Rick Mize contributed to this article.
OXFORD, Miss.–The new Baptist North Miss. Hospital in Oxford will be one of the largest hospitals in north Mississippi when it’s completed. Groundbreaking was Wednesday for the “single largest economic development event in the history of Oxford and Lafayette County”.
It’s a five-story, 600,000 sq. ft. facility, with 217 beds and improved medical and surgical care, said a statement from the hospital. It’s been in the works since 2009.
“Health care changes a lot and will continue to change,” said hospital administrator and CEO Bill Henning, “and we’ve designed a building that we believe will be able to change with the future.”
He said the hospital will cost about $300 million to build. He believes the hospital is just what north Mississippi needs for the future.
“We’ll be bringing in new services in the coming years, as new technology develops and obviously it will have a great impact on the local economy.”
He said the hospital currently employs about 1,200 people and will continue that, but there is room for growth as new services come in.
According to the Sparks Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Memphis, the FY2012 economic impact of Baptist North Mississippi was estimated at a total production of goods and services (output) value of over $241.2 million; total salaries, wages, and benefits of $92.0 million; 2,141 full- and part-time jobs; and state and local taxes of $9.0 million.
