Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center and its board of trustees honored two of its best physicians and a visionary administrator who helped make the hospital the economic backbone of Pike County.
More than 200 people gathered on the front lawn of the hospital Saturday for a formal ceremony naming the Ambulatory Surgery Center in honor of Norman Price, the hospital administrator for the past 30 years.
Hospital trustees sponsored the event that renamed the ambulatory surgical suites. Friends, family, hospital staff members and city and state officials were on hand to applaud the work of Dr. Will Austin and the late Dr. C. Foster Lowe.
Surgical suite No. 1 now bears a plaque that reads “In honor of William K. Austin,” while suite No. 2 is named in honor of Lowe.
Norman Gillis Jr., who was a major player in the development of the hospital, served as emcee and delivered a speech on the history and beginnings of Southwest Regional.
Gillis recalled that in the 1960s, Pike County faced a medical crisis.
“We were 25 years behind in technology,” Gillis explained. “There was no nursing school, we had only seven doctors, there was no ambulance service — we did have the use of an available funeral hearse to pick up patients.”
Gillis said there were two hospitals, one each in McComb and Magnolia, with 30 beds each.
“There were no specialists,” Gillis added. “There was no mental health, no heart center, physical therapy and no cancer treatment center.”
Gillis said the owners of the two hospitals got together to develop a new hospital. He said there were a few men in local government motivated to get a regional medical center, but they faced opposition from the majority of the county’s board of supervisors.
After appeals, litigation and a move to get the county redistricted, the hospital finally got approval to move forward.
Gillis presented Austin with a proclamation for the renaming of surgical suite No. 1.
Austin gave thanks to Gillis not only for the presentation, but for his dedication to the hospital.
“This hospital would have never happened without the dedication and hard work of Mr. Gillis,” Austin said.
Dr. Henry Lewis presented the proclamation for surgical suite no. 2 to the family of Lowe.
“He was a dear friend,” Lewis said. “He was a straight arrow. He developed and trained his own RNs for surgery and patient care. He was a solid rock and a great guy.”
Lowe practiced at the hospital for 24 years. Lowe died Dec. 20, 2004. His daughter, Barbara Lowe, and his wife Regina accepted the award.
“He was passionate about what he did,” Barbara Lowe said, “He always loved going to work and he made sure that people in this area knew where to get great medical treatment.”
His wife added, “If Foster were here he’d be so grateful. We thank you.”
Gillis’ final presentation was to the hospital administrator.
“Price had a vision,” Gillis said. “He saw this hospital here before there was ever a hospital. He saw what it would mean to the county. He’s made Southwest one of the best hospitals in the South.”
Under Price’s leadership, Gillis said, the hospital built the Ambulatory Surgery Center, expanded its labor and delivery facilities and added a gastrointestinal clinic, the Mississippi Cancer Institute and the Cardiovascular Institute of Mississippi.
The hospital also built a new exterior that gave it a contemporary aesthetic facade and a structurally sound exterior. He also made possible St. Luke Home Health Services, the latest in medical technology, X-ray improvements, robotics and a full medical laboratory.
“We are proud to rename this building the Norman M. Price Ambulatory Surgery Center. Thanks to Norman and many other dedicated men and women, this medical center has become the backbone, economically, of this county,” Gillis said.
