The Specialty Hospital of Meridian
The Specialty Hospital of Meridian is a long-term choice for non-permanent placement of a patient who needs more medical attention in an acute hospital setting. Unique treatment programs are designed to treat patients who are acutely ill with multi-system complications or failures and require long hospitalizations. Our health care professionals work hard to generate the highest potential outcomes and and maximize each patient's freedom and independence, while involving the patient and family in the treatment program.

The Specialty Hospital of Meridian has been providing specialized acute care for medically complex patients for 15 years. Opened in 1994, The Specialty Hospital of Meridian operates as a 49 bed long-term acute hospital. The Specialty Hospital of Meridian thrives to deliver superior healthcare to the communities of Mississippi and surrounding states.

Hospitalist Program
The Specialty Hospital of Meridian provides on-call physician coverage 24 hours a day. Hospitalists are physicians located directly in the hospital to handle patient admissions from any practice or group and care for the patient throughout their hospital stay. The hospitalists are trained internal medicine specialist dedicated to patient satisfaction and positive clinical outcomes.

Mission Statement
As a long term acute care hospital with affiliated rural health providers; we are committed to the delivery of excellence in healthcare. We will maintain high standards of care and availability of resources, consistent with the expectations of our customers in a cost-effective manner. Our mission is to care for our patients as well as our communities, defining our motto: "Restoring Quality To Life."

Vision Statement
To deliver superior healthcare services to the communities of Mississippi and surrounding states.

Specific programs are designed to meet the following patient needs for Long Term Acute Care:

• Pulmonary
  The pulmonary program at The Specialty Hospital of Meridian involves specialized care for patients who require ventilator management (tracheostomy or orally intubated). In addition the program provides respiratory care to COPD, pneumonia and other respiratory complex patients.
  
  
• Medically Complex
  The Specialty Hospital of Meridian's medically complex program covers a broad range of diagnoses. Whether the patient comes from intensive care units, general care units or home, different services are specifically designed to care for patients with complex complications ranging from infectious diseases to multi-organ failure.
  
  
• Inpatient Wound Care Management
  The Wound Care Program at The Specialty Hospital of Meridian utilizes and works along with license wound care specialist and the Rush Wound Care, Hyperbaric and Limb Salvage Center. The Specialty Hospital of Meridian offers an interdisciplinary approach to wound care which promotes optimum healing in a timely manner. The program utilizes advanced equipment including: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Specialty and Support Surface Beds and Wound Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC).
  

Services

Q & A: Long Term Acute Care Hospitals

• What is a Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTAC)?
  LTAC's are focused on patients with serious medical problems that require intense, special treatment for a long time (usually about 20-30 days). These patients often transfer from Intensive Care units in traditional hospitals. It would not be unusual for a LTAC patient to need a ventilator or other life support medical assistance.
  
  
• How is a Long Term Acute Hospital different from a traditional hospital?
  The difference is in the specialization. LTAC Hospitals specialize in Long Term Acute Care services, while a traditional hospital offers many general services such as emergency rooms, family birth centers, surgery, and other specialized services.
  
  Another difference is that LTACs may offer better care for patients that fit their specification. The LTAC can focus very high standards on just a relatively small list of ailments, where the traditional hospital is more "spread-out" across a wife range of medical specialties. This is not to say that you cannot receive good acute care in a traditional hospital; just that the Long Term Acute Care Hospital is set up to specialize in that care.
  
  
• It a LTAC like a nursing home?
  A Long Term Acute Care Hospital is not at all like a nursing home. The patients in a LTAC are probably much more ill than a nursing home would attempt to treat.
  
  
• Is a LTAC like a hospice, say, for a fatal disease such as cancer?
  Although many fatal diseases or injuries are serious enough to require specialized care, the Long Term Acute Care Hospital is for patients who can be treated, recover and then return home. As you know, hospice is primarily for those not expected to recover and live past treatment time.