Since January, Forrest Health has operated an Institute of Neuroscience location on U.S. 98 in west Hattiesburg to serve patients with complex spinal disorders, nervous system disorders which include the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous systems.
The organization now hosts a second location midtown Hattiesburg, made official by a September 6 ribbon cutting and open house held at the new facility located at 2807 Arlington Loop across from the Forrest General Cancer Center.
“After hours and hours of planning and months of construction, we have long awaited the opening of this beautiful facility,” said Millie Swan, vice president of Forrest Health. “We’re excited to open a second location, in addition to our location in Bellevue (community).
“I want to thank our board (of directors) for always allowing us to do things like this, and in this case it’s expanding our neurosurgery services to our patients in this incredible new space. I know you’ve heard about this project many, many times, and it’s great to see it come to fruition. We look forward to seeing midtown continue to grow.”
The new building includes eight exam rooms, a conference/consultation room, onsite X-ray, and offices for the providers, staff, and director, with parking on the east side of the facility.
The neurosurgeons at Forrest Health Institute of Neuroscience each have more than 20 years of experience, including Richard Clatterbuck, Frank Hux and David J. Nathan. The institute team also includes specialized nurse practitioners and nurses, offering complete care to patients.
Forrest General’s complete team of neurosurgeons includes these FHIN physicians, as well as Dr. Greg Toczyl.
“Not only (does Forrest Health) provide world-class health care services, but (they) provide world-class economic impact for all of south Mississippi,” said Chad Newell, president of the Area Development Partnership in Hattiesburg. “So we are elated to have (them) based right here in the City of Hattiesburg and Forrest County.
“We are so excited about all the development in midtown. Forrest General is of course an anchor of midtown, so we have healthcare on one side, Southern Miss on the other. It’s nice to see (midtown’s master plan) come to fruition, and Forrest General is the tip of that spear – not only with its healthcare investment, but the acquisition of some key real estate that can lead to the development of other health care or private sector development in the community.”
Both locations of the Forrest Health Institute of Neuroscience offer advanced technologies, including state-of-the-art cranial and spinal navigation, and treatments for brain tumors and spinal disorders.
“We are probably one of the only hospitals in the country who has 24/7/365, in-house, attending neurosurgical care,” Clatterbuck said. “At Forrest General Hospital, if you hit that emergency room, there’s a neurosurgeon there that’s waiting 24/7 to see you.
“That is a very unusual circumstance in the country. So we’re one of the first places in the country to truly have neurosurgical hospitals.”
For more information on the institute or to make an appointment, call (601) 288-3446 or visit www.FHIN.org.
