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Vicksburg, MS – We are happy to announce that Laurie Morrow Neely, MSN, APRN, NP-C, will be the new chief nursing officer (CNO) at Merit Health River Region. She will be joining us officially on January 2, 2023. Laurie is coming to us from Palm Beach, FL, where she serves as the CNO of HCA Florida JFK North Hospital. She has more than 20 years of experience in nursing and brings to us proven leadership in hospital and nursing operations. Her recent accomplishments at HCA Florida JFK North Hospital inclu... ... Read More

Chronic stress can lead to a variety of health problems The holidays are here, but you may not be feeling very jolly. Where’s that yuletide cheer? Holiday stress can hamper your enjoyment of the festivities of the season – and more importantly, take a long-term toll on your health. Stress is an unfortunate reality of day-to-day life, due to overcommitted schedules, work and family pressures, lack of sleep and an overly ambitious to-do list. During the holidays, our already frantic schedule is turned up ... ... Read More

Millions of Americans struggle with seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), each year. Commonly brought on during the fall and winter, the condition can occur during any seasonal change and last as long as four or five months. People with SAD may feel lethargic or moody and tend to sleep more. Symptoms also can include social withdrawal, trouble concentrating, weight gain, and feelings of depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, women and those living farther ... ... Read More

Schedule appointments, tests and surgeries to maximize your health plan benefits before year end Vicksburg, MS, November 7, 2022 – As the holidays approach, it’s easy to forget to take advantage of your insurance benefits. Now is a good time to review your outstanding health care needs and take full advantage of paid-up deductibles or available funds in Flexible Spending Accounts while you still can. “In considering their health care needs, people should also consider the best strategy for using their a... ... Read More

Employees of Merit Health hospitals are eligible for enhanced benefits designed as pathways to help them eliminate existing student debt faster, pursue additional professional education, and advance their careers. The goal in offering Merit Health Pathways benefits is to support and retain employees and attract a strong workforce, especially frontline nurses, technicians, therapists and other clinicians and caregivers, along with support personnel. Benefits include a student loan repayment program that ... ... Read More

Vicksburg, MS – As awareness to pain medication use continues to gain attention, health care professionals are rethinking how to go about treating long-term pain; and thanks to significant research in recent years, we now understand that chronic pain is complex and varied, so it can neither be easily diagnosed nor solved. As such, doctors must balance a patient’s symptoms with medical analysis, weighing the risks and potential benefits of different treatments. The most innovative health care providers a... ... Read More

September 9, 2022 – Merit Health Medical Group, in Vicksburg, is proud to welcome a new addition to our medical staff, Dr. Niyazi Kilic, obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN). Dr. Kilic joins us from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he completed his OB/GYN residency at St. Luke’s University Health Network. When asked why he decided to specialize in OB/GYN, Dr. Kilic states “Obstetrics and gynecology amaze me because I get to provide prenatal care, including first trimester ultrasounds, do well-women care, pe... ... Read More

The new school year is here, which means the lazy, relaxed days of summer have been replaced with hectic school mornings, homework and after school activities. Most likely, your kids have been staying up late and sleeping in during the summer break, so getting them back to a healthy sleep routine may be a challenge. Lack of sleep is not just an issue of motivating cranky children in the mornings,” said Dr. Lisa Fairchild, Pediatrics. “Studies have shown that lack of quality sleep increases the likelihoo... ... Read More

Stress is an unfortunate fact of life for most people: that feeling of worry, dread or nervous anticipation that accompanies the challenges we deal with on the job or in the home, during our daily commute or errands, or in our dealings with family, friends or colleagues. When we encounter a stressful situation – no matter how nerve-racking it may be, our body physically reacts, releasing hormones that enable us to deal with the circumstances: the well-known ‘fight or flight’ reaction. These hormones – a... ... Read More

August 8, 2022–Merit Health Medical Group, in Vicksburg, is proud to welcome a new addition to our medical staff, Dr. Kimberly Zachow, Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN). Dr. Zachow joins us from El Paso, Texas, where she completed her OB/GYN residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She received her Doctor of Medicine at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. When asked why she chose OB/GYN, Dr. Zachow states “While in medical school, I realized that OB/GYN m... ... Read More