NMMC Gilmore-Amory Expands Intensive Care Unit

AMORY, Mississippi – North Mississippi Medical Center Gilmore-Amory recently completed construction on an expanded Intensive Care Unit to address a regional shortage of critical care beds.

The expansion adds six critical care rooms to NMMC Gilmore-Amory, bringing the Intensive Care Unit capacity to 15 rooms. The expansion will open for patients in early April.

“We’ve experienced a shortage of critical care beds in the region and throughout the state,” said Jamie Rodgers, administrator for NMMC Gilmore-Amory. “This expansion will allow those who need critical care to stay close to home and families not be burdened by travel.”

Projects like the ICU expansion are a part of the North Mississippi Health Services’ mission to continuously improve the health of the people in our region and ensure they have access to the care they need.

“It’s all about our patients,” said David Wilson, NMHS chief operating officer. “We want to make sure our patients get to the right service, to the right provider, at the right place and at the right time.”

The $3 million project added 3,500 square feet to the ICU and took five months to complete. The entire ICU has telehealth capabilities to allow for remote consultations with specialists. Telehealth equipment allows critical care nurses at the bedside to tap into the expertise of specialists throughout North Mississippi Health Services.

“It allows patients to access care by the same trusted providers they would expect in any NMHS hospital,” Rodgers said.

The expansion also adds a second negative pressure room to the unit, expanding the capacity of the ICU staff to treat those who are critically ill with airborne infectious diseases like COVID-19, measles and tuberculosis. The negative air pressure rooms use special filters and venting to limit the spread of airborne particles outside the room. 

About North Mississippi Medical Center Gilmore-Amory

North Mississippi Medical Center Gilmore-Amory is a 95-bed full-service medical facility. The hospital opened in 1916 and joined North Mississippi Health Services in 2019.

About North Mississippi Health Services

North Mississippi Health Services provides care across 24 counties in north Mississippi and northwest Alabama. The health care system includes seven hospitals, a regional network of more than 70 primary and specialty clinics, four nursing homes, home health services and telehealth.