

 

Jamey Locke, CEO of Columbus Orthopedic Clinic, the parent company for Meridian Orthopaedic Specialists, said seeing the community come out and support the clinic at its ribbon cutting shows how strong the relationship between the practice and the community has already become. Things move quickly when working with doctors, he said, and even more news about the practice is expected to announced in the near future.

 

“This is a new journey for orthopaedics in Meridian, and it’s nothing but the sky’s the limit at this point,” he said.