HATTIESBURG, Miss. – (February 26, 2025) The Forrest County Board of Supervisors has named Dr. Lewis E. Hatten, MD, FACS, RPVI, to the Forrest Health Board of Trustees. Dr. Hatten replaces Dr. Marcus L. Hogan, III, MD, who retired at the end of 2024. Members are nominated and voted on by the Supervisors and serve a five-year term. Dr. Hatten was sworn in prior to the February meeting.
Dr. Hatten, who retired at the end of 2024, had served as medical director of Forrest General Hospital’s Wound Healing Center.
A 1968 graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Dr. Hatten has been affiliated with not only Forrest General Hospital, but several of its regional facilities. He was also the recipient of the 2007 Dr. Philip E. Rogers Innovator Award.
Dr. Hatten specialized in vascular surgery, surgery, and cardiovascular disease, providing more than 20 years of service to Vascular Specialists, Hattiesburg Clinic, where he was instrumental in its growth and success. He cared for patients with conditions affecting the arteries, veins, and lymphatic systems that primarily involved circulation from the heart to the rest of the body.
His remarkable career leaves a legacy of compassion, leadership, and innovation. Dr. Hatten was also one of the founding members of the Wound Healing Center at Forrest General Hospital and of Hattiesburg Clinic’s Endovascular Center, the first vascular physician-led outpatient procedure center of its type in the area.
Dr. Hatten, and his wife, Betty Bly Hatten, who will retire at the end of the month after almost 43 years as an FGH ER nurse, are the parents of two children, Andrew (Rachael) Hatten, and Stephen Hatten, who passed away in 1998, and one grandchild, Stephen Patrick Hatten, 5.
The Board of Trustees is made up of seven members who are charged with the oversight of Forrest Health, a completely self-sufficient system. Overseeing all aspects of the health system, its flagship facility, Forrest General, and its six regional facilities, the Board of Trustees makes decisions important to ensuring that patients are a top priority and receive the best possible care.
Dr. Hatten joins other Board of Trustees members, Peggy J. Answorth, Eric K. Steele, Andrew “Andy” B. Mercier, Harry “Chip” McArthur, III, Shea E. McNease, and Jana Causey, PhD, who serves as chairperson.
Dr. Marcus L. Hogan, III, retired from the board at the end of December 2024 after 19 years of service.
Appointed to the Forrest County General Hospital Board of Trustees in January 2005, Dr. Hogan shared his experience and knowledge, providing both leadership and perspective.
During his career, Dr. Hogan served more than 61 years in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, working as an OB/GYN with Hattiesburg Clinic and delivering more than 10,000 babies. He was responsible for introducing epidural anesthesia. Prior to his medical service, he served in the U.S. Army from 1954-1964, serving as a captain during 1963-64. He also served as a member of the AAA Ambulance Board of Trustees.
A 1959 graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Dr. Hogan worked with Hattiesburg Clinic’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Department from 1967-2003. He is a member of the 1953 Forrest County Agriculture High School Aggie Hall of Fame.
Dr. Hogan said he first came to Forrest General Hospital in 1967 as a lab tech, but had been here earlier as an orderly, in the late 1950s, at times working two back-to-back shifts.
“The Forrest County Board of Supervisors is grateful for the service of Dr. Marcus L. Hogan, III, who has served on the Forrest Health Board of Trustees for the last 19 years,” said Terri Bell, president of the Forrest County Board of Supervisors. “He has been committed to bringing excellence to healthcare in our community for many years. We wish Dr. Hogan and his wife, Billie, all the best in the years ahead.”
Trustees Chairperson Causey commended Dr. Hogan during a retirement reception February 17, noting the tremendous amount of growth that has taken place under his leadership while serving on the board. “Dr. Hogan has perspective that was not only unique, but he brought a lot of experience to our board that was very important, especially concerning quality,” she said. “He made sure we were taking good care of this hospital and our outlying facilities and the impact on our communities. I hope you know and understand how much we appreciate you.”
With Dr. Hogan’s departure, Eric Steele, vice chairman, becomes the elder member of the board. “In the military, we call them Battle Buddies,” Steele said of his time on the board sitting next to Dr. Hogan. “The thing I have gathered the most from Dr. Hogan is how important family was. That was something he always talked about. You truly have been a blessing. There will always be a place in my heart for you.”
