Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - As the state's only Level I trauma center as well as the state’s only children’s hospital, the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) is accustomed to caring for patients from across the state who are at the highest level of emergency medical need. Following the October 2022 closure of the state of Mississippi’s only dedicated burn unit at Merit Health Central Hospital, UMMC has steadily developed its response to Mississippians needing burn care close to home by expanding its capabilities and coordination of care for patients with burn injuries. The Mississippi State Department of Health designated UMMC as a Mississippi Burn Center in April 2023. Also in 2023, UMMC was awarded $2,000,000 in one-time state appropriations passed through by the Mississippi State Department of Health to help defray the cost of constructing and equipping a burn center. To cover the remaining expense of constructing and equipping a burn unit within existing hospital space on the Medical Center’s main campus, UMMC also seeks $4,300,000 in funding through HRSA’s Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending program. Funds received through this award application will go towards the design, demolition, renovation, and equipping of a dedicated and specialized inpatient burn unit. The burn unit will provide much-needed in-state burn care for Mississippians, with the capability of treating patients requiring varying levels of care and with the ability to provide therapeutic and rehabilitative care to patients while they are in the hospital. UMMC has a multifaceted care team for burn patients that will include specialists in emergency medicine and trauma surgery, as well as several sub-specialties in plastic surgery, critical care, laboratory medicine, mental health, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacists and physical therapy. This collaboration benefits Mississippians in need of a wide range of specialists central to their healing and recovery from burn injuries.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).